O'FALLON, Mo. An O'Fallon, Missouri mother told the 5 On Your Side I-Team she's just trying to keep her young daughter who has autism safe on her own property.

So why is the city of O'Fallon taking her to court?

Even under her mother's watchful eye, Leera Brown, 4, is hard to keep up with. The little girl has a seemingly endless amount of energy, according to her mom Ariel Brown. But she also has some limitations as well.

"She's autistic and she has balance and coordination issues. She will literally trip on air," said Brown.

That coordination issue, says Brown, has led to her falling off the family's 4-foot brick retaining wall in the past.

That's why her mom said she began looking into safer alternatives to replace the brick wall. After doing some research, she created a retaining wall made of recycled tires. Each tire was painted, and plants and landscaping were installed in and around the display.

"Most people don't believe me that it's tires. They have no clue. So i put a lot of work into trying to make it look nice," said Brown.

The wall has some admirers, but the city of O'Fallon is not one of them.

"Just because you have good intentions, does not give you permission to violate city law. It does come down to that," said Tom Drabelle, a spokesperson for the city of O'Fallon. "It was also brought to us by her neighbors. It wasn't something we went out looking for."

The use of old tires is against several city codes.

Drabelle points to one specifically under prohibited 'Nuisances', which states, "Any accumulation, deposit or outside storage or any vehicular or equipment parts, inoperable appliances and other equipment, junk or material of any nature where said accumulation, deposit or outside storage may constitute an attractive nuisance danger to children, provide a breeding or nesting area for vermin, rodents and other animals, or collect stagnant water."

"The use of old tires as a design element... It's a health risk to the community. The second thing is, it's also a fire risk," said Drabelle.

Brown argues the tires aren't collecting water, and aren't inviting vermin since they have plants and soil in them.

The city wants the wall taken down. Later this week, a judge will decide on the fate of the wall.

Brown said the wall has already proven to be effective in its purpose.

"[Leera] ended up tumbling down this but only had a couple minor scratches. If it had been the regular retaining wall, we would've been lucky to just be in the hospital," said Brown."When it comes to my daughter's safety. I will fight to the end for it."

If the judge rules in the city's favor, the family will be responsible for taking down the wall. If they refuse, the city could do it for them and send them a bill. The family will also be fined for the citation.

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O'Fallon, Missouri fights to remove tire retaining wall for child with autism - KSDK.com

729 Seventh Avenue, at the southeast corner of 49th Street and 7th Avenue mear Times Square in Manhattan, as photographed in March 2018.

The building that fatally dropped a hunk of faade on a Manhattan woman last week is just one of thousands citywide with open violations and some of the longest-offending buildings have no scaffolding to protect unsuspecting passersby, the New York Post says it has learned.

Some of those violations including one against a crumbling Bronx building looming over a daycare playground are more than a decade old, a review of city records found.

Of more than 5,300 open citations citywide against buildings for failing to maintain safe exterior walls under NYC Admin Code 28-302.1, the Post has identified the 10 addresses with the longest-standing open infractions that also lack protective sidewalk sheds.

Among the offenders is the five-story building at 333 150th St. in the Bronx, which abuts the Brightside Academy daycare centers playground and has open violations dating to 2008 for a rear retaining wall that collapsed in 2004 and at one point blocked the buildings rear entrance for years.

Today, the buildings faade is visibly damaged, with cracks on the molding surrounding the building a source of concern for parents from the neighboring child care site.

Thats scary, said mom Keila Ocasio, 30, who was dropping off her 3-year-old twins at Brightside on Thursday. We walk down this street with our kids all the time. It could be anybody.

Architect Erica Tishman was killed Tuesday after a chunk of facade dropped off 729 Seventh Ave. in Manhattan.

The structure had damaged terra cotta at areas above 15th floor in several locations which poses a falling hazard for pedestrians, the city Department of Buildings found when the owners were issued a violation in April for failure to maintain exterior building facade in a safe manner.

Meanwhile, the 150th Street building in the Bronx still has 13 open violations including one for the same code under which 729 Seventh Ave. was cited.

While its owners paid the $5,000 fine associated, there is no indication they fixed the underlying issue, city records show.

And its not the only property in the city with longstanding, unresolved violations under the same section of law.

A six-story building at 207 Clinton St. in Manhattan has a 2008 facade violation for corroded soffit/facia at top of bldg and cornice at 5th floor is separating from exterior wall.

I think its terrible that they got a complaint in 2008 and they havent done anything about it, said neighbor Orlando Perez, 62. Obviously the laws sanctioning the landlords are too lenient. They probably figured its worth leaving it like that than spending money to fix it.

A property at 14-18 Boerum St. in Brooklyn has racked up so many violations and nearly $30,000 in unpaid fines that one neighbor said the owners dont do work, they just make holes.

The owners were cited under 28-302.1 in 2015 for missing bricks on the fifth floor, broken awnings on two other floors, and a 7th floor balcony crack, the records show.

