Board agrees to move forward on renaming Center Street and sidewalk water-line project

Fayetteville's Public Works director, Jack Williams, told the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Feb. 5 that staff will seek approval to rename a local segment now called "Center Street" to "Center Avenue" and described a new, quantitative street-paving rating sheet to prioritize resurfacing work.

Williams said the rating will include surface condition, traffic volume, resident counts and emergency routes so staff can create an index to guide future projects. Aldermen praised the quantitative approach as a durable tool for multi-year planning.

Williams also described a proposed utility project on Main and Bright in which a contractor would place a water line under the sidewalk rather than in the street. That approach would require removing and replacing contiguous sidewalk sections; Williams said the work would meet city standards and ADA requirements. A contractor representative said the team will follow ADA specifications and the city agreed the approach "can't hurt" and should be advanced for permitting details.

Concerns and next steps: staff said the contractor may need city-issued permits and the city administrator's office will assist with permitting and mapping. The board directed staff to bring additional permit details and project specifications back for approval and noted the matter will be discussed at the regular board meeting if needed.