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Harbor Springs council approves full rebuild of Center Street after crews find insufficient asphalt
Summary
Council voted to reconstruct both blocks of Center Street between Lake and Pine after contractors discovered less than the planned asphalt depth; the estimated cost is $148,824 and council also approved $40,000 in patch work elsewhere, with staff to return with any required budget amendments.
Council members on Monday authorized a full reconstruction of Center Street after contractors found the road had far less asphalt than engineering crews expected, making a simple mill-and-overlay impractical.
City Manager Chris Bacall told the council that contractors discovered only about 1.5 inches of asphalt on Center Street, too thin to support the planned mill-and-overlay. He outlined three options: minimal curb-area repairs, rebuilding the first block within the existing contract, or rebuilding both blocks to a deeper base and placing 3 inches of fresh asphalt. Bacall recommended the full rebuild, citing long-term value.
"There's only an inch and 0.5 of asphalt," Bacall said, describing how that discovery ruled out the original, quicker plan. He estimated the full reconstruction at roughly $148,824 and noted the local street fund had a balance large enough to cover the work if council directed staff to proceed.
Council members debated whether to limit the work to the originally-budgeted areas or invest in a more durable repair. One council member urged doing the full project to avoid repeated repairs; another asked that some urgent patching elsewhere that had been planned still be completed while crews were available.
The council moved and approved the manager's recommendation to rebuild both blocks of Center Street between Lake and Pine and separately approved roughly $40,000 in patch work on other streets. The motion carried on roll call. The city manager said staff would return with any required budget amendment and a written account of the changes driven by the July 20 discussion.
The decision shifts the project from the original short-duration mill-and-overlay to a more extensive reconstruction with a deeper gravel base and thicker new asphalt. Bacall emphasized the long-term tradeoff: a higher up-front cost but a longer-lasting street.
The council also discussed prioritizing a citywide pavement-condition study and asked staff to prepare a clearer multi-year capital plan for streets and utilities to guide future spending.