Other properties identified by the New York Post with long-open facade violations under Admin Code 28-302.1 are:

A seven-story mixed-use building at 1627 Amsterdam Ave. hit with a violation in 2011 for failing to maintain an exterior decorative cornice and for severly [sic] corroded tin.

An apartment building at 254 Seaman Ave. in Inwood cited in 2013 for cracks, deteriorating and displacement in parapet facade, and flower pots stored on facade ledge.

The Church of Saint Michael at 424 W. 34th St. in Manhattan, issued a violation for missing asphalt roof shingles and cracked cement stucco in 2014.

A mixed-use building at 201 W. 145th St. dinged in 2014 for the deteriorating condition in parapet, and cracking throughout the buildings exterior.

Public School 130 at 151 E. 5th St. in Brooklyn, cited in 2015 for exterior brick facade (that) has become porous allowing water to penetrate into bldg.

PS 58 at 455-459 E. 176th St. in the Bronx, which was ticketed in 2015 for exterior walls that have become porous allowing water to penetrate and water leaking from facade.

An eight-story apartment building at 1670 174th St. in the Bronx slapped with a violation in 2013 for spalling on balcony slabs.

In a statement Sunday, Department of Buildings spokesman Andrew Rudansky said the agency swept over more than 1,300 facades that require repairs to make sure each had appropriate pedestrian protections in place after Tishmans death.

In cases where we found property owners had inadequate pedestrian protections, we are issuing enforcement actions, including orders to put up sidewalk sheds, he said.

The owners of several buildings identified by the Post did not return calls seeking comment. Others maintained work had been done and claimed the violations were still open because they failed to file the paperwork certifying the repairs had been made.

The owner of 333 150th St., Earl Bailey, insisted the issue was fixed at least three years ago.

At Brooklyns PS 130, facade and masonry work was completed but has yet to undergo a final inspection, schools spokesman Kevin Ortiz said adding that work to repair PS 58 will be taken care of by a full-scale masonry project that has not begun.

The owners of 1627-1635 Amsterdam Ave. said in a statement that they contracted to fix the chimney cap and that a sidewalk shed would go up Monday.

In other cases, physical work has long been completed, though as a landmarked building, there can be delays before the paperwork is registered by the city, the statement said.

Despite the city records regarding chimney and brickwork violations at the Church of Saint Michael, a man identifying himself as the pastor claimed the citations were for plumbing and electrical issues, not the facade.

Thats all been fixed, yes, he said. It was plumbing and electrical.

An official at one building had a different take, saying the violations there were fake.

There are no violations, basically, said Miriam Chan of Ymm Realty LLC, which owns 207 Clinton St. in Manhattan. Those violations are fake violations.

So many people, so many people live in the building, she said. They dont pay. Whenever the company asks them to pay they call 311, they create all kinds of information, fake information.

But, she said, the company already engaged a structural engineer to take care of the problem.

Additional reporting by Khristina Narizhnaya, Kevin Sheehan and Olivia Bensimon.

This report also appears at NYPost.com.

Read the original here:
Thousands of New York buildings may pose same risk as the one whose damaged faade killed architect last week - MarketWatch

Belgiums iconic Christmas series or Kerstperiode kicked off this weekend with Waaslandcross in Sint-Niklaas and with the infamous Namur World Cup on Sunday.

The two races could not have been more different. Waaslandcross featured fast, dry and sandy conditions, while Namur was one of the heaviest and most challenging courses of the year.

The womens race at Waaslandcross was highlighted by a battle between world champion Sanne Cant and the young BNS Technics - Concrete House rider Aniek van Alphen. Van Alphen has made a name for herself this season by being one of the few riders in the elite womens field opting to bunnyhop the barriers.

Van Alphen used these skills to great effect in Sint-Niklaas, attacking Cant by hopping over a retaining wall into the final sand section. Cant however proved to be the strongest on the finishing stretch.

Waaslandcross is Cants first victory since February. The competition was understated in anticipation of Sundays world cup, but this victory is nonetheless a promising sign for Cant as she builds towards a fourth world championship title defense.

The world cup in Namur was quintessential cyclocross. It was cold. It was wet. It was muddy, and it was perilously challenging. The mens race featured a battle between Mathieu van der Poel and Toon Aerts that kept viewers on the edge of their seats until the final moments of the race.

Van der Poel was not on unbeatable form in Namur, and thanks to poorly timed punctures and minor errors, it looked quite likely at multiple points during the race that the world champion would in fact be beaten.

While Aerts appeared to have a slight upper hand, the course conditions were so challenging that whenever one rider appeared to be riding away with the race, an incident would occur to let the other back into contention.

It wasnt until the final lap when Aerts took a hard crash on Namurs most perilous descent that van der Poel was able to break free to claim a hard fought victory. As a consolation prize, Aerts has now taken over the lead of the World Cup

The conditions at Namur created quite a spectacle for fans, but mid-race images of Iserbyt being carried away from the course as he succumbed to hypothermia-like symptoms illustrated just how challenging the day was for the racers.

Iserbyt was unable to finish the race due to the cold, which cost him the lead in the World Cup Standings.

