Posted on November 27, 2018
There were no decisions by commissioners on two hefty Holmes Beach projects, but engineer Lynn Burnett is on the job — working with contractors and reporting her progress.
Burnett updated commissioners on Spring Lake and city field — projects with $400,000-plus price tags — at their Nov. 13 meeting.
Commissioners have vowed to fix Spring Lake, a small polluted lake between 68th and 70th streets and Holmes Boulevard and Marina Drive.
Burnett prepared a chart showing a few proposals, comparing the costs between returning the lake to freshwater origins or a saltwater solution, which thus far is more popular with residents.
She told commissioners more data is needed about the quantity of muck and mud that will be dredged from the lake bed, as well as determinations on Manatee County’s contribution to the project. According to Burnett, the dredge production will be shipped to a landfill, but the location has not been determined.
“This is just a snapshot of where we are,” Burnett said about her report, showing a $396,500 for the freshwater remediation and $443,539 for the saltwater alternative, including dredging, sampling and equipment. Recurring annual costs were $4,493 for the freshwater system and $4,044 for the saltwater solution.
“The money is in the dredge,” she said.
Unknown costs include insurance rates, as well as damage from surges and king tides, the report stated.
Burnett also reported on amenities planned for city field —including the makeover of Birdie Tebbetts Field — $210,000 in this year’s budget and $275,000 in the 2019-20 budget.
She reported work is ongoing for the new splash park and the skate park, she said.
Commissioner Rick Hurst said he knows residents who want to help pay for the splash park and playground equipment and requested “rough costs.”
Burnett said the playground equipment is not too expensive, but the splash park, at 3,500 square feet, would cost about $185,000.
Source: The Islander
