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City engineer outlines downtown parking, alley and development projects slated for design and summer construction
Summary
City engineering staff reported progress on multiple projects including rehabilitation of the Smith Street parking lot with a FRCTA microgrid, near-completion Laurel dog park, alley improvement bids for summer work, and several development projects including Kings Estates phase 4 and a truck dispatch facility near Highway 99.
At the March 5 meeting the city’s engineering staff updated the council on a slate of public works and development projects moving toward design or construction.
Engineering staff said the Smith Street parking lot behind Bridal Drug will be repaved this spring and will receive solar canopies and charging stations under a Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA) grant. “We’re partnering with FRCTA who got a grant to install a bunch of canopies and solar panels and charging stations in that lot,” the engineer said.
The Laurel Dog Park is in a plant-establishment maintenance phase and will open after final grass growth and mowing, the engineer said. A senior center kitchen is also nearing completion pending reinspection after a county inspection identified additional items to address.
Longer alleys identified for federally funded air-quality projects include the alley between Mailer and Warrkentin (between Tenth and Fourteenth) and an alley between Twentieth and Twenty-First (between Sierra and Mariposa). Staff said design is complete or nearly complete and both projects are scheduled for construction this summer, subject to federal funding conditions.
Staff gave updates on development activity: Kings Estates (West Guard development) phase 4 and its park and amenities are nearly finished; the El Portillo business park, including a Western Wear warehouse and showroom, is nearing completion; earthwork has begun on a truck dispatch and operations facility near Highway 99; and a senior housing project north of Ace Hardware is starting to advance with Tulare County Housing Authority involvement.
The engineer also reported the city submitted CMAQ and STBG grant applications and secured Highway Safety Improvement Program funding for improvements at Tenth and Kern; design options for that intersection will be returned to council with photos and alternatives.
Councilmembers asked project-specific questions, including timing for alley bid advertisements and construction sequencing. Staff said alley bids will be issued toward the beginning of next month with work planned for summer.
