DEVELOPMENT & PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2021
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From the Director
Welcome to the summer edition of the City of Springfield’s Development and Public Works Department newsletter. City staff continues to work effectively despite the challenges we face during COVID-19. The pandemic has impacted the way we do business in terms of working together safely in the field.
We have taken steps to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 through a high degree of sanitizing City facilities and vehicles. I’m proud of our staff as they’ve been challenged both physically and psychologically and yet, they’ve remained committed to serving the City.
This time of year is a heavy construction season for us, and higher temperatures have been a challenge but an opportunity to continually build out our safety program. Our staff participated in OSHA heat training which helped recognize the need for additional resources including canopies and drinks for breaks in the shade. Staff also put great effort into watching out for one another while working in the heat. We’ve accomplished a lot this summer and throughout this newsletter, you’ll read highlights about what each division of Development and Public Works has been up to.
- Brian Conlon, DPW Operations Division Director
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Development Code Update Project – Virtual Open House and Community Survey
There are still a few days left to give your input on the proposed changes to Springfield’s Development Code! The proposed changes aim to help the City meet housing and economic development needs in the near future and beyond. Community input can help ensure that the changes proposed are easy to understand, more streamlined, and support development. Go to bit.ly/DevCodeUpdate to view the virtual open house, then complete the community survey. The survey questions are mostly multiple-choice and should take about 10 minutes to complete. The virtual open house and survey are open through Tuesday, August 31.
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GO Bond Update – A Lot of Progress Made
This summer a lot of work has occurred on several street repairs as part of the five-year, $10 million general obligation bond to fund street repairs on a list of priority commercial streets that was approved by Springfield voters in November 2018.
The streets being fixed this year and their current status are:
- Olympic St from Mohawk Blvd to 28th St – Paving work and striping including crosswalk markings are completed; crews continue working on maintenance access holes and replacing the center islands.
- Mohawk Blvd from G St to Hwy 126 – Paving work and striping including crosswalk markings are completed; crews continue working on maintenance access holes and replacing the center islands.
- 42nd St from Main St to approx. International Paper – Paving work completed; crews continue working on maintenance access holes and striping including crosswalk markings.
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Thurston Rd from 58th St to 69th St – Paving work has started on Thurston Road between 58th Street and 69th Street, as the next phase of construction begins on this GO Bond project.
- High Banks Rd/58th St from 52nd St to Thurston Rd – When paving is completed on Thurston Road, crews will move to 58th Street (between High Banks and Thurston Road), and High Banks Road.
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Once paving is done on Thurston Road, 58th Street, and High Banks Road, crews will place striping including crosswalk markings and finish maintenance access holes.
As with all street construction or repair projects, we ask for your patience and to slow your speed when in work zones for safety. Please watch for construction signs, crews, and equipment in the streets. To stay apprised of traffic impacts during construction of the street repair projects visit TripCheck.com. This year’s projects are scheduled to wrap in early fall.
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Show the McKenzie and Willamette Rivers Some Love!
You could win a year of free residential garbage service
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Sanipac and the City of Springfield recently partnered to create a one-of-a-kind wrap for a new garbage truck that is running solely in Springfield. The “Beautiful Springfield!” truck pictured above, will run different routes throughout the year so each Springfield neighborhood has a chance to see it in-person. The theme “Beautiful Springfield” was chosen because it acknowledges that waste removal keeps Springfield attractive and helps support both Sanipac and the City’s environmental efforts. We hope that “Beautiful Springfield” resonates with community members who love Springfield and what a beautiful place it is to live. And even more, how the McKenzie and Willamette rivers contribute to the beauty of our area.
Do you love the McKenzie and Willamette rivers? Tell us and other community members about it! Go to https://bit.ly/BeautifulSpfld to place a message on our digital message board.
Sanipac will give one lucky Springfield customer one year of free residential garbage service (up to 1-65gal x 1/week trash) via a random drawing of all participants. Additionally, digital messages posted may also be featured in future outreach by the City. The digital message board is open September 1 through November 30, 2021.
Thank you for keeping Springfield beautiful!
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Springfield Celebrates Our Willamette through Willamette River Festival
This week, August 21-28, brought the Willamette Riverkeeper’s fifth annual Willamette River Festival, a time to celebrate the history, culture, ecology, and recreation on the Willamette River in the Eugene-Springfield area. Though the Festival is soon coming to a close, there’s still time to get out and enjoy the City of Springfield’s activities being offered as part of the event.
