Project to Improve School Parking Access

WAITSBURG - Finding a place to park when picking up or dropping off children at school may get a bit easier for Waitsburg residents this coming school year. At their June 11 Board meeting, the Waitsburg School Board approved an "add alternate" bid with the City of Waitsburg that will allow for a driveway directly from Main Street into the Academy Street parking lot.

In mid-December Waitsburg City Council approved a grant agreement with the Transportation Improvement Board, accepting a $188,385 grant to provide for sidewalk replacement on both sides of Main Street from Third through Eight streets, as well as some driveway and alley improvements and signage. Since then, the City has been working with engineer Howard Boggs of Anderson Perry & Associates, Inc. on the design.

During the design phase the City notified school officials that this would be an ideal time to consider the addition of a driveway off Main into the Academy Street lot. The driveway could be completed as an add-on to the grant construction, with the school district reimbursing the City for their portion of the project.

Superintendent Carol Clarke spoke with Boggs who estimated the driveway cost at between $5,000 and $6,000. Clarke approached the school board at their April 11 meeting, about the possibility of them granting her authority to accept a bid - in case a quick turnaround was required - for $8,000 to $10,000. At that time, the board agreed that Academy Street becomes very congested during pick-up and drop-off times and that the addition of an alternate entry and exit would aid that situation. However, they opted to wait for more information so they could weigh cost vs. benefit before making a decision, even if a special meeting was necessary.

The board recently received a final bid of $4,822 which they approved at their June 11 board meeting, following a public work session for that purpose. Clarke texted the approval notification to city clerk Randy Hinchliffe who was attending the city council meeting and conveyed the approval to the council. The council awarded the $152,360 retrofit project, with the $4,822 add alternate driveway bid, to lowest responsible bidder, Moreno & Nelson Construction. That bid was just below the engineer's estimate of $156,400. The Council also awarded administration of the project to Anderson Perry & Associates. Hinchliffe estimates that construction will begin following the Fourth of July holiday.