CORPUS CHRISTI ? City officials and attorney Mike Hummell have agreed to continue discussions about concerns that a Padre Island road expansion could be unsafe for residents and differs from what voters approved.
The two sides held a closed-door meeting Wednesday to discuss the concerns, which were brought up in a lawsuit Hummell filed last week.
The city offered to conduct a preliminary traffic study of Aquarius Street to determine how much traffic residents can expect after a 2,100-foot extension is added from Dasmarinas Drive to Commodores Road. Another study also would be done after the road is finished, City Attorney Carlos Valdez said.
Those studies could lead to a reduced speed limit, stop signs or speed bumps, he added.
Hummell, an attorney who filed the lawsuit and also is a plaintiff, said he asked the city to hold off on road construction until residents' concerns are addressed. Valdez said that is under discussion. The City Council is expected to approve construction bids for the project late this month or early next month.
Hummell doesn't live on Padre Island, but he represents several residents who live on or near Aquarius Street. He filed a lawsuit last week after residents said the city hadn't addressed their concerns.
"The road's a good idea," he said. "I don't think anyone disagrees on that. The problem is with what (my clients) perceive to be a substantial lack of planning in putting the road together."
The project was approved during a 2008 bond election when Hummell served on the City Council. Language included in the bond package said the Aquarius Street extension would be a 31-foot wide, two-way street.
A new design calls for a 60-foot wide road with a median, Hummell said. Residents are concerned a larger road would increase traffic and cause safety problems for people who live there. Hummell said his main concern is making sure voters are getting what they agreed to pay for.
Councilwoman Nelda Martinez, who also served on the council in 2008, said residents have valid concerns for their safety. She attended the meeting Wednesday and said she believes there can be a compromise.
"I feel that addressing their concerns is achievable and also keeping with what the voters expected as well," she said. "I think we heard them loud and clear today and we will definitely work toward a resolution."
Voters agreed to set aside about $950,000 for road construction. The road extension actually will cost about $200,000 less because of economic conditions, Assistant City Engineer Dan Biles said. The total expected expense for the project, including engineering fees and utility work paid for by utility fees, is about $1.9 million.
Residents also are concerned about traffic because developer Paul Schexnailder wants to develop a resort water park with Schlitterbahn on property east of Aquarius Road.
Schexnailder and the city are negotiating who would build a waterway between Lake Padre and the island canal system after the city builds a bridge along Park Road 22.
Source: http://www.caller.com/news/2011/sep/21/city-attorney-discussing-concerns-about-padre/
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