Comstock Park retaining wall project costs grow

The deteriorating retaining walls along the River Raisin at Comstock Park will cost far more to replace than originally estimated, Adrian city commissioners were told Monday, but there is also more money than expected in the citys treasury.

Commissioners received a report showing revenue exceeded spending by $361,789 in the year-end unaudited financial report for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

Total revenue of $9,928,214 was hurt by a shortfall of $173,153 in property tax collections. However that was largely offset by unexpected revenue from oil leases ($160,000) and savings such as increased employee health care contributions ($177,000) and other factors.

Im very proud of the staff, city administrator Dane Nelson said. Overall, we managed very well.

After reviewing several options on the retaining wall project, the commission voted Monday to accept the low bid of $644,585 from LJ Construction Co. of Clifford to build a new retaining wall. The 7-0 vote came after bids exceeded the original estimate in March, which pegged replacing the wooden walls at $312,000 or a total of $340,000 to replace them with concrete.

Nelson told commissioners that actual bids came in about 40 percent more costly for all three options wood, concrete or block, and steel that the engineering firm considered.

The only other option I see is to get a different engineer, Nelson said. Of course that would put the project off another year. We have a dangerous situation in which the wall is falling. Wed have to shore that up.

The proposal by engineer ROWE Professional Services Co. of Flint includes building a cofferdam to divert water during construction, along with excavation, installation of steel panels, rebuilding the wall with block and terracing the hillside. The steel panels would then be cut near the water line and left in place to help prevent erosion under the base of the wall.

The proposed wall is expected to last for 70 years, Nelson said. Reinforced wooden walls such as the current one have about a 30-year lifespan.

Commissioner Jerry Gallatin asked if city staff agreed that a 70-year solution was the better option.

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Comstock Park retaining wall project costs grow