Vineyard council seeks outside bids after dispute over 400 South collector design

Vineyard councilmembers asked staff on July 7 to obtain refined design and cost estimates and to seek outside bids for a contested segment of 400 South after a sustained exchange with Councilman Jake Holdaway and local developers. Holdaway told the council the new city collector-road standard adopted in December would uniquely affect his family’s parcel and said a narrower compromise could avoid taking property by eminent domain.

"When my father was approached by the city to donate the 0.25 mile of 21 feet, he again reminded the mayor at the time, Okay. I will donate the entire pathway for free," Holdaway said during the meeting. Holdaway and several contractors argued that private redesign and contractor estimates were far lower than some staff figures. Works Director Nassim Gendorp said the city had relied on an outside design engineer and "She told me about $24,000," and the city budgeted about $30,000 for conceptual rework to be conservative.

Council members raised safety and consistency concerns about curb alignment and whether changing the cross-section would require amending existing development agreements. The mayor and multiple council members said they opposed using eminent domain to secure the right-of-way. Councilman Holdaway moved to put the redesign out to bid to let the open market test staff estimates; the mayor instructed staff to tighten cost estimates and return with more information before a final vote.

The council did not record a roll-call vote on the procurement motion; members agreed to pursue bids and additional engineering detail and to consult legal counsel on development-agreement implications. Staff said construction of the segment would likely not be possible before 2027 under current timelines.