Hollister
– Even though Hollister’s project to dress up downtown is three
months past the originally anticipated completion date, business
owners haven’t complained much lately and officials don’t expect
the final cost to bowl over the $3.4 million estimate.
Hollister – Even though Hollister’s project to dress up downtown is three months past the originally anticipated completion date, business owners haven’t complained much lately and officials don’t expect the final cost to bowl over the $3.4 million estimate.
When the downtown beautification project began in March, officials hoped for an early July completion. Although that hasn’t happened, the contractor is on pace to stay within the City Council-approved budget.
The city doesn’t bargain on exceeding a provision in the contract with McGuire and Hester that allows for additional work as long as its costs stay within 15 percent of the project cost – or $510,000, said traffic engineer Matt Atteberry, who’s overseeing the project for Hollister.
Several factors have contributed to the extended timeline, with Hollister now expecting a completion within one to two months.
San Benito Street being a state highway, Caltrans caused a stink about the city’s plan to install crosswalks made of brick pavers. So Hollister eventually scrapped the idea. And other modifications added to the delay, such as work on more alleys and laying pavement on Fifth and Sixth streets, according to Atteberry.
Paving those streets cost about $120,000 over the budgeted amount, Atteberry said. He’s not sure by how much the project has exceeded its budget, but he doesn’t expect to reach the $510,000 mark.
With downtown’s makeover nearly complete, including the addition of red brick pavers on downtown sidewalks, all that’s left is some alley work. Redevelopment Agency Director Bill Avera said people will notice the difference once it’s done – with new trees, street lights and benches among the changes.
“This whole thing will come together,” Avera said. “Then you’re going to really notice what we did.”
Avera said there haven’t been many complaints about the delay. Hollister Downtown Association president Jeff Welch, who owns a local financial advising business, said he hasn’t heard any grumbling.
“Just about every business owner or employee I’ve spoken with has been really happy with it,” Welch said.
Welch must not have talked to Paul Espinosa, co-owner of Elegant Touch restaurant at the corner of Sixth and San Benito streets, where work crews are currently working on sidewalks. Some other businesses also have complained, such as Johnny’s Bar and Grill.
Espinosa said the rehabilitation project has gone on way too long. Although Elegant Touch hasn’t lost a lot of business, he has received many customer complaints.
“It seems like they tear up the street and put it back together,” Espinosa said. “It seems like they could just focus on one area at a time and finish it.”
Avera acknowledged the order of work done on the project hasn’t been the most efficient way of doing things. But Hollister was limited in how it could work on San Benito Street because it’s under the purview of Caltrans.
Caltrans’ resistance to allow crosswalks on the roadway caused the city to drop that portion of the plan. But Hollister officials think the state agency will eventually allow installation of crosswalks on San Benito Street, Atteberry said, especially since the city is set to take over authority of the roadway when the Highway 25 bypass construction finishes in 2005.
“We’re starting to feel Caltrans is going to let us do this,” he said.
Councilman Robert Scattini, who often asks about the project’s progress at council meetings, said he’s heard a few complaints from business owners, particularly about the delays.
“When you take a project of this size, there’s a lot of problems you run into,” Scattini said.
Avera, the RDA director, said the project’s fruition will be worth some of the hassles downtown. Hollister won’t have to repair the sidewalks for another 50–60 years, he said.
“Tell everybody I said ‘thank you’ for their patience,” Avera said.
Kollin Kosmicki covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach him at 637-5566, ext. 331 or kk*******@fr***********.com.
