Jason Crane/The Voice
Members of the Aurora City Council paused for a moment of silence in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King at the Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting Tuesday.
Mayor of Aurora pro-tem, Robert J. O’Connor, said, “In memory of his dedication, his life, his work, his principals. We need to work pretty hard again to try to do what he did in his life, which was far too short.”
• Consent was given to a resolution to accept a bid from Copenhaver Construction, Inc, based in Gilberts for the Water Street Mall Improvements Project in the amount of $277,835.
According to city government of Aurora documents, the renovation will address the mismatched aesthetics and safety concerns. The city government is proposing the reconstruction of the Water Street Mall between Downer Place and Galena Boulevard. Some of the highlights of the project include removal of all existing hardscapes (abandoned utility protrusions, concrete and pavers) and placement of new “plaza” concrete (similar to RiverEdge Park with sections of color) and a ribbon of brick pavers (to match current and surrounding brick), four new planter beds (including one at the south end near Downer), and a blended, arching transition to the mall from the walkway currently meandering through the park area on the east side of the mall.
Supplemental items including landscaping improvements and string lighting are anticipated, but will be implemented separately (much of which will be performed by city forces and resident groups) and are not part of the hardscape construction to be performed as part of the initial project. The estimated costs for these items is between $85,000 and $95,000, which does not include city labor and equipment to be used.
Director of Zoning and Planning for Aurora city government, Stephane Phifer said, “There are a lot of safety issues in Water Street Mall. There’s a lot of trip hazards. The power that serves a lot of the vendors is in a low spot, so water accumulates where the electricity is coming in.”
“We also looked at the existing trees. We do recognize the value of having large landscaping and trees in the area, it does add a lot of character, it adds a lot of shade. We did have an outside arborist come in and take a look at the existing trees and did find that unfortunately they are not of a safe structural root system to be able to stand up after we do all the improvements.”
Bids for the Water Street Mall improvements were received from seven contractors. The lowest responsible bidder was Copenhaver Construction, which includes the bid alternate for decorative concrete. Combining this amount with the landscaping and string lighting costs results in an estimated project cost of around $370,000. Funds from an account with a 2018 budget of $370,000.
• Consent was given to amending certain sections of Chapter 37: Preservation. The proposed amendment is intended to remove the stipulation that members are to serve without compensation. City officials seek to pay members of the Aurora Preservation Commission $75. per meeting.
The Aurora Preservation Commission was established by the City Council in 1979 to preserve properties with Aurora’s historical, cultural, artistic, social, and ethnic heritage.
All other boards and commissions overseen by the Planning and Zoning Department that serve as the public review body required to implement an established ordinance by providing determinations or recommendations on land use matters, receive $75. per commissioner for each meeting attended.
The agenda items listed could be passed upon approval at the full City Council meeting Tuesday.