BY JENNIFER BAILEY
DANVILLE
July 16, 2008 10:16 am
—
Aldermen didn’t act on a purchase agreement for downtown property Tuesday night, but made east side church members happy when they approved re-awarding demolition bids.
At the start of the city council meeting, city officials removed from the agenda an option to purchase the Colonial Apartments building at 220-222 W. North St. and a garage behind it at 35 Pine St.
Aldermen earlier this month postponed action on it due to unanswered questions, including whether the property really is needed for the proposed Courtesy Ford expansion.
“The developer would like to review other options,” Mayor Scott Eisenhauer said.
Because of these talks with the developer, Eisenhauer said city officials desired to withdraw the resolution.
Under the option, the city would have spent TIF dollars to purchase within four months the properties from John Cunningham for $225,000. It was paying a $10,000 nonrefundable fee upfront as the option price to be applied to the purchase price at closing.
Eisenhauer remains optimistic Courtesy Ford will expand downtown.
“Developments move in their own time,” he said about the slow process.
Also Tuesday, the council terminated contracts with A & P Services of Danville for four building demolitions due to improper documentation provided to the city.
Aldermen approved the next lowest bids, with the contractors still honoring their previous bids, after pleas from church members, Ward 5 Alderman Jerry Askren and Eisenhauer.
The new contracts: 331 Harmon — Daniel Ribbe Trucking of Tilton, $8,799; 509 Lafayette — Thomas Excavating of Danville, $15,604; 7 S. Buchanan — Bob Brown Construction, $24,500; and 12 Cor-rine — Daniel Ribbe Trucking, $11,649.
Funding comes from the demolition bond issue.
The bids are about $29,000 higher, but Askren said fuel, dumping and other costs for demolitions are now higher, and the city would have had to re-advertise and spend more to re-bid the projects.
“We’re not going to get these prices back,” he said.
Gerry Lawrence, president of the Oaklawn Neighborhood Improvement Group, spoke on behalf of the members of the Danville United Church of Christ, 618 E. Main St., saying they are embarrassed about having two of the dilapidated buildings — 12 Corrine and 7 S. Buchanan — adjacent to the church’s parking lot.
The church members asked aldermen to re-award the contracts Tuesday night to have the demolitions be completed as soon as possible.
Lawrence said they were told the demolitions would occur in the spring.
“It really hurts us. We’ve waited so long…,” Lawrence said.
Public Works Director Doug Ahrens said those demolitions should be completed within 30 to 45 days.
Several Holiday Hills residents also were in the audience Tuesday night to voice their concerns about a dilapidated structure at 1114 Skyline Drive.
Eisenhauer said after the city gave A-Plus Properties 120 days to fix it up, there is now another ownership issue and the city has placed it back on the demolition list.
In other business, the council:
-- Heard from Tammy Lopez, 118 N. Logan Ave., about the hill sliding behind her home.
She asked the city for more help in stabilizing her home, other than sand bags.
“Who is liable for this issue?” she asked. “I don’t believe I am. I can’t get any help to fix the problem.
“I want my foundation covered before it breaks,” she added. “I can’t afford to fix it.”
She hoped for more city assistance before having to call an attorney.
Lopez said she’s also talked with state Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, and the attorney general’s office, which are checking on any assistance.
Eisenhauer told Lopez the city can’t help any more than provide information from the studies completed.
“It’s a private property ownership issue,” he said.
Lopez has been told there is a steel cable through her home’s foundation, anchored into Logan Avenue to keep her whole house from sliding.
-- Approved east-west and north-south alley vacations at the southwest corner of Fairchild and Gilbert streets for Walgreens on Fairchild Street to move across the street.
-- Postponed Everett Tims’ request to vacate an alley adjacent to his home at 3 Grace St. to the Aug. 19 city council meeting due to neighbor concerns about traffic having to instead use a dirt alley filled with potholes.
City officials will review Tims’ safety concerns in the alley and if an alley vacation is the best solution.
-- Approved a $625,370 contract with Cross Construction of Urbana for the 2008 overlay program and a $215,134 contract with Daniel L. Ribbe Trucking of Tilton for the 2008 seal coat program.
-- Approved a utility easement to Aqua Illinois for replacement of a water main that goes through Ellsworth Park.
-- Approved a $132,166 contract with Duce Construction Co. of Champaign to complete modifications to the Danville Mass Transit bus transfer zone.
-- Purchased a new bus wash system for $90,500 from Ross & White Co. of Cary with federal funding.
-- Approved a lease agreement with the Vermilion County War Museum.
-- Approved Herbert (Pete) M. and Beth A. Lappin’s request for a special-use permit to temporarily place a mobile home north of the city at 17147 Stable Lane.
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