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Planning group gives support to Ammunition, Aviation, Alvarado sidewalk projects

The Fallbrook Community Planning Group gave a favorable recommendation to sidewalk projects along Ammunition Road, Aviation Road and West Alvarado Street.

The 13-0 vote at the Nov. 16 planning group meeting reflects the absence of Jim Loge and one vacant seat.

“We’ve been looking for sidewalks over there for a long time, so these are going to be extremely welcome for the community,” planning group chair Jack Wood said.

The vote was preceded by a presentation by county Department of Public Works project manager Sam Chrum, who noted that DPW has targeted a Dec. 9 date for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to approve the authorization for bid and subsequent award of construction contracts.

“These projects are going to be bid out separately,” Chrum said.

Chrum expects the contracts to be awarded in early 2021. Construction on the sidewalk improvements is expected to begin in spring 2021 and be complete during summer 2021.

The board of supervisors approved the county’s 2020-2021 Community Development Block Grant funding plan April 7 while authorizing the subsequent award of CDBG funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The CDBG allocations included $355,000 for the design and construction of a sidewalk segment on the north side of Aviation Road, $285,000 for the design and construction of a sidewalk segment on the northside of West Alvarado Street and $240,000 for the design and construction of a sidewalk segment and pedestrian ramps on the south side of Ammunition Road. Including other funding sources Chrum expects expenses of $340,000 for the Ammunition Road sidewalk project, $450,000 for the Aviation Road work and $430,000 for the West Alvarado Street construction.

All three sidewalk projects supplement previous construction funded by CDBG revenue. The 2012 CDBG appropriations funded the construction of 1,100 feet of sidewalks along Aviation Road between Alturas Road and Wisconsin Street and 230 feet of West Alvarado Street sidewalks between Pasadena Avenue and South Mission Road. A 2017 CDBG allocation funded Ammunition Road sidewalks between Alturas Road and South Mission Road, and general fund money was used in 2019 to eliminate 175 feet of the Ammunition Road sidewalk gap.

Approximately 230 feet of sidewalk that is 5 feet in width along with pedestrian ramps between 410 Ammunition Road and 420 Ammunition Road will complete a missing segment. Curbs and gutters will also be part of the construction.

“We will reconstruct driveways as necessary,” Chrum said.

The Ammunition Road activity will also include the installation of retaining walls as needed. “There are some tall slopes or steep slopes,” Chrum said. “We have to put these retaining walls in.”

The Aviation Road sidewalk improvements will consist of 600 feet of sidewalk between South Mission Road and Main Avenue along with curbs, gutters and pedestrian ramps.

“This is a project that the community has been asking for, so we’re happy to find funding,” Chrum said.

A short wall will also be needed.

“The actual commercial building here is a little bit lower than the actual roadway,” Chrum said. “We’re going to have to put a little wall and then a railing to protect people from falling.”

The location and height of the wall will likely deter graffiti.

“It’s not going to be visible from the street,” Chrum said.

No landscaping is planned for the Aviation Road sidewalk improvements.

“It’s all impervious material. It’s all asphalt,” Chrum said. “With the new wall, we don’t anticipate putting in any landscaping.”

Approximately 450 feet of sidewalk will be constructed between 229 West Alvarado Street and 111 West Alvarado Street. The project will also include curbs, gutters and pedestrian ramps.

The intersection of Main Avenue and Alvarado Street already has a curb ramp.

“We’re going to interface with that existing curb ramp,” Chrum said.

The sidewalk project will address the slope near the intersection of Alvarado Street and Pico Avenue.

“We’re going to grade the slope there behind it,” Chrum said. “The slope is not going to be an issue.”

That slope is on a vacant lot.

“Once we cut into the embankment then we're going to grade it back,” Chrum said.

The planning group’s Circulation Committee reviewed the sidewalk Nov. 10 and recommended approval after queries were answered.

“We had a couple of concerns,” Circulation Committee chair Roy Moosa said.

One initial concern was whether the driveway at Trupiano’s Italian Bistro would be blocked or otherwise adversely affected.

“Sam responded that it was not,” Moosa said.

The committee also wondered if an asphalt driveway extending into the street would be replaced by concrete and received a response.

“The sidewalk would be of the same material as the driveway,” Moosa said.

The answers satisfied the committee.

“We had no concerns. We thought it was a positive step and we voted unanimously to approve,” Moosa said.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].

Author Bio

Joe Naiman, Writer

Joe Naiman has been writing for the Village News since 2001

 

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