Victoria MN Newspaper

Floor to Ceiling

NEW PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY ON BAVARIA ROAD

MORE SCREENING AND MOVED TOWARD THE BACK

Council voted 4-0 (Jim Crowley absent) on May 12th to site the new Public Works building further back on the Bavaria Road property, in the original location that went out for bids in April.

Neighbors did not like the more recent siting because it had brought the building closer to the road and closer to their homes. They were concerned about sight lines and vehicle noise. The city had brought the building forward on the lot in order to save the construction dollars on a longer driveway and stormwater management costs.

It was determined the extra expense of the original location ($98,000 in construction costs) is acceptable since the entire project came in under estimates and the electrical bid, which was still outstanding, was expected to be lower than the high bid which was rejected in April.

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At the 5 p.m. workshop, City Engineer Cara Geheren said that the original siting "creates a little over an acre of impervious surfaces which triggers permit requirements" related to stormwater management and a bio-filtration pond. Impervious surfaces include the driveway, the parking area, and the building.

A midway siting was presented as another option which was just under one acre of impervious surfaces and so a filtration basin would not be required. Also, the driveway costs would be be a little less than the original siting. This midway location would mean an additional $65,000 in construction costs.

Cara said the additional cost of either of the alternative options could be considered at this time because total bid package was $35,000 under budget. On Thursday (May 15th) we open electrical bids. We had rejected the original electrical bid because it was $100,000 over the engineer's estimate. We're squeezing every penny out of everything else."

In regard to presenting siting options to councilmembers and neighbors, which was in response to to concerns brought forward by Lawrence Gubbe and his neighbors in April, Cara stated, "In some ways, the analysis was more simple than anticipated. I sent Mr. Gubbe a packet on Friday."

Said Mr. Gubbe, "I've had a chance to review this briefly. Cara has done a good job of answering questions that we had. He pointed out there is a difference of $33,000 between the back two locations -- one requiring construction of a bio-filtration pond. He said such a pond will eventually be needed as the Public Works site grows, so it's a mater of deferring that cost, "pushing costs down the road," he said.

Stated Mayor Tom O'Connor, "Staff did exactly what we asked them to do -- cut the budget. But I think it was cut too much." He said he visited the site. "I was struck. It is a significant difference. I think we can stay on budget and increase the distance from the road significantly."

Replied Cara, "Budgets are budgets and this is how we met it. It [the new upfront siting] does feel close to the road." She said the building does fit much better on the property in the back two locations.

Councilmember Joe Pavelko said he'd prefer the original location for the building, the one furthest from the road. The original location is more than 100 feet further from the road than the closest location.

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