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Nehalem Council backs 4-inch wall plus handrail for 8th Street Safe Routes to School; artwork to be mounted on rail panels
Summary
Facing budget constraints, the Nehalem City Council agreed Jan. 13 to proceed with a 4-inch decorative wall combined with a handrail (potentially hot-dip galvanized schedule 40 pipe) for the 8th Street Safe Routes to School project and suggested mounting community artwork on intermittent handrail panels; restoring a 12-inch wall would cost an estimated $10,000.
The Nehalem City Council on Jan. 13 reached consensus to move forward with a 4-inch decorative wall combined with a handrail for the 8th Street Safe Routes to School project after city engineers identified budget constraints that make the originally planned 12-inch wall unaffordable without additional city funds.
City Manager Lori Longfellow said the city’s engineer advised that budgeted funds would only support a 4-inch wall and that restoring the 12-inch specification would require roughly an additional $10,000, which could jeopardize the overall project budget. Longfellow proposed mounting the planned artwork on the handrail or intermittent panels attached to the handrail as a cost-saving alternative to the taller wall.
Mayor Phil Chick and Councilors Hilary Howell and Doug Larzelier expressed support for installing a handrail rather than the taller concrete wall. Councilor Dave Cram suggested mounting artwork on panels installed along the handrail. Neighbor David Browning told the council nearby residents prefer a handrail and recommended a hot-dip galvanized schedule 40 pipe as a less expensive alternative to stainless steel.
Public Works Director Brian Moore later reported that the 8th Street sidewalk portion of the project experienced delays tied to curb-size issues and that additional savings could come from a monolithic concrete pour and by eliminating a 5-foot retaining wall. Council members noted those choices contributed to the project’s overall cost reductions.
The council’s direction: proceed with the 4-inch wall and handrail option and consider using galvanized railing and intermittent art panels to honor prior commitments to local artists while staying within budget. Project updates will come at future meetings.
