An ordinance to delay the reopening of Monroe Street met mixed results Monday at City Council committees.
In a 3-4 vote, the Rules Committee denied an ordinance that would shift funding from the restoration of Monroe Street in front of the new Duval County Courthouse to another capital improvement project to fund an ash site remediation.
Council member Lori Boyer, a member of the Rules Committee, is a co-sponsor of the bill and told the committee there was enough money in the courthouse landscaping budget to install grass instead of a full plaza. Without “hardscape” features on the right-of-way, the road could be reopened more easily at a later time.
The affected area is between Pearl and Broad streets.
She said those funds could be shifted to another Better Jacksonville Plan project and would reduce the amount of borrowing on the banking fund.
“I think it’s a good use of those funds,” said Council member Clay Yarborough, who serves on Rules.
The move would delay construction until 2014-15 and Boyer said it could be built when necessary, but several of her Rules colleagues saw potential conflicts.
Rules member John Crescimbeni said he doubted future Council members would want to tear up the landscaping and sidewalks in such a project to revisit the street’s opening.
Boyer returned Monday afternoon to the Council’s Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee with a substitute proposal that incorporated additional language that such improvements under her ordinance would not exceed $10,000.
In addition, her substitute also changed the total amount of the transfer from $800,000 to $775,000 with the difference allotted for a sidewalk that would not need to be removed in the event Monroe Street is eventually reopened. It also precluded any additional hardscape features being added by outside parties.
Jessica Deal, Mayor Alvin Brown’s Council liaison, told TEU the administration favored using the Better Jacksonville Plan funds on other projects as well as minimal landscaping until the courthouse is built.
Council member Don Redman, the bill’s other co-sponsor, told TEU it made sense to wait and see the actual traffic patterns. He also said the road reopening caused a pedestrian hazard.
TEU passed Boyer’s substituted measure 4-1.
As Rules Chairman Bill Bishop said earlier in the day, he believed the road could be reopened and designed for proper access to both pedestrians and vehicles and its reopening would reconnect the urban grid.
“If you don’t build it … I believe that would be a mistake for Downtown,” Bishop said.
The proposed legislation is scheduled to be on the Finance Committee’s agenda today.
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