Atwater council orders rework of Fruitland/Chardonnay bulbouts after residents object to narrow driving lanes

After an extended public‑comment period that drew multiple residents, engineers and the homeowners association, the Atwater City Council voted to pause paving at the Fruitland/Chardonnay intersection and to rework the two north bulbouts to widen the travel lanes by roughly two feet total.

Residents described near‑misses between trucks, mailbox damage, new drainage and driveway grade problems, and concerns about pedestrian and ADA access after the new traffic‑calming bulbouts were installed. "You guys should be ashamed of yourself," resident Anita Mason said at the podium, describing a child who fell and hit a mailbox placed near the sidewalk. Several other residents showed photographs and testified that two trucks cannot pass easily at normal driving speeds.

Designers defended the engineering intent as a traffic‑calming measure. Rob Christensen, a BVH Consulting senior civil engineer who prepared the plans, said the feature was intended to slow traffic and that oversized vehicles can pass if drivers slow down. "It is designed to slow traffic below 30 miles an hour," Christensen said. Another consultant, Jose Luis Benabidz, advised the council on lane‑width standards and said a modest increase in asphalt width would be preferable.

Council options discussed included finishing the project as planned, completing the work and later evaluating fixes, or pausing construction to re‑engineer and reconstruct the bulbouts before paving. Staff estimated reworking the two bulbouts (saw‑cut, re‑survey, reform and pour concrete, then stripe) would cost roughly $85,000–$100,000 and add two to three weeks if rushed. Construction management recommended paving all other sections to protect structural sections and to leave only the intersection area open until rework is complete.

Council action: Councilmember Raymond moved — and a majority of councilmembers approved — a plan to halt paving at the intersection, saw‑cut and flatten the two northern bulbouts to gain about one foot of travel lane on each side (two feet total), re‑survey and re‑form the concrete, then resume asphalt work. The vote passed 4–1 (Kale yes; Ambry yes; Raymond yes; Rochester no; Nelson yes).

Why it matters: the decision directly affects residents’ immediate safety perceptions, driveway and mailbox access, and short‑term project costs and schedule. Staff also agreed to locate who reviewed and signed the original and revised plans and to explore steps to improve oversight and checks‑and‑balances on future street projects.

What comes next: city staff will stop paving at the intersection area, coordinate saw cutting and rework with the contractor, and proceed with re‑engineering and concrete repair before final paving. Engineering oversight and potential cost recovery avenues were discussed but not resolved on the record.