Vacaville city council to talk road improvement

Article Last Updated: Saturday, Sep 10, 2005 - 10:08:16 pm PDT

Vacaville city council to talk road improvement

By Matthew Bunk

VACAVILLE - Improving the city's road system will be the focus of the City Council meeting on Tuesday.

City leaders are expected to take action on two road improvement projects with a total cost of about $900,000 and another item that includes forcing a landowner to sell property needed to widen Mason Street.

In a report to the City Council, city staff said it was a "necessity" to acquire private property along Mason Street by using a controversial government power called eminent domain.

Eminent domain allows a government agency to take land by paying fair market value to owners unwilling to sell.

The United States Supreme Court recently handed down a decision that expands government's power of eminent domain. But that doesn't affect Vacaville's efforts to widen Mason Street because cities already had the power to take land for infrastructure improvements.

The largest road construction project on the agenda calls for paying $756,600 to Ghilotti Construction Company for road resurfacing from Alamo Drive to Ulatis Drive.

The city also will consider paying $178,500 to Lister Construction Inc. for pedestrian improvements at the Davis Street Plaza.

In other business:

The City Council will consider approving the residential subdivision Ashbourne Park. The project calls for the construction of 40 large single-family homes at the corner of Marshall Road and Beelard Drive.

Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.