Personalized bricks will be salvaged for Main Avenue project

Personalized bricks which have helped to make Clear Lake’s Main Street iconic, will be preserved in the brick paver sidewalk reconstruction project scheduled to begin after Labor Day.

After tabling the issue two weeks ago, Monday night the City Council voted unanimously to proceed with an option that will replace the current brick pavers with new, square pavers designed to lay much flatter.  The current sidewalks have been deemed unsafe in areas where the freeze and thaw, along with settling, has caused the sidewalk to become uneven.

The Council tabled the issue after Councilmen Tony Nelson and Jim Boehnke expressed concern about what would become of the estimated 3,000 personalized brick pavers which were purchased through the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce at a cost of $50 apiece.

Monday, City Administrator Scott Flory reported the personalized pavers had been evaluated and had been deemed reusable.

Under the plan accepted by the City, the personalized pavers will be integrated into a new brick paver sidewalk.  Their placement will be as close as possible to their current location.

Flory explained the sidewalk currently features three sizes of brick pavers.  The personalized pavers are on the large size, which is in the best condition among existing pavers.

“Brick life is estimated at 25-years.  Some of these have been in place for 17 or 18-years, but we feel they can be salvaged,” said Flory.  Using a new method of placement, the longevity of the brick paver sidewalk will be increased, as they will be less susceptible to freeze and thaw, he added.

The sidewalk plan accepted by the Council will feature a one-foot strip of PCC concrete by buildings, as well as at the street lights.  Bricks will be used as the walkway surface.

The sidewalk option selected by the City Council was originally estimated at about $590,000, however that cost may be reduced by salvaging