The Carroll City Council voted 5-1 during its July 8 meeting to move forward with a $91,000 improvement project to the Great Western Parking Lot in Carroll’s downtown district. Rehabilitation work on the lot was not initially included in the city’s summer resurfacing project, but the council requested staff prepare cost estimates for the work as a possible change order to the $2 million project. The council has two options: full-depth patching for $44,000 or complete asphalt overlay for $91,400. City Manager Aaron Kooiker says there are pros and cons to both.
Kooiker adds that the asphalt overlay has the added benefit of a uniform appearance across the lot, which is generally more aesthetically pleasing. However, if the council chooses that route, it would lead to multi-day closures. Ward 4 Councilwoman Carolyn Siemann, who was the sole nay vote on the project, views the work as unnecessary, considering the lot’s condition.
Ward 2 Councilman Tom Bordenaro, who also owns a business in the downtown district, says it might not need structural repair, but surface cracks are becoming a safety hazard.
Following that brief discussion, the council approved a motion from Bordenaro to pursue the $91,400 asphalt overlay for the Great Western Parking Lot. The city’s urban renewal area program will fund the additional cost.
