This project is complete

The Seeders Back!

Saturday, May 17th saw the return of the seeding sub-contractor to clean up the disturbed areas and also to put down grass seed.  This is significant as this is the final phase of the project and hopefully the weather will cooperate to allow the seed to grow and fill in quickly so we can remove silt fence and other temporary storm water measures.

Contractor prepares to seed the grass waterway

While they were here they seeded around the Rose Lane Park area and the grass waterways and the areas around the golf course that needed touch ups.  They also work on cleaning up the rain gardens and planting them with the native wildflower mix that is required.

Contractor working on a rain garden on Rose Lane

These rain gardens will also get some plant plugs put in, hopefully later this week.  These plugs are already growing plants that will help to establish the area quicker than just working with seed.

The plan is for the seed sub-contractor to be back in Storm Lake on Tuesday or Wednesday this week with the plugs.  Plugs are going to go around the two ponds at the Sunrise Pointe Golf Course and in the rain gardens.

Seeding to Resume Monday

We just got word that the seeding sub-contractor is going to be back on site next week, mobilizing on Monday, May 16 and starting work later that day.  This should begin the final work that will need to be done that was left over from last fall and hopefully the weather will cooperate to allow the grass and other plants to grow!

Golfers at Sunrise Pointe Golf Course should be aware of potential crews conducting spot seeding on the berms around Hole #9 and planting plugs around the two storm water ponds at Hole #1 and Hole #9.

Residents in the Rose and Tulip Lane area should expect some smaller construction equipment in the area and seeding and planting activities in the disturbed areas of the project.

We'll try to get a few pictures next week to post here as we wrap up the seeding work.

Spring 2014 - Start Back Soon?

We'll until I stepped outside of my house this morning I was under the impression winter was a thing of the past and Spring could begin in earnest, I guess I was wrong, at least for now!

Towards the end of March 2014 we met with the contractor, engineer, and sub-contractors to discuss the completion of the project since weather was improving.  The key elements that are left is the completion of the rain gardens in the residential areas and plantings and seeding along the project routes.  The seeding contractor was in attendance at the meeting and gave every indication that they would be onsite as soon as weather allowed for the seeding to occur.

Once the weather allows the priority for seeding will be the Sunrise Pointe Golf Course where the seeder will re-seed a few spots along the newly formed berms and also redo the planting of the plugs along the two ponds on holes #1 and 9.  They have a few trees to replace around the smaller pond by the condo's which should be done about the same time as the seeding at the golf course.

The concrete contractor will have a section of cul-de-sac to remove on Rose Lane this spring once weather conditions allow and the prime contractor will be finishing the rain gardens so that the seeding sub-contractor can plant those soon after they are done at the golf course.

Disruption to the general flow should be minimal during the remaining portions of work.  The work on the golf course will take at maximum two days and then some time where golfers will have to remain off of the areas that were newly seeded.  If work goes well and weather cooperates we should see quick growth and minimize the minor access restrictions on the course.

Likewise in the residential areas the work should cause limited disruptions with the majority of the impact being temporary while the contractor is onsite.  The biggest distraction will be the time required to remove and replace the portion of Rose Lane that could impact parking in that neighborhood for a week or two.

Sorry for the minimal postings during the winter months but there hasn't been a ton of things happening on the project.  Now that "Spring has Sprung" or so we hope city staff will work diligently with the engineer to ensure that the project is finished in a quick timely manner.  Thus posts will be more frequent as we progress as well.

Slow Progress of Concrete Work

Work continues in a slow manner as crews work to finish the paving of the cul-de-sacs and walls of the rain gardens.  The primary work occurring at this time is the paving of the east ends of Rose and Tulip Lanes.  Work is slower than normal as we have to let the concrete cure before crews can move to the next section of work.

Crews pouring a portion of Rose Lane

The work also is progressing on Tulip Lane with more removals starting later today and into next week.  Work will continue to be slow until all the concrete work is completed.

