One-way or two-way?  Bike lanes or not?  Those are not the questions the Clear Lake City Council will consider at a public hearing tonight involving the proposed reconstruction of South Shore Drive.
    Mayor Nelson Crabb ended Monday night’s City Council meeting by prefacing the 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, public hearing in the City Hall Community Room.
    “This will not be a debate forum or question and answer,” warned Crabb.  “This particular hearing is only to discuss whether or not to use the assessment process.”
    City Administrator Scott Flory said City Hall has received comments and Letters to the Editor have been appearing in the newspaper from those objecting to the city’s consideration of one-way travel and bike lanes on South Shore from 4th Avenue South to 12th Avenue South.  
    In January, the Council approved a one-way concept for an eight-block stretch of South Shore Drive. Jerry Weiland, consulting engineer for the project from WHKS in Mason City, explained the one-way concept was developed through preliminary meetings with property owners.  The one-way option provided a balance in design issues, including: preservation of more than 50 mature trees located between the curb and sidewalk; limited on-street parking; bike lanes and Iowa Department of Transportation requirements.
    The other concept considered by the Council would have kept two-way traffic on the road and bike lanes, but would have resulted in the elimination of on-street parking.
    Bike lanes were included in both concepts and some funding, about $150,000 from the state, supported the addition of bike lanes on the road.  The inclusion of federal funding made it necessary for the Council to identify a concept for the project, which has been submitted to the DOT.
    “The hearing on Wednesday night is regarding the assessments and issues relating to the assessments,” reiterated City Administrator Scott Flory.   “Issues regarding bike lanes, on-street parking, one-way traffic vs. two-way, are beyond the scope of this hearing.  A hearing on those issues is a good year away.”
    Flory noted Clear Lake has a long history of paying for street reconstruction projects, such as the one proposed for South Shore Drive, through the assessment process.  
    “We are utilizing the exact same process and formula used for decades here,” said Flory.  He noted property owners in the Phase I of South Shore Drive improvements were assessed, as were those on 1st Avenue South and 1st Avenue North.
    “We have spent about $100,000 on engineering, plans and specifications to get us to this point (on the South Shore project).  I think we owe it to the taxpayers to take this to bidding and find out where we stand,” said Flory. “It would be irresponsible not to take this to bid.”  He noted recent projects have come in well below the engineer’s estimates, therefore reducing assessment amounts.
    Notices of assessments to property owners may be reduced if the end project costs less than estimated, however, the assessment may never be increased.  Assessments are payable over 10 years.
    Approximately one-half of communities in the state use the assessment process for street and infrastructure projects.
    The estimated $1.84 million project will be bid through the DOT.  Underground infrastructure work, including water and sewer line replacement will take place this fall, with paving scheduled for spring 2009.
    One hundred thirty-five property owners will pay about $800,000 of the project cost through special assessments.  Federal funding accounts for about $515,000, with the balance to be paid from the proceeds of a General Obligation Bond issue.
    A tentative schedule would have bids let for the project in July-August 2008, and underground work beginning by September 2008.  The goal would be to complete underground work and place rock over the top by year-end.  Complete pavement removal and paving would take place in late spring 2009, with completion prior to the July 4 holiday activities in Clear Lake.