City Considers Adding Signal and Detention Pond Design While Dropping Brookwood Trail Bridge

The City of Salina is considering changes to an engineering contract for the East Crawford Street project that would add the design of a future traffic signal and regional detention pond while ending most remaining design work on the proposed Brookwood Trail pedestrian bridge.

Deputy Public Works Director and City Engineer Rex Ritter presented Amendment No. 1 to the city’s agreement with Lochner during Monday’s Salina City Commission meeting.

The amendment would increase the combined engineering contract by a net $74,688.98.

The East Crawford portion of the contract would increase by $115,526.90, bringing its total design cost to $412,771.68. At the same time, the city would remove $40,837.92 in remaining work from the Brookwood Trail pedestrian bridge design, reducing that portion of the contract to $30,101.30.

The amended combined contract would total $442,872.98.

The project would be financed through general obligation bonds supported by property taxes.

Signal Not Currently Warranted

The original East Crawford design contract included an analysis of whether a traffic signal was needed at the intersection of Crawford Street, Markley Road and the entrance to Salina Presbyterian Manor.

Ritter said the analysis determined that a signal is not currently warranted but is expected to become warranted within approximately 10 years.

The signal design would cost $28,895.62.

City staff recommended completing the design now while Lochner is already working on the Crawford project. Ritter said doing the work as part of the current project could prevent the city from paying certain construction expenses twice in the future, including mobilization, traffic control and erosion-control costs.

The signal would also be coordinated with Fire Station No. 4 and equipped with a preemption system allowing emergency vehicles to control the signal when responding to calls.

The city had previously considered using a pedestrian-activated HAWK signal that could also stop traffic when fire trucks entered Crawford Street. Staff said that arrangement would no longer be practical if a full traffic signal is eventually installed at Markley Road.

Residents of Presbyterian Manor have raised concerns about entering and crossing Crawford Street.

Ritter said two side-impact crashes occurred near the intersection in April and May. However, the intersection does not currently meet the city’s crash-history requirement for a signal. Staff said five qualifying crashes would generally be required during a one-year period or six during a three-year period.

Regional Detention Pond Design Would Cost $86,631

The amendment would also add $86,631.28 for the analysis and design of a regional detention pond south of Crawford Street and west of Prairie Lane.

Engineers discovered during the Brookwood Trail bridge analysis that current water levels in the channel may be higher than shown in the existing Federal Emergency Management Agency model.

The city said a more detailed hydraulic model included features not reflected in the FEMA model, including the existing low-water crossing.

Staff said the higher projected water level would require a larger pedestrian bridge and additional channel improvements to obtain a certificate showing the project would not raise flood elevations. Those changes would push the bridge beyond what the city is currently prepared to spend.

The proposed detention area would incorporate an existing pond near Fire Station No. 4 and expand east. The existing pond currently collects runoff from the fire station and part of the Berkley Family Recreational Area but was not originally designed as a regional detention facility.

The proposed pond would collect runoff from a larger area and could also support future development south of Crawford Street. The existing box culvert under Crawford would regulate the release of water during heavy rainfall.

Ritter said the pond would operate without pumps and would be designed as a low-maintenance facility.

The city does not currently own all the land needed for the proposed expansion and would have to work with the property owner. Staff said a regional detention facility could also benefit future private development on the property because that development would likely need its own stormwater detention.

Design Cost Questioned

During public comment, Salina resident Tony Johnson questioned why it would cost more than $86,000 to design an expansion of an existing pond.

City staff said the cost covers design and analysis rather than construction.

Ritter said the project involves a federally regulated stream that has been studied by FEMA and requires more extensive hydraulic modeling than a typical development pond.

Engineers would study the channel, calculate water-surface elevations, examine downstream effects, identify possible utility conflicts and determine whether the pond can fit within the proposed area.

Staff described the work as more complicated than simply enlarging an existing hole because the design must account for how holding water at that location would affect the larger drainage system.

Pedestrian Bridge Removed From Current Plans

The Brookwood Trail pedestrian bridge was originally intended to provide a reliable connection between the Pheasant Ridge subdivision and areas north of the drainage channel.

The existing Brookwood Trail crossing goes through the channel and can generally be used only during dry conditions.

The city is now proposing to end the remaining bridge-design work because of the projected bridge size, required channel improvements and increased cost.

A portion of the engineering work has already been completed and billed. The amendment would remove $40,837.92 in unfinished design work, leaving $30,101.30 already associated with that portion of the contract.

City staff said the East Crawford project will include a five-foot sidewalk on the north side of the street and a 10-foot hike-and-bike trail. Those additions would provide Pheasant Ridge residents with another pedestrian route when the low-water crossing is unusable, although the route would be longer.

Several residents questioned how many children currently use the Brookwood Trail crossing to reach Meadowlark Ridge Elementary School.

During the discussion, commissioners and members of the public initially continued referring to the proposed bridge. Staff later clarified that the bridge was being removed from the project rather than funded under the amendment.

Final Vote

Staff recommended approving the Lochner contract amendment.

The City Commission approved the amendment on a 4-1 vote. Commissioner Doug Rempp voted against the proposal.

The approval increases the combined engineering contract by a net $74,688.98, adding design work for the future traffic signal and regional detention pond while removing the remaining design work for the Brookwood Trail pedestrian bridge. The amended combined contract totals $442,872.98.

Lucille Sanderson also questioned whether the improvements were currently necessary and asked who initiated the East Crawford project.

City Manager Jacob Wood said the street improvements are connected to the construction of Fire Station No. 4.

Wood said the city requires private developers to improve adjoining streets to city standards when undertaking new development. Because the city developed the fire station property, he said the city is applying the same requirement to itself.

Staff recommended approving the Lochner contract amendment.

The supplied meeting transcript ends before the commission’s final motion and vote.