Park Hill among those getting repaved
Public access to Vista Park Hill, just north of downtown
Hollister, will be limited in the late spring as city crews restore
the
”
deteriorating condition
”
of Hill Street, the main access road from San Benito Street to
the park.
Short, residential roads near San Benito High School are also
slated for improvement in the coming months.
Park Hill among those getting repaved
Public access to Vista Park Hill, just north of downtown Hollister, will be limited in the late spring as city crews restore the “deteriorating condition” of Hill Street, the main access road from San Benito Street to the park.
Short, residential roads near San Benito High School are also slated for improvement in the coming months.
The Hollister City Council recently approved plans for the nearly $200,000 Hill Street Rehabilitation Project, which will restore the pavement and improve drainage collection on the residential street.
Residents have been told that the contractor doing the work will close the street to all vehicular traffic during working hours, though local residential traffic will be permitted during non-working hours. Hill Street residents and city workers with offices on top of the hill will be able to use a private road on the northwest side of the hill when the road is closed.
Pedestrian access will be available during the course of the work, which is expected to begin in May and be completed by June 30.
Meanwhile, the city plans to use an estimated $90,000 in state-provided traffic congestion relief funds to improve up to three segments of local roads that are in disrepair.
Depending on the cost identified through a bidding process, the city wants to upgrade the condition of Richardson and Palmtag drives – both of which run east to west from San Benito Street to Monterey Street near the high school – as well as Chappell Circle, in northern Hollister, east of the post office.
Describing the condition of the roads as “very poor,” associate civil engineer David Rubcic said the damage to the residential streets includes “potholing, weathering and cracking.” In addition to rehabilitating the surface of the streets, contractors will also add handicapped-accessible ramps at each sidewalk corner.
“Because of school, we are going to try to plan it so the work is done after finals are done” in the first week of June, Rubcic said. “There may be some work done before then, but the majority will be done after finals and graduation, so there will be the least amount of disruption.”
In addition to residents, school employees, visitors and students use Richardson and Palmtag for parking on school days.
The road rehabilitation projects have gone out to bid and the proposals will come back before the city council. Richardson Drive is the top priority for the funding, which must be spent during the 2009-10 fiscal year, or forfeited.
Work on Palmtag Drive and Chappell Circle will be done if funding remains, officials said.
All three segments of roadway were identified for a previous road project that was to be funded by the Hollister Redevelopment Agency.
