By DANIEL SUDDEATH
City planners have slated May 15 as the end date for phase two of the Daisy Lane reconstruction project, which is administered through the New Albany Redevelopment Commission.
According to a news release provided by the commission, work is concentrated on finishing sidewalks and driveways along the south side of Daisy Lane, moving north. Sod will be placed after the sidewalk and driveway repairs are finished. The intersection of Green Valley Road will then be milled so that traffic signal loops can be installed.
Resurfacing and striping will be the final steps of phase two, which was originally scheduled to be completed last November. City officials are still planning on starting phase three of the four-tiered project this year.
Jorge Lanz of the city-hired firm Jacobi, Toombs and Lanz, said wet weather could still push the finishing date for phase two back.
“The weather has just been really bad for construction,” he said.
The construction cost for phase two is approximately $724,000. Bids for phase three could be let in June.
Spring Street Hill almost finished
Upgrades to Spring Street Hill and West Eighth and Ninth streets should be finished by April 30, according to city officials.
Slope stability and the installation of a guardrail must be completed before Spring Street Hill Road can reopen. Crews also will have to finish grading the site.
Like Daisy Lane, officials said much of the remaining work is weather sensitive, but they hope to have the project finished by the end of the month. Sidewalks are being added to areas of West Eighth and West Ninth Street as part of the undertaking.
Sidewalk improvements are being made to areas of West Sixth Street through the project, which has a construction cost of approximately $1.4 million.
Denison not secure about alarm system salesmen
Board of Public Works and Safety President Matt Denison admonished a sales manager for Apex Alarm after he appeared before the body Tuesday in hopes of retaining permits to sell the company’s products door-to-door in New Albany.
Denison said he was surprised the company actually asked about a permit, since it had been selling security systems in New Albany for the past two years without approval from the board.
Denison cited multiple instances when city police officers had to be called regarding the company when it solicited the area in the past. Maj. Sherri Knight — who serves as police representation on the board — said the department would be hard pressed to make extra runs regarding sales people this summer with a limited amount of officers on the street.
She told board members the department would respect its decision, but added they hoped the permit would not be approved.
Denison said Apex’s actions have made him ask “100 questions” of every vendor who comes to the board in hopes of getting a permit to sell items door-to-door.
“People come to our door more and more about things now,” he said, stating he would have a difficult time approving a permit for Apex. “It’s just not something I can agree with, especially based on past experiences.”
But Apex — a Utah-based company — now requires every sales representative to be affirmed through a governing city body before they can knock on a door, the sales manager said. He added Louisville recently issued a solicitor’s permit for Apex, which would assign 30 representatives to New Albany if approved.
City controller and board member Kay Garry recorded Apex’s request and said she would research the situation and possibly bring a resolution on the matter to the board next week.
Security cameras may be added to riverfront
Deputy Mayor Carl Malysz asked the redevelopment commission Tuesday to consider approving a bid for security cameras along the city’s riverfront.
Funds could be available through a recent commission bond, as money was set aside for the Ohio River Greenway project. Malysz said protecting the greenway and other riverfront investments from vandalism is the main reason for the cameras.
He estimated the cost for the system would be $20,000 to $30,000. The camera recordings would be filed at the police department.
The commission will wait for bids to come in before approving funding to purchase the cameras, that could happen as early as next month.
