Foley, Ala. – (OBA) – Foley is moving forward with a road extension project that will connect one of its primary north-south arteries to State Route 59.

At the April 18 council meeting, the city awarded a bid of $4.5 million to McElhenney Construction for the project extending Juniper Street south and then west to a connection to the state highway. Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood tabulated the bids on the project and will provide construction engineering and inspections services on the project for $245,000.

“The Juniper Street extension now has been on the books for about two years,” Mayor Ralph Hellmich said. “We were all set to do it last year and COVID hit so the council put about a year hold on it. Then we had a little engineering slow down with so much doing on that the companies doing engineering it just took a little longer to get the design done.”

Juniper runs from U.S. 98 on the north and currently ends at County Road 20 in a corridor east of State Route 59. It will be taken south and then over to the west to match up with the intersection of County Road 20 South.

Hellmich said the bids received were higher than anticipated but with the COVID delays and supply-chain issues it was expected.

“It’s more than we expected but then again we did add some upgrades to it from the start to the finish,” Hellmich said. “For example, we decided to upgrade the signalized intersection on Highway 59 making sure we had an adequate number of right and left turn lanes. A little more than the traffic studies show but then again if you’re going to build something go ahead and build it for the future. Spend the money now because it’s going to cost more in the future.”

That signalized intersection was designed to ALDOT specifications since it is on a state-maintained highway. Hellmich said construction could begin by the end of the year but most likely will start after Jan. 1.

During the meeting, the council:

• Awarded a contract to Sawgrass Consulting for $224,000 preliminary work on the Wolf Bay Drive extension. Wolf Bay Drive will connection to Roscoe Road and eventually with the Beach Express when the project is complete. The contract is for field survey and right of way mapping, roadway design and route planning, structure design and hydraulic study, environmental permitting and preliminary investigation and testing.

• Had a public hearing to consider a rezoning property located south of Michigan Avenue and between Cypress Street and Bay Street. The Planning Commission recommended the council vote for the change. The 17 acres is currently zoned extended business, preferred office and open space and seeks a change to multi-family residential which would allow apartments or attached townhomes. The applicant is Crimson Land Development. Two of the lots run from Michigan Avenue on the north to East Lawson Street and a third in the middle just fronts East Lawson. Two of the lots are currently owned by members of the Wenzel family and lot at the corner of Michigan and Bay is currently owned by the Wilson family. The council will also hear a second reading of the ordinance.

• Read a proclamation honoring the reception of the Lighthouse Certification for Foley Elementary School for its successful Leader In Me program and the achievement of earning the Cognia STEM certification for the school’s science, technology, engineering and math programs.

• Read a proclamation encouraging residents to participate in Lemonade Day Coastal Alabama on May 7. Lemonade Day is an effort by the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce and the Coastal Alabama Chamber of Commerce to teach children about business and entrepreneurship.

• Reviewed and authorized payment of expense vouchers for the month of March in the amount of $5.7 million.

• Heard departmental reports from Community Development, the police department, fire department, marketing department’s quarterly report, bids awarded in March, tax report and permit-plan review for March and a grant status report.

• Heard a first reading of an ordinance approving a request for annexation of 38 acres owned by Terry Grant north of County Road 20 South and west of State Route 59. At the March 7 council meeting, the land was pre-zoned as multi-family residential which would allow apartments or attached townhomes.

• Heard a first reading of an ordinance rescinding a lease agreement to Terra Trucking for 1.81 acres in the industrial park Terra hoped to use for parking big trucks. According to city documents, Terra didn’t sign the lease, provide a certificate of insurance or make any lease payments.

• Passed an ordinance to annex into the city limits property owned by the city on the east side of Wolf Creek located near the end of Wilson Road. The property surrounds a small inlet on the creek.

• Passed an ordinance to change the speed limit on West Peachtree Avenue between State Route 59 and North Pine Street and on Sinclair Street to 25 mph to make the roads golf cart accessible.

• OK’d a liquor license to sell beer for off-premise use only to the Murphy gas station at the Foley Walmart.

• OK’d a liquor license for Valerios Pizza and Italian located at OWA for various events at the complex. It is for beer and wine for on- or off-premise use.

• OK’d resolutions reappointing Alton McCoullough to the Museum-Archives Board and Kathryn LeDrew to the Foley Historic Commission Board and a resolution appointing Chad Watkins to the Foley Historic Commission.

• OK’d a resolution closing Jessamine Street for the 2022 Witches Ride charity event on Oct. 29 from 3-6 p.m.

• OK’d a resolution to pay Thompson Engineering $107,000 to study intersections along Michigan Avenue and Juniper Street and make recommendations on ways to improve safety on those streets.

• OK’d a resolution accepting Yellowhammer Engineering’s proposal to “assist the city with grant pursuits and writing to help secure funding” at an estimated cost of $25,000.

• OK’d a resolution to approve adding $1,050 for work on the airport master plan by Volkert bringing the total costs to $80,466.

• Approved a new street light and electric vehicle charging station at the public parking lot at 100 N. Alston St.

• Rescinded a resolution passed in June for the city’s assistance with the 18^th Annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival at OWA. The South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce is asking the city to provide additional services for the event and a new resolution including the new requests is needed to replace the resolution passed in June.

• OK’d a resolution approving three new flatbed trucks for the Street Department for a total amount of about $227,000.

• OK’d an amendment to the city’s lease agreement with Wagon Express trucking company to expand the area to park trucks it leases from the city and increase the rent to $1,000 a month. The property is located in the Foley Industrial Park on the east side of the Beach Express and south of U.S. 98.

• OK’d a resolution declaring city hall lobby furniture as surplus and buying new furniture from McAleer’s at a cost of about $9,000. The furniture being declared surplus was bought in 2007.

• OK’d the purchase of three trucks for the Street Department, two four-by-four Ford F-150 crew cab pickups for $31,000 each and a two-wheel drive F-150 crew cab at a cost of $27,715.