City Hall lot, entryway get a makeover

SANDPOINT — Following a vote of approval by City Council members last week, work on City Hall's entryway and parking lot began Monday.

Visitors to City Hall will have to find parking elsewhere for the time-being. Entry to the building can be accessed on the west side facing South Olive Avenue.

The purpose of the work is to ensure City Hall is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Along with resurfacing the entryway, a heating element will be added to help melt ice and snow.

"We have a lot of meetings here after hours and a lot of times we don't have people to shovel snow, so it's a safety concern," said Kim Woodruff, director of Parks and Recreation, referring to the upcoming new entryway to City Hall as "exciting and safe."

Part of the parking lot is being resurfaced and in the middle, where the pavement is cracked, Woodruff said a new base will be put in. It is not cracked where the parking spaces are along the sides, so a one-inch overlay will be included with an exposed aggregate finish.

"The appearance will be a brand-new parking lot, but structurally we are just trying to be value-minded and only do the base where it is needed," Woodruff said.

The work is scheduled through the end of the month. Woodruff said the work will be done in two phases, and as soon as the current concrete work is done, workers will start paving. Two local companies, BB Bailey Construction and Wood's Crushing and Hauling, are performing the work at City Hall.

For next Wednesday's City Council meeting Woodruff was unsure what stage the work will be in, but entry to the building will be available. It may not be the west-side entry currently being used during regular hours, but Woodruff said he will be sure it is clearly posted which direction people need to go to get in.