Soledad council approves Front Street change order for crosswalks, tree work and asphalt reuse

The Soledad City Council unanimously approved a contract change order with Monterey Peninsula Engineering for the Front Street maintenance project that adds decorative crosswalks, pays for extra tree-removal work and permits reuse of asphalt grindings at the city wastewater facility.

Assistant City Engineer Alex outlined the three main packages in the change order: colored snap-asphalt crosswalks with a colonial-brick herringbone pattern at multiple intersections, additional time and materials required to remove mature street trees whose roots had damaged metal grates, and collection of asphalt chippings from planned grinding operations to be applied at the wastewater reclamation facility’s dirt roads. Alex said the asphalt chippings had performed well on a previous Dixie Street project.

Staff identified funding sources for the items: the asphalt crosswalks and some grind-related work would come from Measure X, while transporting and placing grindings at the wastewater facility would be covered by the wastewater fund. Alex also said the change order includes a 20% contingency to cover unforeseen issues encountered during construction.

Council members asked about timing and business impacts; staff said the decorative work would take place after paving and that coordination and traffic-management measures would minimize disruption. Council discussed possible future branding elements, such as a medallion on Main and Front streets, but staff said the project is already in construction and design choices were intentionally conservative to avoid delays.

The council moved and seconded the resolution approving the change order (resolution 6179); the motion carried unanimously.