The Black Diamond City Council developed its list of nine Capital Improvement Plan priority projects at a town hall meeting July 10. The document is a six-year road map that identifies the city’s current and future capitol and infrastructure needs.
The CIP is a plan, not a budget, with actual authorization for capital project spending occurring when City Council adopts the annual budget in December.
Funding for capital improvements generally comes from real estate excise tax revenue, capital reserves, public trust fund loans, grants, impact fees and developer funding.
The nine projects are not listed in any order and, even though they have been listed as priorities, that does not mean they will be started to completed in 2015.
Council members have discussed the projects during multiple meetings.
“It’s been fine tuned as we’ve gone along,” said May Miller, the city’s Finance Director.
Capital Improvement Plan priority projects
1. Roberts Drive/state Route 169 roundabout — This project is to change the intersection control from stop control to a roundabout and accommodate a future road connection to the east for the Lawson Hills master planned development.
2. Lawson Street sidewalk phase two — Construct 1,015 feet of new 5 foot concrete sidewalk on the north side of Lawson Street from Sixth Avenue to the east boundary of Lawson Hill Estates. This project does not include curb gutter or street widening.
3. Springs & Transmission reconstruction — Replacing the transmission main back to Black Diamond and securing easement rights from state parks.
4. Asbestos water main replacement program — Replacing 228 feet of 4 inch and 854 feet of 6 inch asbestos water mains on Morgan Drive from Roberts Drive to the north end of Morgan Drive.
5. Water reservoir recoat — Repaint the .5 mg reservoir inside and out.
6. North commercial and SR 169 stormwater treatment pond – Collect stormwater runoff from the main commercial area in north Black Diamond and from state Route 169 and route to city property north of the library. Construct a wet pond or vault for pretreatment followed by constructed wetlands to dispersion trenches for discharge to upland above Ginder Creek.
7. Replace primary fire engine — Replaces the newest engine in the fleet with a suitable, demo pumper that has better long-term maintenance prospects.
8. New fire station and equipment — Provide a satellite fire station sited and equipped to enhance fire and emergency medical service delivery in the community. This initiative begins with a site location study, proceeds to construct the station and ends with a complement of essential equipment in service at the new facility.
9. Ginder Creek trail and site restoration — Design and construct a 1,400 foot long, 10 feet wide multi-purpose trail and a small parking lot on Roberts Drive.
