COMMUNITY NEWS

Rob Walton, General Manager of Operations, was quick to sooth Councillor Peirce and Bell’s concerns, stating it’s far too late in the tender process to discuss the merits of one company over another. He did confirm that staff have dealt with several ‘pitfalls’ on the Race Street project to date but has since toured the neighbourhood and he said he thinks the project will look ‘very good’ when it’s done.

“We understand there’s been a couple of personnel changes in that company (BEECH) which should put us in a better position for the next project moving forward, which is this one,” said Walton While other councillors supported the idea of revisiting how they award tenders and revamp that tender process for future bids, in the end, in a recorded vote, council awarded the contract to BEECH 6-5. All four Paris Councillors and the Mayor voted not to award the project to BEECH

The West River Street project will see one of Paris’ main arteries, connecting the north end to downtown, closed for months. According to a staff report, there will be impacts during construction, but the contractor will be required to implement traffic control plans and construction phasing plans to reduce the impacts. The contractor is also required to maintain access for pedestrians, homeowners and emergency services. If the project remains on target, the completion date is set for December 6, 2024

The project is driven by growing water demand in the south Paris Area. The watermain component of this project is substantially funded by development charges. A portion of the sanitary trunk sewer on West River Street is being upsized to accommodate the future flows from the north end of the community Work on other infrastructure components of this project was identified through inspections during the design phase. The current condition of stormwater components of the project warrant replacement due to their state of deterioration. Funding for wastewater and stormwater infrastructure replacements are through user fees and the capital levy, respectively, according to the staff report.

To facilitate the replacement of underground infrastructure the road surface will need to be fully replaced The timing of this project has been coordinated with road work, which is near end of life Walkability and parking were reviewed as part of the design of West River Street, but only minor improvements could be made due to the narrow road allowance and grading challenges The road component of this project is funded from the capital levy. This project is the first of several streets to be reconstructed in downtown Paris in the coming years.

The project also includes safety improvements to the scenic lookout from the remnants of the Penman’s Dam structure, which is regularly explored by trail users. To improve safety, this project includes excavation and grading, the addition of a safety railing and construction of an improved pathway to the area.

The report background also revealed that there are insufficient funds in the approved 2024 Capital Budget to award this project. Several items contributed to the bid price exceeding the approved budget including the condition of the storm sewer, which was unknown at time of budgeting, the addition of the lookout at Penman’s Pass and challenges with the grading along the street requiring replacement of retaining walls and stairways. Additional funding to complete the project shall be transferred from the related Broadway Street West Project, which will not proceed until the Grand River Street North, Downtown Dig project is complete

Walkability and parking were reviewed as part of the design of West River Street, but only minor improvements could be made due to the narrow road allowance and grading challenges of some homes, like the one pictured above.