By David Fleet
Editor
Atlas — On Monday night the township board of trustees voted 5-0 to accept an increase change order of $65, 292 for the Atlas sidewalk project.
Project Manager Doug Schultz of Rowe Engineering attended the special meeting to discuss the changes to the project. The project should be completed the first week of August.
“We have made adjustments to accommodate several residents on minor items,” said Schulz. “The more major items are on the west end of the project, (and) the key connection to extend to the proposed Atlas Trail.”
Schultz said grading issues regarding where residents’ existing driveways that cross the new sidewalks added to the cost of the project.
“Driveways were re-graded to accommodate the new sidewalk,” he said.
Construction on all phases of sidewalk replacement for the Village of Atlas begin on July 7.
On June 8, Burton-based Streeter Brothers was awarded a $311,369 bid for sidewalk improvement in the Village of Atlas with a 3-0 vote.
They were the lowest of three received.
Township Supervisor Shirley-Kautman Jones said she did contact the Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission to ask for additional funding.
All three phases of the 5,600-feet project on Gale and Perry roads in the Village of Atlas, will be replaced with five-feet wide sidewalks.
The total cost of the project was expected to be $500,000. The township will seek additional funds to complete the project. On March 16, the Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission OK’d $264,000 of county American Rescue Plan Act funds for a portion of the Iron Belle Trail connection construction in Atlas.
“The current sidewalks through Atlas were installed many years ago,” said Kautman-Jones. “Sections of the sidewalk are missing or have been moved by tree roots—it’s just not safe.”