HomeMy WebLinkAboutIII(G) Discussion Of The Approval And Authorization For Maine Street Closures Agenda 4-06-99
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"CENTER OF GOOD LIVING-PRIDE OF WEST ORANGE" &Wo r MlssIONER
S.SCOTT VANDERGRIFT
Ocoee COMMISSIONERS
CrCITY OF OCOEE DANNYHOWELL
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' CITY MANAGER
4441 Of GOOD`> ELLIS SHAPIRO
MEMORANDUM
DATE: March 29, 1999
TO: The Honorable Mayor and Board of City Commissioners
FROM: James W. Shira, P.E., City Engineer/Utilities Director
SUBJECT: Maine Street Closures
We have contacted the residents who regularly use Maine Street to get to their homes and
businesses, and have described to them the proposal to close the old brick road to traffic. We
explained that an alternate access would be provided that would allow them to get to their homes
and businesses from State Road 50.
Two of the area residents have expressed their opposition to the proposed closure. One of the
two is concerned that there may be business damages that would result, and they are also
concerned that the proposed alternate access may result in longer response times for police, fire
and ambulance vehicles.
Based on these responses, we feel it would be prudent to look for a way to protect the remaining
bricks without closing the road. The original proposal.to prevent additional theft of bricks was to
install a fence around the entire brick paved road. Because of the opposition we've heard to this
proposal,we looked for other means to ensure the integrity of the existing road without closing it
to traffic.
While there is no guaranteed method of preventing a determined person from stealing the bricks,
we feel that the theft of the bricks can be made significantly more difficult by covering the entire
brick surface with four to six inches of dirt. This would still allow traffic to pass, since the dirt
won't be deep enough to get stuck in, but a person with a shovel would have to want bricks really
badly to be willing to stand in the middle of a road open to traffic and shovel away a half foot of
dirt before starting to pry out the bricks.
When the brick road is finally replaced by a re-aligned Maine Street,the dirt can be easily
removed so the brick road can be used as part of the proposed park. I recommend that the City
Commission direct staff to place a sufficient quantity of dirt over the brick road to deter further
brick theft, yet allow the road to remain open to traffic. - 6
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