COLUMBUS -- City staff’s recommendations on the closure of the East 14th Avenue railroad crossing, along with potential concurring stipulations, will be heard by the City Council during its meeting Monday.
The council is scheduled to meet as the Committee of the Whole at 6 p.m. Monday in the Council Chambers, 1369 25th Avenue, with the regular meeting of the council scheduled to follow at 7 p.m.
According to a memorandum from City Administrator Joseph Mangiamelli and City Engineer Merlin Lindahl, the city staff is not opposed to the Platte County Board of Supervisors’ request to close East 14th Avenue, which is under the city’s jurisdiction, as part of the East 29th Avenue viaduct proposal.
An adjacent railroad crossing to the proposed viaduct must be closed for the project to qualify for federal and railroad funding.
Within the memorandum, it states the city would like to see the following conditions met as part of the agreement with the county:
• The closure be accomplished by the construction of cul-de-sacs on the north and south legs of East 14th Avenue away from the crossing to serve existing and future business development in the area with plans and specifications to be submitted for review and approval by city staff prior to seeking final design approval;
• Any cost associated with the closure of East 14th Avenue crossing, to include but not be limited to, any design, right-of-way acquisition or construction shall be borne by Platte County;
• The Platte County attorney discuss with the city attorney any statutory requirements necessary to ensure compliance providing cooperation by the city in this crossing closure without any vote of the citizens of Columbus; and
• Suggest to the board of supervisors that further crossing closures that might be considered include East 44th Avenue and retain the crossing at East 59th Avenue.
As for the selection of closing East 14th Avenue rather than East 44th Avenue as part of the project, Mangiamelli wrote in a separate memorandum that traffic volume was the primary consideration.
“The traffic volume on East 14th Avenue is presently higher than East 44th Avenue so there is a greater safety benefit by its closure than the eastern crossing,” he wrote. “Having said that, south of the railroad trackage, East 14th Avenue has a very low traffic volume, is a township road and not even a mail route, so there is really limited benefit keep this crossing open given the overall potential for development in the area.”
As the Committee of the Whole, the council will also consider the name of the North Arterial project. Staff recommendations include the Lost Creek Parkway, Pawnee Parkway and Columbus Arterial.
The committee will also consider color selection for the metal arches for the new 33rd Avenue viaduct.
In other news, the council is expected to:
• hear the first reading of Ordinance No. 08-14 annexing a 32 acre tract of land owned by the city and located at East 18th Avenue and 28th Street. The 20 acres is to be leased to the Nebraska National Guard and 12 acres to be developed into a city park.
• vote on specifications and estimate of cost in the amount of $495,645 for a live burn trailer and authorize city staff to seek proposals as part of the consent agenda. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program in the same amount was awarded to the Columbus Fire Department.
• vote on a resolution to award low bid to Gehring Construction and Ready Mix Co. Inc. in the amount of $259,372 for Street Improvement District No. 177 in West Industrial Park (53rd Avenue from 26th to 27th Streets, 27th Street from 53rd to 54th Avenues, 54th Avenue from 27th to 29th Streets and 29th Street from 54th Avenue to Howard Boulevard).
• vote on a resolution to approve an engineering agreement between the city and Kirkham Michael & Associates Inc. for engineering services relating to South Water Treatment Plant.
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