Storm Water protection is in place in most of the project areas and the seeding work is completed for the remainder of the calendar year.  Next spring during the qualified seeding dates the sub-contractor for seeding will be back in town to plant the rain gardens, reseed where necessary including potentially replanting the plugs at the golf course.

Crews pour the final portion of the Rose Lane 

Project Walk Through Notes

Yesterday (Monday, September 23rd) was our project walk through day.  These events occur at or near the end of the project and are a way for the owner, project engineer, and contractor to view the project first hand to determine any final adjustments and/or areas that need to be cleaned up or finished up.

While the project is still a little ways from being done, they are at about 80% completion at this time, we did the walk through now so that the contractor could start to deploy their resources to other projects.  They will still have a considerable sized crew (two crews actually) until they finish the project.

The walk through is also a great way to see the whole project and look at the fine details.  The contractor, Lundell has done some great work and there were a few minor things that needed touching up outside of the remaining pieces that have yet to be constructed.  From a major component side of things there are three major items outstanding at this time including: pouring of the two cul-de-sacs on Rose and Tulip Lane, building of the rain gardens, and seeding.

Contractor, city staff, and the Engineer review components of the project during a project walk through.

The sub-contractor was onsite on Monday forming the sections of half of Rose Lane for a pour later this week.  Once that section is poured they will let the concrete cure and then remove the forms and start removals on the opposite side of the street.  The contractor Lundell was working on the first of three phases for pouring back the cul-de-sac on Tulip Lane on Monday as well.

Contractor prepares the 1st phase of the cul-de-sac for paving on Tulip Lane

Many of the project areas have been seeded at this point but the seeding contractor is responsible for the growth so it is possible that if we don't see substantial growth in areas they will have to come back and reseed or over seed those areas in the spring.  The seeding sub-contractor was onsite Monday and will be here this week until they are able to finish the seeding work.

The following pictures show various parts of the project as they were during the walk through on Monday.

Pond #5 behind the railroad tracks.

Drainage swale on the west side of Rose, Tulip and Violet Lanes

Large pond south of the condo site with grass growing on the side slopes

Grass waterway coming from the golf course ponds to the ponds south of the condo site.

As noted earlier the next phases which started on Monday include the development of the rain gardens in the project area.  These rain gardens are specifically developed to filter water through a natural process using plants with long roots and then filtering the treated water into the storm water system.

Rain garden area at the corner of Ray Street and Richland.  The flags are all the utility locates in the area.

As work continues the City asks for the residents in the area of the Rose and Tulip Lane cul-de-sacs (East sides) for their continued cooperation and patience as we pave back those streets.  This part of the project may seem to be the longest due to the time that it takes for the concrete to cure but it is critical that we keep traffic off the new concrete to allow for it to finish hardening or we will have to come back again and replace which causes more access issues and high costs.  The City appreciates the efforts of the residents to this point.

Pipe Work Wrapping Up

Work is moving quickly on the project at this point and the majority of the pipe work is almost complete.  The contractor was finishing up the pipe work on Tulip Lane yesterday (Tuesday, September 17).

Work on the installation of storm water pipe on Tulip Lane.

With the pipe work almost complete the remaining work is related to getting the cul-de-sacs back, finishing the dirt work and rain gardens, and seeding.  The seed sub-contractor should be on site tomorrow (Thursday) and working on the plantings in the ponds at the Golf Course and then moving up the project scope seeding the other areas that are finished.

Work on the paving back of the cul-de-sacs should be starting this week.  The main contractor will remove sections and then a sub-contractor will come in a pave the sections.  The goal of the staging is to provide access to the residential areas throughout the project.  The City urges residents and others traveling in the area to take extra pre-cautions and to ensure that they are alert to construction equipment.  This phase will take some time to complete due to the phasing but it is the only way to accomplish the repaving while still providing access.

A complete paving schedule for each cul-de-sac is available on the project web page.