Paradise Valley Town Council moves forward with CIP project
By Terrance Thornton | Digital Free Press
Paradise Valley Town Council gave the proverbial head nod Thursday, Feb. 23, agreeing in principal to roadway and sewage improvements along Mockingbird Lane — from 56th Street to Invergordon Road — but a contemplated sidewalk on the east side of the minor arterial proves to be a curb too far for the local governing board.
Paradise Valley Town Council, during its scheduled Feb. 23 work session discussion, was presented with an update on Planning Commission input for the pending capital improvement project. Total cost of the project is $1.3 million, a report to Town Council shows.
Provided to Town Council were items identified including:
- Installation of new storm drain system along Mockingbird Road,
- Full-width asphalt mill and overlay & restriping with bike lanes,
- Traffic calming measures to be evaluated, and
- Scoping phase includes public participation and Town Council input.
In addition to roadway and sewer installations, Paradise Valley Town Council considered options for traffic calming along the project site route.
Earlier this year Town Council awarded a contract to the tune of $50,000 to Kimley-Horn and Associates for the design and professional services for the Mockingbird Lane traffic calming measures.
Paradise Valley Town Council moves forward with CIP project
Paradise Valley Community Development Director Lisa Collins lead the Feb. 23 discussion on the upcoming Mockingbird Lane project.
“Every time we do a CIP project we go out and we talk to the community,” she said of proposed improvements along the minor arterial roadway. “It is also a Town Council decision.”
Paradise Valley Councilwoman Julie Pace brought into question the desire for a sidewalk along Mockingbird Lane along the route under question meanwhile Councilwoman Ellen Andeen says it is time to move forward with the project.
“I think six meetings to discuss this is plenty,” she said during the work session discussion. “The drainage needs to be addressed and the ADA compliance for the west side needs to be addresses, for sure. But I do not support a sidewalk on the east side. This needs to be done for our residents — not for our resorts.”
Councilwoman Andeen spoke to her support for the vital improvements along the roadway but does not support any new sidewalk along the minor arterial. The majority of Town Council seem to agree to those terms.
“We are in a bit of unchartered waters here as we came up with this consensus, in my view this is about community development,” said Paradise Valley Mayor Jerry Bien-Wilner. This is a Town Council decision at this point and our staff will tell us if we are off the rails. “What I have seen is we have approved a contract that encompasses all of this and we as council need to provide direction, that is what I have heard.”
Mayor Bien-Willner gathered consensus of the ongoing discussion and offered the following:
“It is not really about what the founders intended or an opportunity to assert the entire General Plan,” he said. “The idea here is we can get the project going for our staff. There are people on both sides of this. We have four members who have expressed an opinion — let’s get this to the next step.”
Mayor Bien-Willner says Town Council has a consensus to move forward with Mockingbird Lane improvements.
