Traffic signal has green light

News

Written by Kristen Waggener

Wednesday, 07 January 2009 08:00

More than six years after the project was first planned, City Administrator Jeff Cantrell is confident Louisburg will see progress being made in 2009 on the community’s first stoplight within city limits.

But if the lagging economy has any impact on the city’s plans in 2009, the stoplight project may be one of the only ones to get off the ground this year.

Stoplight bound

Cantrell said the city is currently in the middle of condemnation proceedings on the property south of Amity Street across from Price Chopper, which is owned by Sutherland Lumber & Home Center Inc. and has filed a form with the Kansas Department of Transportation to expedite the bid date for three projects that will greatly alter the streetscape on West Amity Street.

The projects, which have been in the works since 2001, will put a stoplight at West Amity Street and East Crestview Circle, install a raised median from West Crestview Circle to just east of First National Bank, and build a reverse frontage road behind First National and connect in the McDonald’s and Phillip’s 66 parking lot.

Residents have been told for years the stoplight is coming, but Cantrell said this year, Louisburg will see construction happening.

“Filing with KDOT allows the project to be expedited, based on the fact that we’re currently underway with condemnation,” Cantrell said. “... We would not have filed with KDOT if we did not have confidence on the timing.”

Cantrell said the city hopes to bid the projects in the spring and start construction at the beginning of the summer.

“If we take advantage of the full season, that will minimize the traffic routing issues,” Cantrell said.

Watching the budget

Other large-scale projects initially slated to begin or be done in 2009 have been put on the back burner because of the economy.

In 2007, then-City Administrator Ted Hayden said the city was looking toward getting city services centrally located and planned to put a new city hall on the southeast corner of Amity Street and Metcalf Road by 2010.

Last year, the Louisburg City Council approved $700,000 in street repairs to the older part of town, with the intention of continuing those repairs in the northern part of town in 2009.

Both projects have been put on hold this year, Cantrell said, because of the sharp downturn in the economy.

“A lot of what we do is dictated by the market. We’re waiting anxiously,” Cantrell said, mentioning that property valuations and sales tax figures weigh heavily on the city’s budget.

“It’s basically a waiting game,” he said. “It’s hard to make future projections off numbers that are in the tank.”

What is planned for 2009, Cantrell said, is having city crews focus more on maintenance issues on existing city streets and doing sewer improvements in much needed areas. More staffing cuts aren’t anticipated, either.

“Additional staffing cuts would be monumental decisions at this point, based on our low staffing levels,” Cantrell said.

If the economy does get better, Cantrell said, the city is prepared to quickly facilitate growth in Louisburg.

“When the market does return, we’ve got our infrastructure in place, several of the subdivisions have already approved plats. It’s merely a matter of development.”

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