6/27/2009 6:00:00 AM Mayor has big plans for Fitchburg
Ryan Dostalek ConnectFitchburg.com
It's time to stop pretending someone else will solve the city's problems. That's the assessment of Mayor Jay Allen, who has proposed several major capital projects, which he said have been unnecessarily delayed, resulting in a backlog.
"We've known about them for a long time, but no one has been willing to take leadership for them," Allen said.
Topping the items on his proposed capital improvement plan are two new fire stations. Allen proposes constructing the first station on McKee Rjoad in 2011 and the second in 2013.
The city has known fire stations must be relocated when Fire Station No. 2 at _____ was constructed "in the wrong location," Allen said. Construction of the station was approved shortly after he was elected to the council in 1993, but before he and other newly elected council members took office and could reexamine the decision, Allen aid.
Allen also proposes a $1.2 million addition for a 6,000 square-foot addition to the Community Center for the Senior Center.
"We've known the Senior Center needed more space for years," Allen said. The Senior Center currently shares space with the recreation department and other programs..
Allen also proposed acquisition of the site currently occupied by the Badger School in the Southdale neighborhood in 2011 for possible use as a community center and community gardens. He said the building would probably be removed. He said the projected cost of $800,000 is likely to be lower following negotiations with the county, which owns the site.
The demolition of old City Hall for $75,000 is also proposed for 202011. Allen said the building has a leaky roof, poor ventilation, mildew and other problems, and maintenance is a drain on city resources. Currently, it is used for storage by the parks and recreation department.
Allen plans to implement a facilities planning process that will address needs for 50 years so the city doesn't continue "to put things off. If such a process had been in place a few years ago, issues such as the fire department and the Senior Center would have already been dealt with," he said.
There's interest in using Fire Station No. 2 as a community center for the Jamestown Neighborhood, butAllen said Fire Station No. 1, which was constructed 40 years ago, appears to be at the "end of its useful life. It might be more advantageous to sell the site, particularly since it's so close to City Hall," he said.
Amendments to the capital improvement program are due by July `3. The council will make a final decision on the proposal on July 28.
Other major items include construction of a fire station in 2011 ($7.4 million) and 2013 (replacement of ambulances in 2011 ($94,503) and 2013 ($99,076), construction of telecommunications tower and generators in 2011 ($245,000; the city plans to rent space to telecommunications companies), purchasing land for a park in the Jamestown neighborhood in 2010 ($345,00), extension of Post Road in 2010, or whenever the land can be acquired $1,05 million, which will be recovered when the area is developed), and constructing a new interchange at U.S. Hwy 14 in 2010 ($6.5 million; costs will be recovered by creating a TIF district).
Items identified as capital improvements often serve as placeholders for budgeting purposes, and may be deleted, altered or delayed.
The city has tried to inform those who might be directly affected by the projects by sending letters when the projects were being discussed. Officials said the system needs to be refined since many recipients mistakenly thought the project was up for final approval.
Allen said the capital improvement program will be posted on the city's Web site.
At its June 16 meeting, the Plan Commission recommended deleting a $200,000 project to reconfigure Seminole Highway at Schumann drive, which would slow traffic and facilitate pedestrian crossings, and to accelerate construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Nesbitt Road and Fitchrona Road, which the commission members said was a much more dangerous intersection.
