City Manager Matthews provided the City Council with an update on the color selection of the Maple Avenue bridge to the Community Center as well as the walkways around the building. It was her understanding that there had been some discussion of this matter at the meeting on April 4th, which she was unable to attend. At that meeting, Councilmember Williams had proposed that the concrete for these areas be tinted a very dark grey. Subsequent to the meeting, Councilmember Williams had discussed the color selection with Howard Kohn, Chair of the Community Center Liaison Committee. Based on this discussion, the preferred color choice was now more in keeping with the light-colored concrete used for most sidewalks.
The City Manager informed the City Council that the concrete to be used for the Maple Avenue bridge and the walkways was lightweight concrete and had a different base color than the concrete typically used for sidewalks. The base color for the lightweight concrete had a somewhat green cast to it, which might not be appropriate. The City Manager stated that, in her opinion, either a light grey or a buff color would be the most appropriate color choice. The color chart was available, and she would welcome any input from Councilmembers as to their preference.
City Manager Matthews then provided the City Council with additional information about the installation of sidewalks through the Community Center parking lot; this issue had been raised during the meeting on April 4th. The City Manager advised the City Council that sidewalks were included in Phase 2 stage of the project as originally envisioned. The sidewalks were part of a larger scope of work that would have included the milling and overlay of the parking lot. The existing curbs adjacent to the library would have been removed and reconstructed to allow for a sidewalk of sufficient width for strollers, wheelchairs, etc. The City Manager stated that construction of a sidewalk at this time was not feasible. The construction would result in a temporary loss of parking spaces and further aggravate the existing parking situation. Also, any reconfiguration of the curbs would result in a narrowing of the travel lane. When large construction equipment was on site, it was already difficult for vehicles to get through the parking lot. The City Manager recommended that the construction of a sidewalk through the parking lot be deferred until construction of the current phase of the Community Center was completed.
City Manager Matthews concluded her report by advising the City Council that a project financial report would be provided to them on April 18th.