Municipal Services Committee holds design hearing for Marston Alley reconstruction

The Municipal Services Committee on Oct. 20 held a public hearing on the proposed 2026 reconstruction of Marston Alley, the one-block alley south of Lawrence Street between Spruce Street and Summit Street.

Project engineer Jason Brown said the alley has no utilities requiring separate scheduling, is in poor condition with a pavement rating of 45 (on a 0–100 scale), and will be reconstructed at its existing width as concrete pavement. “We are looking tonight at Marston Alley. This is a 1 block alley section … We are looking at reconstructing this alley in 2026 next year,” Brown said. He estimated the construction cost at around $85,000 and said 14 properties are adjacent to the project.

The design presented keeps the alley at its current width (the right of way is 20 feet and pavement averages about 19 feet), will not add curb and gutter and will use an inverted crown so runoff flows down the center. Brown said records show the first asphalt was placed in 1959 and that a later overlay date is not known. He also said there is a small storm-sewer inlet at one end of the alley.

No questionnaires, emails, phone calls or public comments were received about the project, Brown said. The committee chair declared the public hearing closed and said the item will come back as an action item at the committee’s next meeting.

Why it matters: The alley rebuild is part of the city’s 2026 paving program; rebuilding an alley that lacks utilities in advance avoids a separate utility phase and aims to provide longer-lasting concrete pavement for adjacent properties. The committee did not vote on the project at the hearing.

What’s next: The design will return to the committee as an action item at a subsequent meeting, when the committee may consider formal approval and authorizations to proceed to construction bidding.