New Light Shed on Plan to Improve Downtown Stretch of West Bay Drive
Commission gives green light to pay $600K for new lighting
LARGO — As more emphasis is placed on the future of downtown Largo, the scope and budget of a project that aims to make roadway and multimodal improvements to that section of West Bay Drive are getting larger.
A representative from the engineering consultant tasked with creating the design plans, Pennoni Associates, presented city commissioners with a status update March 12, and sought input on how to proceed with a new part of the $2.3 million project that could require an additional $600,000: lighting.
According to Barry Westmark, a senior engineer with the city, the project on the half-mile section of West Bay Drive between Missouri Avenue and Clearwater-Largo Road will repair the pavement and include two midblock crossings, new ramps for the disabled, the replacement of damaged sidewalk and repair curb ramps and driveway/business entrance aprons.
New lighting
According to Westmark, the design plans are 30 percent complete, but access to subsurface conduit during sidewalk replacement creates a rare opportunity to improve existing roadway and pedestrian lighting and positively enhance the image of the corridor.
“The intent was to make the lighting more useful, especially to pedestrians, but at the same time, do no harm to traffic,” he said.
That led to three options:
• Retain the city-owned poles, which cost $50,000 each few years to repaint and will require refurbishment soon;
• Lease 40 new poles and fixtures from Duke Energy, which would likely cost about $475,000 over a 25-year span;
• Pay about $600,000 to a private manufacturer to buy 71 new poles and fixtures.
After reviewing the options, the consultants and city staff recommended purchasing new equipment because the current poles and Duke’s are too high.
The current “light poles were never designed for pedestrian safety,” Westmark said. “The mounting height of those poles is above the tree canopy, so the tree canopy effectively blocks that light.”
Peter Nikolov, an engineer with Pennoni, said the initial intent was to lease from Duke, but its offerings — in terms of size and features — were too limited.
“What we quickly saw was that Duke Energy really didn’t fit what the city was looking for for this downtown corridor,” he said.
Besides offering 18-foot concrete non-graffiti poles, he said the private manufacturers’ lighting also comes with extra features, such as 5G capabilities, fixed banner mounts and LED fixtures that can be controlled by the city and project light on the road in a different intensity than light on the sidewalk.
Pedestrian safety was a selling point for Mayor Woody Brown, who agreed with the rest of the commission to move forward with the private lighting.
“What’s very important to me is that we have some pedestrian lighting,” he said. “There’s no pedestrian lighting really in the downtown area, and I think that’s real important. It’s uncomfortable to walk on West Bay Drive after it gets dark.”
Since the stretch of road is in a Community Redevelopment District, City Manager Henry Schubert said they should be able to use tax increment financing funds to pay for the lighting.
Rest of the project
Nikolov also broke down the rest of the project, which includes milling and resurfacing the pavement and replacing the sidewalk on both sides of the road.
“It’s going to provide a fresh look, and also allow any of the developments to go in there to also be able to match what’s put in by this project,” he said, adding they will feature a scored pattern.
Commissioner Curtis Holmes wondered how they will keep those sidewalks intact as the oak trees lining the road continue to grow.
Nikolov said they would most likely have to remove tree grates, conduct some root pruning and install additional protections by the roots to minimize their movement.
“The idea right now is not to remove the trees out there but to work with the trees that are out there,” he said.
Nikolov added the project will replace the existing street furniture that has been used since 2000.
“We’re also going to integrate this with all of the other improvements that are going into the corridor to make sure there are some consistencies out there,” he said.
Another way to improve pedestrian safety will be adding two midblock crossings with flashing beacons. He said one will be installed on the west side and one closer to the east side just west of the railroad tracks.
Commissioner Jamie Robinson is eager for the project to get underway.
“I’m ecstatic about what we’re looking at doing down here,” he said. “I’ve traveled walking downtown every weekend and it’s in rough shape.”
Nikolov said he and city staff will be seeking input from the public in May or June, and they hope to have plans completed by July.
If all goes smoothly, he said construction should begin in the fall.
SOURCE: tbnweekly.com