[LCN Newscast] McLendon Ave Update, Aug 05

[newscast@lists.lakeclaire.org]

McLendon Avenue Construction Update
2004 Aug 05

[This should have been sent out a week ago, but was delayed
due to the LCN Webmaster being caught up in Hurricane Alex.]

As previously planned, McLendon Avenue is closed this week of
August 2nd at Candler Park Drive for the planned construction of
a new intersection with center median and traffic lights.
Construction and road closure is due to end August 6th, weather
permitting, but please be aware of ongoing work at this
intersection.  Major construction at Candler Park Drive was
scheduled to end by August 9th to coincide with the start of the
school year at Lin Elementary, but please exercise extra caution
and vigilance all along McLendon Avenue once the school year
begins and pedestrian traffic increases as roadway and sidewalk
construction continues.

During the construction project at Candler Park Drive,
contractors excavated several sections of the old trolley railway
that formerly ran along McLendon Avenue and is now buried in the
pavement.  Several residents had expressed an interest in
preserving some of the old trolley rail for posterity.  The City
has not taken custody of the preserved rails, but left them on
the side of the road at the western Candler Park Drive
intersection for anyone interested in claiming them.  Anyone
interested in doing so should be advised the sections are
approximately 10 feet in length and may be quite heavy; attempts
to claim the rails are made at your own risk.  Presumably the
City will remove and discard any unclaimed sections over the next
week as the intersection project is completed.  No other sections
of the railway are due to be removed as part of the repaving
activities, so this may be the only chance for anyone who is
interested to claim part of the rails.

The City has advised that McLendon Avenue construction in Lake
Claire will continue later in this month of August with
completion targeted during September.  The remaining work will
include reducing the existing bulbouts (in Lake Claire only) from
10' to 7', construction of the remaining bulbouts, construction
of the roundabout at Howard Circle, repaving, and restriping of
crosswalks, on-street parking areas, and intersection markings at
Southerland/Lakeshore/Claire.  Landscaping of the bulbouts will
take place in late September or October after the final
construction is finished.

Nick Popa, the City's Public Works Project Manager who has spoken
to the neighborhood at past LCN monthly meetings, plans to attend
our meeting on August 19th at 7pm in the Frazer Center to provide
an update and discuss the details of project completion.  Please
plan to attend this meeting to discuss any questions about the
remainder of the project.  In the meantime, please feel free to
contact Ryan Gesser, Lake Claire's McLendon Avenue Liaison, at
mclendon@lakeclaire.org