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Lafayette panel approves stamped concrete to replace failing downtown paver crosswalks
Summary
The Lafayette Design Review Commission approved a staff recommendation to replace problem paver crosswalk segments with stamped concrete at two downtown legs, citing repetitive maintenance costs and durability concerns. Public Works presented the Safeway example used as a template.
The Lafayette Design Review Commission on Thursday voted to approve a staff recommendation to replace failing paver crosswalk segments in downtown Lafayette with stamped concrete.
Public Works Director Mike Moran told the commission the original interlocking paver product — selected in the 1990s — was discontinued and that the replacement pavers installed since about 1998 have not interlocked well. "They do come loose. They do shift," Moran said, explaining that lateral forces from trucks turning at corners cause pavers to grind and deteriorate. He said repeated repairs at some sites have cost more than installing a stamped-concrete replacement and cause repeated lane closures.
Moran presented a stamped-concrete repair installed by a local Safeway as a visual and functional example. He said the contractor matched the paver pattern and color so from a distance the concrete reads like the original pavers and that the concrete is expected to be more durable, though "concrete is for sure gonna crack" and will require different repair techniques.
Commissioners asked about color permanence, expansion joints and how the city would patch concrete after utility trenching. Moran proposed specifying expansion joints at regular intervals, holding a template for pattern consistency in the corporation yard for future patches, and accepting that color will fade over time. After discussion, an unidentified commissioner moved to approve the stamped-concrete approach for the two worst legs at the Mount Diablo and Moraga Road intersection; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
The commission did not attach specific funding details to the approval during the meeting; Moran characterized the shift as a long-term maintenance savings compared with repeated paver repairs. The next administrative steps are to standardize the pattern and color specifications and include the work in future maintenance or utility-repair projects as opportunities arise.
