The below email was sent to Commissioner Dalila Hall (Queens DOT) on July 22, 2013 requesting that we be advised of the status of the ongoing flood mitigation project here on W12thRd in Broad Channel.
July 22, 2013
Dear Commissioner Hall,
Dear Commissioner Hall,
We would appreciate it if you could update the residents of West 12th Road here in Broad Channel regarding the status of the Flood Mitigation Project (new bulkhead/street raising).
Has the project been put out for bid and if so, when is the close date for this rfp and we can we reasonably expect work to commence on the new bulkhead systems?
If the project has not been put out for bid, could you explain what is delaying this process?
If the delay is predicated on insufficient consent letters from blocks other than W12th Road, is it possible to reconfigure the bid to exclude those blocks at this time and move forward with the project?
Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.
Peter J. Mahon
for
Broad Channel, N.Y.
On July 24, 2013 we received the following response from Commissioner Hall.
Juky 24, 2013
Dear Mr. Mahon:
Dear Mr. Mahon:
Thank you for your email. Throughout this project, NYCDOT and DDC have provided updates to the community though the Broad Channel Civic. We have found that this is the most efficient method to get information to the community. I have provided Mr. Mundy, copied here, the most recent information on the project’s status. I appreciate your cooperation with this process and the project in general.
Sincerely, Dalila Hall
In response to our email, Commissioner Hall emailed a project status update to Dan Mundy, President of the Broad Channel Civic Association, who, in turn forwarded the below email to the W12th Road Block Association.
July 24, 2013
Pete
Here is the latest on the project timetable from commissioner hall
"due to the internal review process the project will be advertised in mid-August: this contract/bid review has nothing to do with the design or the consent letters. It will be bid as the three streets, we have no intention of breaking it apart. The consent letters have been coming in, West 13th Street still has the most outstanding but again this is not a factor in the schedule right now."
In addition I have been working with both west 11 and west 13 roads and they have informed me that they are making good progress with the consent forms. I have asked the commissioner to update me when the actual notice for bid goes out..."
Dan
This new email protocol is a bit like pulling teeth (there is a "copy to" button on emails) but nonetheless Commissioner Hall's response is informative in that we now know....
1. The project will not be bid out until mid-August "due to the internal review process..." ? That would mean that contractor awards will not take place until the various bids are received and unsealed sometime in late October, early November! Will construction of the new bulkhead at the end of West 12th Road commence this fall or will the project, once again, be delayed to a Spring 2014 start of mitigation construction?
2. "...this contract/bid review has nothing to do with the design or the consent letters. It will be bid as the three streets, we have no intention of breaking it apart. The consent letters have been coming in, West 13th Street still has the most outstanding but again this is not a factor in the schedule right now." The question that remains unanswered is...When will the consent letter issue become a factor in the progress of this project?
Commissioner Hall has stated that the project "...will be bid as ... three streets, we have no intention of breaking it apart." Thus, if the consent letter issue should become an issue in the future, will it cause a delay in the start of construction for W12th Road after (or prior) to the contract bids being awarded?
Additionally, remember, delays in this initial project will further delay allocation of remaining project funds for mitigation efforts to additional roads and areas within Broad Channel for mitigation.
As always, as new information becomes available, we will keep all of you advised of same.
SURF, how dare you question those who are paid by your tax dollars!
ReplyDeleteThese are tactics that are used to destroy a project by way of "the process." She is going back on the promise of Commissioner McCarthy who said if 11th and 13th Rds were not ready, then other blocks would be chosen. Oh wait, the New York Times questioned the wisdom of these projects, so they have the last word, don't they. How many other areas in the city have had to deal with this?? Let's kill this, but be sure we have bike lanes for all that road-choking traffic. GIVE ME BACK MY TAXES SO I CAN REMEDY THE SITUATION MYSELF.