New Search
Citizen Planning Committee for the Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park's <br />July 16, 2009 meeting. The motion passed unanimously, 9:0. <br />5. Announcements and Points of Information <br />Willamette River Bridge Project Update <br />Mr. Upton noted he had no formal presentation to give regarding the Willamette River Bridge Project but <br />rather wanted to check in with the CPC regarding any matters of concern they had. He maintained that <br />ODOT's interactions with the CPC had been going fairly well and that ODOT's "good neighbor policy" <br />was being reasonably well- adhered to. <br />Mr. Sonnichsen and Ms. Mello agreed with Mr. Upton's assessment <br />Mr. Upton noted that ODOT was holding monthly forums where the ODOT bridge project team met with <br />representatives from both the CPC and the Willamalane Park & Recreation District. Mr. Upton, <br />responding to a question from Mr. Biggs, did not know precisely how many such forums had been <br />conducted but believed there had been about one per month over the last year. <br />Mr. Sonnichsen did not believe the aforementioned ODOT forums were technically formal public <br />meetings but believed that members of the general public and associates of the CPC were welcome to <br />attend. Mr. Upton agreed with Mr. Sonnichsen's assessment and further commented that CPC members <br />were welcome to attend any ODOT bridge project meetings. <br />Ms. Mello asked Mr. Upton for more infornation regarding the trees on the west slope of the bridge <br />project area. Mr. Upton replied that ODOT had received clearance to seek funding with which to build a <br />wall that would protect many of trees in that area. He reported that a certain amount of dead trees had <br />already been removed and that an excavation line for the protective wall had been laid out resulting in the <br />removal of one tree on the slope. Mr. Upton stated it was very likely that most of the trees in the area <br />would remain either completely untouched or would be salvaged by other means. <br />Mr. Upton commented the City of Springfield had adopted a resolution supporting ODOT's efforts to save <br />trees in the area of the bridge project and had been very helpful in facilitating the permitting processes <br />related to a retaining wall that ODOT planned to build. <br />Mr. Biggs noted a recent report in a local newspaper indicating that many bids for local street repair <br />projects in Eugene and Springfield had been coming in lower than had been anticipated and asked if any <br />contractor bids on the bridge project had encountered similar problems. Mr. Upton answered that he <br />would provide more detailed information regarding the budget process for the bridge project at a later <br />time. He further noted that there did not seem to be any extra money available for the bridge project <br />beyond what had previously been identified. <br />Mr. Sonnichsen asked if any potential existed for cost savings with respect to materials and contractor <br />rates being used on the bridge project. Mr. Upton responded that contracts for the various components of <br />the bridge project had been signed a year ago and that, while a substantial amount of the project had been <br />sub - contracted out, certain cost savings had indeed been realized. Alternatively, Mr. Upton stated that that <br />the project had become much more "robust" than when estimates had first been completed and that there <br />was not much of a budget "cushion" left to provide for new elements of the bridge project. <br />Mr. Upton commented that he and other ODOT personnel worried that the bridge project might not be able <br />to come in under budget. He reported that the arches on the bridge project construction had been much <br />more complicated than originally anticipated and the specialty concrete and forms required for the <br />MINUTES — Citizen Planning Committee October 15, 2009 Page 2 <br />Whilamut Natural Area <br />