A 3D floating art display on Booth Kelly’s large stormwater pond is available to view only through tomorrow, so don’t miss out! This installation was created by Willamalane Summer Camp students and Lane Arts Council’s teaching artist Alex Ever, and then installed by Springfield Operations and Stormwater staff. Additionally, self-guided tours of the Mill Race and Springfield’s UpStream Art storm drain murals are available to community members this week and year-round! For tour guides and details on each of these offerings, click here.
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UpStream Art to Hit the Streets
This September, local artists will be painting five storm drain murals in front of Agnes Stewart Middle School for our 6th annual UpStream Art project. The City of Springfield’s Stormwater Team hosts UpStream Art because we value the arts and we value clean rivers.
The project currently consists of 26 murals and this year’s activities will add new work by artists Asante Riverwind, Dorothy Siemens, Erick Wonderly, Heather Omlin, and Jordan Colburn. Their colorful and original designs were selected for their representations of the theme, “Keep it Clean, Drains to Stream.”
Due to COVID-19 concerns, the public is not being invited to watch the art installation. Instead, we will share an updated Virtual Tour after the murals have been completed.
When it rains, water washes over our City and collects a variety of pollutants from our roofs, yards, and paved areas. It then flows into storm drains, out to waterways, and eventually empties into the McKenzie and Willamette Rivers. Urban runoff is the main source of pollution in these waterways and it’s not good for our health, recreation, businesses, or agriculture.
Thanks for everything you do, to help keep the rivers clean! For more information, visit bit.ly/upstreamart
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Operations Summer Work and a Look Ahead
Fresh pavement, brightly colored lines, and cleaner wastewater pipes, they’re all signs of the work done by our Operations Division this summer. Our preventative street maintenance program included crack sealing and slurry sealing along with a thin lift overlay.
We increased the number of streets that received a slurry seal from previous years through funding from operational maintenance reserves. More than 50 streets were resurfaced with a protective layer of asphalt to extend the life of these streets. We also worked on preserving streets through our crack sealing program. As streets deteriorate over time, cracks form and the most cost-effective method of maintenance is to clean the cracks and seal them with rubberized asphalt.
We also resurfaced 31st and 33rd Streets with a thin lift overlay. We worked with Lane County Public Works to grind the top layers of these streets and repurpose the material as a new base. The material was graded then paved to create a newly restored street. This method of street maintenance is being looked at for future street repairs and could become a viable cost-saving option for more intensive repairs.
Our subsurface team worked on maintaining and cleaning pipes within the City’s wastewater system. The team inspected and reconditioned sections of the wastewater system throughout the summer. They also performed high-velocity cleaning of collector pipes and made repairs to wastewater pipes throughout the City. This work continues year-round and is part of our annual wastewater maintenance program.
Dry weather also allowed our building maintenance staff to complete some outdoor projects. One project was an exterior restoration of Fire Station 4. New fascia was installed around the building and siding was replaced on the front and rear gables.
Our traffic team updated street markings and maintained traffic lights to make sure they’re working properly. Streets around Springfield received new painted street lines and bike lanes. Painting was done in the evening and overnight to reduce the impact on traffic. Our technicians freshened up the paint on the housing of traffic lights and installed new lamps. Crews also painted curbs and installed new crosswalk markings in school zones and other pedestrian crossings.
Looking ahead to autumn, the traffic team will be working on the installation of all-new lighting on Main Street and South A Street as part of ODOT’s immediate safety upgrades. Nearly 200 lights will be upgraded to LED and nearly 100 new lights will be installed along these streets for better night visibility. Throughout Operations, we’re preparing for anything the next season throws our way including rain and colder weather.
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Summer Crew
Each summer we hire temporary landscaping maintenance workers, and this year the crew worked on mowing, pruning, and cleaning of landscaping throughout the City. This included maintaining surface drainage facilities so they’re ready when the rain returns. They also cleaned up roadside landscaping which helps reduce fire hazards and improves traffic visibility, plus it enhances the beauty of Springfield. This team also cleaned up the property around the Springfield Flame in the Gateway area by clearing garbage and mowing weeds.
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