PELHAM – Two resolutions related to roadway access to Pelham Park Middle School were approved at a Pelham City Council meeting on Monday, April 3.

The council approved two resolutions tied to the middle school and conducted the first reading of an ordinance to purchase property located at 320 Bearden Road. One resolution was approved to accept a $113,473 bid from Stone and Sons Electrical Contractors for the installation of a traffic signals at U.S. 31 and Pelham Park Boulevard.

The city’s goal is to have to the traffic signals up and running by the time the school opens to students in the fall. According to the contract the project will be completed within 120 days.

In addition to the traffic signals, left and right turn lanes will be added on U.S. 31 to help with traffic to and from the school.

Another resolution was approved authorizing Mayor Gary Waters to enter into an agreement with Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood for engineering services related to roadway and drainage improvements on Court Way from Pelham Park Boulevard and Parkside Village and for the traffic signal design and on U.S. 31.

City Council Rick Hayes said Court Way is an undersized road that falls off into a ditch and lacks curb and gutter. Work on the road will include widening and repaving and adding curb and gutter.

Court Way will connect to a connector public street that is being reopened. The connector road links Court Way to Village Place.

“The road was never properly vacated,” Hayes said. “The road was closed off but it was never approved by the council to be vacated. So technically it is still supposed to be an open public street. We’re just correcting a mistake that was made.”

The purchase of Specialty Turf Supply, which sits at 320 Bearden Road, would allow the city to provide residents with access to the new middle school from Bearden Road. The project would connect the school to Bearden Road via Old Asheville Road, Village Place and Court Way.

The southern portion of Old Ashville Road would be realigned by 225-275 feet to allow sufficient space for a desirable design of turn lanes. To make space for the turn lanes, the warehouse-like building that sits at 320 Bearden Road would need to be torn down.

According to the first reading of the proposed ordinance, the property would be purchased from STS Properties LLC for $178,000. During the meeting, Hayes said the $178,000 price is a good deal being that the county’s valuation of the property is about $194,500.

“We don’t know for sure if Court Way can be completed by the time school starts,” Hayes said. “We took our time to properly vet the options available to us and those delays did hurt us. But we will be pushing hard to get as much done as possible.”

In other business:

-The council approved a resolution to accept a bid of $136,042 from InCare Technologies for a modular server, storage and IO for the municipal court and police department.
-Mayor Gary Waters proclaimed April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and as Donate Life Month.