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Home My WebLink About1995 - Walkway ProjectOGT. 1`t, I?'►S — Bids Taken For New Walkway By COLLEEN DESLAURIER Press -Journal Staff Writer The mud puddle surrounding the Barber Street Sports Complex may be going away soon. Bids were opened Monday for a concrete walkway that city offi- cials say will eliminate, or at least drastically reduce, the amount of mud that forms near the complex every time it rains. The city got two bids on the pro- ne from Pan-American En- gineering in Vero Beach for $23,749;. the other from Central Coast Contracting of Bunnell for $26,192, said Public Works Direc- tor Richard Votapka. Votapka said he was going to recommend the low bid to the Se- bastian City Council at its next meeting. Pan-American Engi- neering is the same firm cur- rently working on the Easy Street ball fields, a multi-purpose field, a bicycle path. football field and a creative play - Work on the project may begin in mid-November, Votapka said. ground. Residents also have complained about the state of the ball fields The concrete walkway, will be after a downpour. Votapka said placed between the fields so that the thordered clay and sur - when it rains, people don't have to face treatment for the fields so slide through the mud to get to they can raise the clay surface the bleachers. all four fields. This will prevent "There's so much pedestrian the water from staying on the traffic (the only solution is) a clay and making a mea& paved walkway to eliminate the Once soccer season ends, work - problem we have," Votapka said. ers plan to level off the playing "It becomes a sea of mud." field with sand. The pavement will begin from Votapka said he didn't know the parking area to the concession why just two companies sub- area and then will branch north mitted bids, after the city sent out and south all the way to the invitations to bid to more than 20 bleachers, Votapka said. . companies. Sebastian bought the 14.5 acres "I'm a little disappointed with the $500,000 complex now sits on the amount of bidders we had. I from General Development Corp. 'thought we'd have more," Vo- ir the 1980s. The complex has four tapka said. Work On Walkway, At Sports Complex May -Begin Soon By COLLEEN DES,LAURIER problem we have," Votapka'said. The mud puddle :surrounding "It becomes a sea of mud." the Barber Street Sports Com: plex may be going, away soon. " The pavement will begin from' the parking area to the conces-' Bids were opened last Monday Sion area and then'`wlll branch for a concrete walkway that city north and south all tlidway to the officials say will eliminate,,or at bleachers, Votapka said: least drastically reduce, ,the Sebastian bought the 145 acres amount of mud that forms near the $500,000 complex now sits on. the complex every time it rains. from General Development Corp. The cit p in the 1980s. y got two bids on the pro- ject, one from Pan-American En- The complex has ' four ball: gineering in Vero Beach for fields, a multi-purpose field .a f .$23,749; the other from Central I, Coast Contracting of Bunnell for $26,192, said ".Public Works Direc- tor Richard Votapka `� Votapka said he was going to recommend the low bid to the Se- bastian Clty Council of its next t meeting. Pan-American: Engineering, is the same firm,currently working on the, Easy Street bicycle path project. Work on the Barber Street pro-; ject may begin in mid-November, football field and a creative play ? ground.- ,. •`_ 1 SlpS �f Sr�r�,��, Residents also plained about the,'S of the bald i fields after a downpour' tate14 Votapka. said the 1Ey has or ; tiered clay and aurface treatments';, forthe fields so tiieycanraisafhe.?r•'; clay': surface on all fouri`flelda.' This will prevent the water from:" z staying on the clay and making a mess. .. isf: Once soccer season eds work" ers plan to level off th playing ' r Votapka said, field with sand ". The.concrete'walkway.,will be Votapka said he did t know.'. placed between the fields so that . why just two compa%es sub when it rains matted bids, after the cit sent.out people' don't have invitations to bid to more than`20" . to slide through the mud to get to companies. ' the bleachers, "I'm a little disappointed with`` "There's so much:pedestrian the amount of bidders we had. traffic (the only solution is) a thought we'd have moret' ;.Vo-' paved walkway to eliminate the tapka said. Firms Shave $14,000 Off Sidewalk, Bike .lath Bids By SHELLEY CANUPP Press -Journal Staff' Writer New bids for a sidewalk at the Barber Street Sports Complex and the Englar Drive bike path came in about $14,000 lower than those previously submitted, much to Mayor Art Firtion's delight. A little over a mcnth ago, Fir - tion persuaded Sebastian City Council to reject previous bids be- cause he thought they were too high. The Barber Street bids, which ranged from $17,713 to $25,073, were opened Monday afternoon in City Council chambers. The low bidder was Jack Regan c`. Sebas- tian, at $17,713. High -'dder on the project was Pan American Engi- neering, Vero Beach, at $25,072. Bids on the Engler Drive as- phalt bike path project, which ranged from $48,550 to $66,237, were opened an hour earlier. The low bidder was Pan American Engineering at $48,550. High bid- der was Henry Fischer & Sons, Sebastian, at $66,237. "We've saved the city $14,000 by rebidding," Firtion said. "We did what's good for the city" Four companies submitted bids on each project. Previously, Pan American was the lowest bidder on both projects. Hal Baxley, construction coordi- nator dor Pan American, said Monday this time he bid higher on the Barber Street sidewalk be- cause some additional work was required. Baxley said he could bid lower on Englar Drive's bike path this time because the city agreed to provide grading services. In October, just two bids were turned in on the Barber Street project — one from Pan Ameri- can for $23,749; the other from Central Coast Contracting of Bun- nell for $26,193. The sidewalk project was de- layed after the Oct. 25 City Coun- AIISM BRUCE ANDRESS 562-0010 927 15th Place • Lunas Plaza cil meeting because Firtion insisted the city could get a lower bid than Pan American's $23,749. AtFirtion's urging, Pan Ameri- can's $56,550 bid on the Engler Drive project was also rejected at the same council meeting. Firtion said it would save the city money if future bidders con- sidered.jobs as one large project to be completed in phases. Despite several residents pro- testing the Barber Street side- walk delay, Firtion held his ground and the council never voted t:• accept Pan American's bids. Firtion said Monday he's been "made out to be an ogre" who hates children because the Barber Street project was slightly de- layed. I "I love children," he said. "I just wanted to save taxpayers some money." ' Public Works Director Richard Votapka said Monday he will talk to the new low bidders about the projects today. He will then make his recommendations to the City Council. Hopefully, the new bids will be voted on at Wednesday night's Sebastian City Council meeting, Firtion said. If accepted, work is expected to start on the Barber Street side- walk sometime before Christmas, Votapka said. Police News Sebastian Burglaries Golf clubs and a golf bag valued at $825 were reported stolen from the unlocked vehicle of a 75 -year- old man sometime between 1:30. p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday while the car was parked in the 100 block of Airport Drive. A $50 ball retriever also was reported missing. M1 5 (Ccs \ •� '- BUILT IN AMERICA MOORE MOTORS 562-0100