ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy proposes creating a one-block Reimagining Pine Avenue test corridor along Pine Avenue, between Gulf Drive and North Shore Drive.
Murphy presented his one-block prototype idea to the City Commission on Nov. 16.
He noted the city already has a set of previously approved plans for the Pine Avenue portion of the expanded Reimagining Pine Avenue safety improvement project that now includes Spring and Magnolia avenues. The mayor and City Commission recently had a preliminary discussion on the potential safety improvements that could be made along Spring and Magnolia avenues. Those discussions remain ongoing.
The commission-approved Pine Avenue plans call for the installation of new brick paver sidewalks along the entire length of both sides of the street, new and improved crosswalks and new streetlights.
The city’s current 2023-24 fiscal year budget includes $3.3 million for the expanded Pine Avenue project, including $2.69 million in previously approved state appropriations and $283,412 in American Rescue Plan funds. To avoid being subjected to Florida Department of Transportation lighting standards, the city will self-fund the street light installation portion of the project.
When presenting his preliminary one-block prototype concept, Murphy said, “This is a much-needed improvement. Pine Avenue has got to be improved. It just can’t go on the way it is with dirt sidewalks and people in the street. We all know that, but we can at least get a start on Pine Avenue.”
He said the proposed prototype area contains all the various nuances and potential challenges that exist at various points along Pine Avenue.
“It has meandering sidewalks. It has straight sidewalks. It has a lack of lighting and it has a lack of crosswalks. All of those things are improvements that we wanted to make,” he said of the proposed prototype area and the safety improvement project as a whole.
Murphy said the prototype would serve as a “test drive” for the rest of the street and allow the public to share their likes and dislikes with the initial improvements made while disrupting a smaller portion of the street.
“We fix that one block, and you can take a look at it and our constituents can take a look at it. Everybody can see the possibility for the rest of the street,” Murphy said. “The downside of doing what I just suggested is it’s going to cost us a little bit more. I’d have to get FDOT’s approval to do this because they control the pile of money the state has given us.”
Murphy said he’d try to get FDOT approval before the commission’s Dec. 7 meeting. If the approval is granted, he’ll present his prototype plan. If approved by the commission, the city would then issue a request for proposals (RFP) seeking bids from construction companies interested in taking on the prototype project. If Murphy doesn’t obtain FDOT approval by Dec. 7, he’ll delay his prototype plan presentation.
Commissioner Robert Kingan asked Murphy if his plan would include cost estimates. Murphy said it would.
Commissioners Mark Short and Jon Crane support the mayor’s prototype approach. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Commissioner Jon Crane said the Reimagining Pine Avenue project designed by contracted project engineer Gerry Traverso may not have been designed the same way a construction firm would design it. Crane said he’d like prototype project bidders to be given the flexibility to propose alternative design methods if so desired.
“With this small block, we get an opportunity to see if their vision might be better than ours,” Crane said.
Murphy agreed that some additional insight might be beneficial.
Commissioner Charlie Salem suggested including language in the RFP that states bidders have some design flexibility. Salem noted the city only received one bid proposal from the same company for the first three RFPs previously issued for the Pine Avenue portion of the project. The commission rejected all three of those bid proposals before later deciding to expand the project to include Spring and Magnolia avenues in hopes of creating a larger, more lucrative project that garners more interest from construction companies.
Salem asked Murphy if he was confident the city would receive an acceptable bid proposal for the prototype block only.
“I don’t know,” Murphy replied.
The mayor said some potential bidders may feel a one-block area is too small to garner their interest while other bidders may feel doing the entire street at one time is too large of a project for them.
Commission Chair Mark Short said, “I see a lot of advantages to heading down that path. It’s not as disruptive. It gives the city a chance to feel out the contractor.”
Short said the biggest risks he sees with the prototype approach are the prototype project being too small to garner interest from construction companies and the prototype approach being more expensive.
