Submitted By
Bill McKenna, Village Engineer
Agenda Item Title
Title
A Presentation Regarding Updates to the Lake Street Resurfacing, Utility, and Streetscaping Projects
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Overview
Overview
There are three Lake Street projects scheduled for construction in 2020 and they include streetscaping, water and sewer improvements, and street resurfacing. On November 5, 2018 the Village Board approved the water and sewer project and the streetscape project. This Special Meeting will provide an update on the project and necessary agenda items for Village Board review at a future meeting. At July 8, 2019 Regular Board, staff gave a presentation on the project website and communications with the business districts.
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Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
Recommendation
The purpose of the Study Session is for an advance discussion of items that will be on the next agenda, the September 16, 2019 Regular meeting of the Village Board. The items are as follows and a draft copy is attached:
A. A Resolution Approving an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Village of Oak Park and the County of Cook for the 2019 Invest in Cook Grant for the Lake Street Resurfacing Project in an amount of $310,000 and Authorizing its Execution
B. A Resolution Approving a Right-of-Way Encroachment License and Covenant Agreement with 1144 Lake Street LLC for a Sidewalk Vault at 1144 Lake Street and Authorizing its Execution
C. A Resolution Approving an Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with The Lakota Group, Inc., for Phase 2 Professional Landscape Architecture and Planning Services for the Lake Street Streetscape Project for an additional $28,903 and Authorizing its Execution
D. A Resolution Approving a Fourth Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Thomas Engineering Group LLC for the Design of the Lake Street Streetscape, Resurfacing, and Utility Improvement Projects to include Additional Services Associated with Deferring the Construction of the Project to 2020, to Change the Not to Exceed Amount from $1,457,648 to $1,854,648 and Authorizing its Execution
E. A Resolution Approving the Purchase of Temporary and Permanent Sidewalk Easements on Lake Street and Authorizing Execution of the Required Documents
F. A Resolution To Reject (or Accept) a Contract with MYS, Incorporated for Project 19-16, Lake and Forest Sidewalk Planter Installation in an Amount not to Exceed $204,500
G. A Resolution Approving a Professional Services Agreement with Site Design Group, Ltd. for the Design of Traffic Calming and Landscape Improvements for the Forest Avenue and Ontario Street Area in an Amount Not To Exceed $56,736 and Authorizing its Execution
H. A motion directing staff to bring back a Wayfinding signage recommendation.
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Report
This meeting will provide an overview of some key elements of the project and related upcoming required board actions (agenda items). Discussion items will include the current schedule, the status of acquisition of sidewalk easements, award of a Cook County grant, change orders for design services, the status of the design of the specialty feature at 1000 Lake Street, a traffic calming and landscaping project on Forest and Ontario, and an update on related contracts for wayfinding.
There are three major projects on Lake Street scheduled for construction in 2020 : (1) streetscaping from Harlem to Euclid, (2) Water and Sewer main improvements from Grove to Euclid, and (3) street resurfacing from Euclid to Austin. The projects were originally scheduled for construction in 2019 but due to delays in acquiring necessary sidewalk easements and to better coordinate construction of Lake Street with the Madison Street resurfacing project, the Lake Street construction was deferred to 2020. A brief status of each of these three projects is below.
Lake Street Resurfacing (Euclid to Austin)
• The project’s design is nearing completion and is scheduled to be bid later this year for construction primarily in the summer of 2020 due to the proximity of schools.
• The project’s scope includes corner sidewalk ramp replacements for ADA compliance, resurfacing the street, curb and sidewalk patching, and safety enhancements at Scoville intersection.
• Project’s scope also includes minor landscaping and redesigns of the sidewalk areas between Humphrey and Austin to account for new and proposed businesses and to address deteriorated landscaping.
• The Village received a $310,000 grant from Cook County for this project. A Resolution Approving an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Village of Oak Park and the County of Cook for the 2019 Invest in Cook Grant for the Lake Street Resurfacing Project in an amount of $310,000 will be presented for approval at the September 16th Board meeting.
• Current cost estimate for the project is approximately $1,550,000. Final cost estimates will be developed this fall.
• Staff anticipates submitting another agenda item for the resurfacing contract in November.
Lake Street Water and Sewer Main Improvements (Grove to Euclid)
• The project was bid and the Village Board awarded the construction contract in November of 2018.
• The project is scheduled to start as soon as weather permits in the late winter/early spring of 2020.
• The scope of the project includes replacing the sewer main on Lake from Grove to Euclid, replacing the water main from Oak Park Avenue to Euclid, trenchless sewer rehabilitation with lining from Euclid to Ridgeland, and water and sewer replacement on Oak Park Avenue at the Lake Street intersection to avoid disturbing this intersection with planned future work on Oak Park Avenue.
• The work will require closure of portions of Lake Street to eastbound traffic in the Hemingway District
• Night work is anticipated for some of the work due to traffic impacts and disruption of water supply to businesses
• The awarded construction contract cost for this project is $1,862,000.
• A future change order agenda item to reflect increased costs for labor rates and material cost increases will likely be required since construction of the project was deferred from 2019 to 2020.
