Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Street work is set to begin by month's end

Work on Prescotts streets should begin no later than the end of the month.

Prescott Mayor Howard Taylor said he, project engineer Mike Marlar, and members of the Prescott City Council met with Bob Plant, son of the owner of R.D. Plant Co., concerning the street situations. The group toured the city looking at what needed to be done in some areas and getting ideas on what to do in others.

Taylor said Plant assured him the project would be completed on time. In fact, according to Taylor, Plant said the paving would be finished by the end of summer.

The most important thing, Taylor said, is to upgrade Moores Highway. This street is near Prescott High School and is actually designated as a highway, though its a city street.

At the intersection of Ross Street, Olive Street and Moore, he said, Marlar is looking to straighten out the S curve. This will require the moving of some trees in the area. We could possibly do a five-foot sidewalk from the intersection to PHS. We have a 100-foot easement.

Another street near PHS that will be getting plenty of attention is Martin. Taylor said the project may not have the money to widen the street much, but will do what can be done to improve it. We want the streets around the schools done before school starts. The bulk of work around the schools will be at PHS, as not much is needed in the area of McRae Middle School or Prescott Elementary School.

However, Taylor said, those streets that were undercut last year before the rains set in will be the first to be paved this year. There will be other streets to be undercut, he added, but these will be paved this summer as well.

I understood we may do some more overlay in the New Town area, he said. Well have to look at it again.

Another project Prescott residents have been asking about is the walking trail by the Nevada County Health Unit.

Taylor has talked to Marlar and a survey crew should be in town any day to start laying out the track. Once the diagram has been done, he added, work will begin. The city crews will do all they can, though some of the work will have to be contracted out.

There will be concreted areas, some benches for people to rest on, and lights installed for those who want to walk at night. A concrete parking lot will be installed as well. The track itself will be asphalt.

It shouldnt take long once we get started, he said. We should be done by fall at the latest.

Taylor also mentioned the rural water project, saying it will be inspected on June 21. There will be a punch list (items needing to be corrected before the project will be complete) presented to the contractor.

At this inspection, though, the contractor could get what is called a certificate of substantial completion. This, though, doesnt mean the contractor can just pull up stakes and leave. It means most of the work has been done. Once the contractor gets this certification, the company will have one year to get everything on the punch list taken care of. This includes making sure all the clean up is done in peoples yards and properties.

Were holding back a substantial amount of money till this is done, Taylor said.

At this time, all meters have water going to them, though not all are hooked up to peoples houses. People are still signing up on the system, he said, and there are about 460 customers on the system at this time.