Council ready to finalize Main Avenue, City Beach projects

There may be snow on the ground, but Clear Lake City Council members are making plans for summer projects.  At their first meeting of the new year on Jan. 6, the Council is expected to review a multi-million Main Avenue reconstruction project, as well as accept a bid for an expanded splash pad project at City Beach.

At its Dec. 16 meeting the Council heard details of the second phase of its Main Avenue Street Improvement Project which will span between 14th and 20th Streets.  Jason Petersburg, project engineer at Veenstra & Kimm, explained the project is a continuation of improvements made on Main from 20th to 24th two years ago.

Like the previous phase, work in 2020 will include water, storm sewer, sanitary sewer and paving.  The design also includes five-foot wide sidewalks and bicycle lanes.

The estimated costs of construction for the project is $2,066,557.  The estimated amount to be assessed against the benefitted property owners is approximately $400,000, or about 17.8 percent.

The Council is expected to initiate the special assessment process Monday night.

Alliant Energy is already at work burying the overhead primary electric lines.  The Council is also considering adding upgraded street lighting to this phase, as well as the final phase, which is between South 8th Street and 14th Street.  According to City Administrator Scott Flory, the area between South 8th and 20th Street is residential and would present a good opportunity to implement “a more suitable street light pole that could accommodate banners, if so desired at some point in the future.”

The underground work for the street improvement project is scheduled to begin in July, after the Fourth of July celebration, and be completed in November.  Paving would begin in the following spring.

Splash pad

The city has received four bids for its scheduled beach enhancement program in 2020.  Bids were opened last week and will be reviewed at the Jan. 6 council meeting.

Peterson Construction, of Webster City, submitted a base bid of $1,033,000 for the work; Dean Snyder Construction, Clear Lake, bid $1,112,237; Henkel Construction, Mason City, bid $1,131,000; and Sande Construction, of Humboldt, bid $1,220,581, according to information provided by RDG Planning and Design.

The estimated $1.2 million project includes

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construction of a splash pad, a new restroom facility, a sun shade shelter area, landscaping and lighting improvements.

The new splash pad design will feature three different zones, with one zone specially designed for toddlers.  Other ones will  use the more familiar water blooms, waves and jet streams.  Several of the components would have LED lighting so they could be lit up at night.

A shade canopy is situated near the splash pad to provide parents and those watching the splash pads with shade.  A new, larger restroom facility is also part of the project.

Work is expected to begin on the project in 2020 when weather allows and be completed by June 22.

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