RVE Huntington-Fulton Concept Plan
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
MARGATE – Two planned roadway improvements will make it safer to travel city streets – for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
The Board of Commissioners Thursday, March 5 agreed to advertise for two contracts to improve intersections in two different areas of the city.
The intersection of Huntington and Fulton avenues, which was recently reconfigured, will get additional improvements to make it safer and more attractive for residents in the Colmar Circle area.
Remington & Vernick Engineers has created a design plan for the double-island that was installed in the center of the four-street intersection. Improvements include raising the D-shaped islands 8-inches with the installation of brick pavers with sloping curbs. At the center of each island will be 20-foot flower beds that will give them a park-like setting.
The improvement is part of the city’s Safe Routes to Schools plan, which was partially funded by the NJ Department of Transportation. The city will pay for the visual enhancement of the intersection.
The concept plan has been posted on the city’s website for residents to peruse.
The city will also advertise for companies to complete improvements to the intersection of Washington and Ventnor avenues, which has been under discussion for the last year.
The NJ DOT awarded the city a $150,000 Safe Routes to Transit grant in 2019, and the commissioners, Police and Fire departments and officials at the Wawa store have been developing a plan for intersection improvements.
At one point, the city planned a bump out in front of Historic City Hall, but the commissioners decided against it because they did not want to lose any parking spaces in the heavily congested commercial area.
In other business, the city awarded a $128,390 contract to Uni-Tech Drilling Co., Inc. of Franklinville to redevelop Well No. 9. Uni-Tech was the lower of two bids received on Feb. 27. AC Schultes of Woodbury Height bid $147,275.
The board also approved increasing to $142,297 a contract for Michael Angerman Landscaping to landscape areas along the Parkway section, which includes removing shrubs and replacing several Kwanzan cherry trees. Angerman was awarded a $126,955 contract for the work in December. However, Public Works Director Frank Ricciotti authorized the increase for additional work.
Despite numerous complaints from residents, work to reconstruct a portion of Atlantic Avenue from the city line at Fredericksberg Avenue to Clermont Avenue is progressing slowly. According to city engineer Ed Dennis, the contractor, Lafayette Utility Construction Company, was due to complete the project by Dec. 17, 2019. He said utility work is substantially complete and concrete work is due to be completed this week. Base paving is tentatively scheduled for the week of March 16, he said. The project is being funded with a $222,000 grant from the NJ Department of Transportation for fiscal year 2017.
The same company was awarded a $1.6 million contract on Feb. 20 for the next phase of repaving of Atlantic Avenue from Clermont to Huntington Avenue. The project is being funded with $692,000 in NJ DOT grants received for fiscal years 2018 and 2019.
Commissioner John Amodeo also noted that emergency repairs are needed to level out pavers in front of the Washington Avenue Pier that are beginning to sink due to a failure of the bulkhead along the bayfront. He called it a public safety issue that needs repair before the influx of summer visitors.
Chief Financial Officer Lisa McLaughlin will investigate funding opportunities, including determining if there are any remaining funds available through the NJ Green Acres program, which previously funded pier improvements.
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