Quick Hits: Commissioners Approve Street Repairs, Crosswalks

It was a beautiful evening in downtown Birmingham, making it perfect for a short meeting of the Birmingham City Commission. Commissioners discussed more details of the upcoming sidewalk project at Old Woodward and Oak Street and set aside funds to repair city streets that have begun deteriorating only eight months after being initially repaired.

Only have time for the quick hits? Here's a rundown of what happened during Monday's meeting:

Commission action

The creation of a special assessment district for the Woodward Avenue crosswalk project: The city is looking to improve pedestrian crossings at Old Woodward and Oak Street as well as at Woodward Avenue and Oak Street. In total, three new crosswalks are being proposed for the project, which is in anticipation of the renovation of the at 36101 Woodward Ave.

The special assessment district will be levied on the property across the street from the Mobil station, at 35975 Woodward Ave. By creating the special assessment district, 17 percent of the project's cost will be paid for by the city, 50 percent by the owner of the Mobil station and 33 percent by the special assessment district.

A resolution authorizing the payment of $46,770 to repair eight city streets: The streets were part of a 2010 repair program, in which 23 streets received a "cape seal" treatment to deal with basic street repairs. According to city documents, "the cape seal program does not guarantee longevitiy" and is an alternative to completely replacing the street.

Residents on eight of the original 23 streets — including Banbury, Bradford, Croft, Humphrey, Penistone, Tauton, Torry and West Melton — have reported spider cracking, potholes and pavement disintegration since the cape seal process was completed. According to the city's , this is the first time the city has had problems with the contractor, Highway Maintenance and Construction Co.

Commissioner Stuart Sherman asked whether approving this project was a real solution or merely a Band-aid on a larger problem.

Commissioner Scott Moore said the city's policy has always been improved streets, but when the cape seal treatment comes in at about one-tenth of the cost to totally replace the streets, many residents pick the more affordable option.

Also approved Monday night

• Resolutions approving the purchase of two 2012 Chevrolet Tahoes, each costing between $25,000-$32,000. The vehicles will be used by the .
• A resolution supporting Regional Transportation Planning, which includes working with the communities of Ferndale, Berkley, Royal Oak and Huntington Woods to study future transit opportunities along Woodward Avenue.
• A resolution approving a request from to hold the Our Shepherd/Torry 5K Walk on Sept. 24.
• A resolution to purchase nine DSR-E dual antenna radar units for the Birmingham Police Department for $16,380.