Aldermen get first look at plan to pave city streets

The Clarendon City Council got its first look at a draft 30-year street improvement plan during its regular meeting last Thursday, July 9.

The plan designed by OJD Engineering would pave and curb all unpaved streets in the city and upgrade currently paved streets that lack guttering. The plan also covers maintaining existing paved streets and does not touch historic brick streets.

The estimated cost of doing all the necessary paving and guttering is about $11 million, and annual maintenance of the system is projected to cost about $350,000.

City council members asked several questions about the plan and asked for more information about existing infrastructure – water and sewer lines – that are still needing to be replaced.

Public Works Director John Molder said much of the town is in good shape with pipes now but there are still some areas that should be addressed before they are paved. The council asked Molder to mark those locations on the map for further discussion.

The street improvement plan is still in its early stages, but the council knows street conditions have long been the number one complaint from city residents. Aldermen will be considering whether to pursue a phased plan – paving sections of the city over a long period using shorter term bonds – or paving the entire city at one time and pay for it with a long-term bond.