Lake Street Streetscape (Harlem to Euclid)
• The construction project is using $3M in federal funds that the Village received in a grant.
• The project was approved by the Village Board in November of 2018 and the Village executed an agreement with the State for construction of the project
• The project’s scope includes sidewalk replacement with bluestone in the majority of commercial areas and concrete outside of commercial areas; street and pedestrian lighting replacement, traffic signal replacement, black concrete curbs, tree replacement, street resurfacing with asphalt, decorative concrete crosswalks and brick pavers at high profile intersections in the commercial districts, and various other landscaping and amenities.
• A separate advanced contract for traffic signal and lighting work at Forest and Lake Intersection was designed and constructed to complete the necessary underground work at the Albion frontage in coordination with the developments site work.
• A separate advanced contract to construct a granite planter specialty feature at the Lake and Forest intersection was designed and bid in order to comply with the Plan Development Ordinance with Albion. The Village received one bid for the work and the cost for the specialty feature is $204,500. In order to reduce costs for the planter, staff is recommending not awarding the separate construction contract and including this work as part of the larger streetscape project in 2020. A Board item for awarding or rejecting the bid for this work will be presented at the September 16th Board meeting.
• In addition to designing the separate projects above, the design team had to redesign portions of the project to account for as-built conditions of the development sites, adding a drop-off enclave west of Maple, private utility coordination and revisions, revisions to sidewalk and curb grading to account for easements which cannot be acquired, and resubmittals to IDOT for the new bidding date. Change orders to the contracts with Thomas Engineering Group and The Lakota Group will be presented at the September 16th Board meeting for approval.
• Sidewalk and corner sidewalk ramp replacement work on Lake Street at the Marshall Field’s Building at Harlem will require an agreement to allow for a vaulted sidewalk space to remain at this location. There is basement space under the Harlem and a portion of the Lake Street sidewalks at this location and the agreement is needed in order to secure easements with the property owner for required work. A Resolution Approving a Right-of-Way Encroachment License and Covenant Agreement with 1144 Lake Street LLC for a Sidewalk Vault at 1144 Lake Street will be presented at the September 16th Board meeting for approval.
• The work in Downtown Oak Park requires obtaining easements for work on private property since approximately six feet of sidewalk in on private property. The Village has been working to secure easements with the approximately 32 properties since last year. Nine properties requested appraisals and the Village is required to fairly compensate property owners for acquiring these easements. A Resolution Approving the Purchase of Temporary and Permanent Sidewalk Easements on Lake Street and Authorizing Execution of the Required Documents will be presented at the September 16th Board meeting for approval.
• Final easements need to be obtained and approved by the State in November in order for the project to be allowed to be bid by the State in January of 2020.
• The project is currently planned for bidding by the State in January of 2020 with construction starting in April in 2020 with completion by Thanksgiving.
• The current cost estimate for the streetscape project is $10,152,000 with the Village’s share equal to $7,152,000.
Forest and Ontario Traffic Calming and Landscaping Project
• Per the Plan Development ordinance with the Albion Development, the developer will contribute $340,000 to the Village of Oak Park for the municipal arboretum and North Forest Avenue traffic calming. The funds are intended to be used to enhance the area nearby the development with additional landscaping and for traffic calming.
• Staff has met multiple times with the residents on Forest Avenue north of the Albion development and has collectively developed proposed improvements to calm traffic, improve pedestrian safety, add landscaping, replace deteriorated pavers, and restore the residential character of the area north of the development with changes to street lighting.
• Staff requested proposals for the design of this project and recommends a contract with Site Design Group for this work
• The project is intended on being designed this fall and winter and constructed in the spring of 2020.
• A Resolution Approving a Professional Services Agreement with Site Design Group, Ltd. for the Design of Traffic Calming and Landscaping Improvements for the Forest and Ontario Area, in an Amount Not to Exceed $56,736 will be presented at the September 16th Board meeting for consideration.
H. Directional and Wayfinding Signage
• The Village Board approved project contains standard street signage and directional signage within the boundaries of the project and includes signage to direct drivers to major Village facilities, such as public parking.
• If the Village Board seeks enhanced lighted signage - generally referred to as Wayfinding signage, to inform pedestrians and visitors to point of interest, staff will review the previously developed wayfinding signage recommendation with Sasaki Associates the consultant who previously developed said recommendation and return to the Village Board with cost estimates and opportunities to reduce costs for future wayfinding signage. Since the approved Lake Street project does not include wayfinding signage in the plans, Board direction would be needed this year, to be cost effective and ensure the necessary underground conduits and foundations for wayfinding signs are built in conjunction with the project or eliminated if unnecessary. Therefore, Village Board direction to hold a presentation on wayfinding signage later this year is needed. IF there is no Board direction for such a presentation this year, all conduits and foundations will be omitted from the project staff.
• Pending Village Board approval, wayfinding signage would be constructed under a separate contract which could be coordinated with the Lake Street streetscape project and any future projects in commercial areas.
• Staff will present potential wayfinding signage options at a future Village Board meeting.
Alternatives
This is a presentation and discussion only.