Toon Aerts last lap crash was reminiscent of his season ending 2017 Fiuggi crash. X-rays taken on Monday morning revealed Aerts sustained a non-displaced rib fracture. His Telenet Baloise team will now assess whether or not the Belgian champion will be fit to compete in the remaining races of Belgiums Christmas series.

Tom Pidcock also suffered a last lap crash on the same descent which took down Aerts. Pidcock was poised to earn his first elite world cup podium, but was left to settle for fourth following the incident. The Yorkshire native claimed on social media that he had never been so cold in his life, and that he simply couldnt function on the final lap.

American Katie Clouse suffered a dislocated shoulder after going over the bars in the elite womens field. She hopes to continue to race the Christmas series, but any future starts are uncertain for the time being.

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The Damages From Namur -- Takeaways From The Weekend's Racing - FloBikes

Mon, Dec 23rd 2019 10:50 am

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced certain private nonprofit organizations (PNPs) located in 18 counties throughout upstate New York that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature may be eligible to apply for low-interest rate disaster loans. These loans are available following a presidential disaster declaration for public assistance resulting from damages caused by severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, 2019.

PNPs located in the following 18 counties are eligible to apply: Chautauqua, Chenango, Cortland, Erie, Essex, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Oswego, Otsego, Saratoga, Tioga and Warren. Examples of eligible noncritical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

President Trump recognized that people and nonprofits affected by wicked Halloween weather that affected almost 30% of New York state needed help. In addition to FEMA assistance, the SBA is offering low-interest loans to private nonprofits who do so much to help our communities 365 days of the year, said SBA Atlantic Regional Administrator Steve Bulger, who oversees agency operations in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

PNP organizations may borrow up to $2million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.The interest rate is 2.75% with terms up to 30 years. Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes.

Eligible mitigation improvements may include a safe room or storm shelter, sump pump, French drain or retaining wall to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster.

The SBA also offers economic injury disaster loans to help meet working capital needs, such as ongoing operating expenses to PNP organizations. Economic injury disaster loan assistance is available regardless of whether the organization suffered any physical property damage.PNP organizations are urged to contact their countys emergency manager for information about their organization. The information will be submitted to FEMA to determine eligibility for a public assistance grant or whether the PNP should be referred to SBA for disaster loan assistance.

Applicants may apply online using the electronic loan application (ELA) via SBAs secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov.Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBAs customer service center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or sending an email to [emailprotected]. Loan applications can also be downloaded from http://www.sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The filing deadline to submit applications for physical property damage is Feb. 17, 2020. The deadline to submit economic injury applications is Sept. 21.

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SBA disaster assistance available to New York private nonprofit organizations in 18 counties affected by severe Halloween storms - Niagara Frontier...

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From ticketing to the France Pavilion, EPCOT sometimes feels like one big construction site. But heres the good news: progress is moving quickly! Here, weve gathered all the latestEPCOT construction updates, starting from the parking lot up to the World Showcase entrance.

As guests approach the park on the monorail, we can see work on new utility lines continues outside the main entrance between security checkpoints and the parking lot.

Work on the new paving between the east parking tram drop-off and the security checkpoints is also progressing.

A wider look shows where new sidewalks are being poured and landscaping planted.

Paving on the east tram loop looks nearly finished while work on the sidewalks continues.

Friday, most of the construction walls just after the entrance of EPCOT were removed, and we finally saw the completedwalkways and planterscreated as part ofProject Gamma. But theres still more work to be done: the new entrance fountainis still undergoing construction. Heres the progress weve seen over the last week.

We noticed some big gray pieces appeared on top of the white base, which is the foundation for the fountain. The gray pieces are the actual exterior of the fountain and are what we will see when it is finished.

A rendering of the fountain can be seen just below Spaceship Earth in the artist concept above. The fountain was designed as a call-back to the original entry fountain that was once in EPCOT.

In front of Innoventions East, we see paving has been completed on the new bypass pathway that will lead to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and the Play Pavilion.

To the west of Spaceship Earth, expansion of the walkways that will eventually lead to the Moana Journey of Water trail continues to progress.

In time, the new concrete will connect to this existing backstage walkway.

From above, we can see that work continues on the planters behind the greenery as well as construction on the Moana-themed barriers.

Over by The Seas with Nemo & Friends, guests are greeted by the construction walls that will eventually lead to the western bypass to the park entrance.

Construction on Future World started to show more and more signs of accelerated progress this week.

Over at Innoventions West, we can see that the final wall has been removed from the old structure that housed Club Cool.

Only two segments of windows remain to be taken out before all that remains is metal work.

At the former Fountain of Nations site, the ground has been completely leveled.

To the side of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind building, only a few more segments of walkway remain to be poured.

Frame work has been put into place for more sidewalks out by the entrance to the attraction.

Work on the Play Pavilion has seemingly not shown much progress beyond the land clearing that has been completed.

Behind the walls by Mission: SPACE, we can also see where more materials have been stored, including new retaining walls and bricks.

Guests walking to and from Mouse Gear through the rear entrance walk over the lines being laid underneath this wood cover on the ground.

Work on the expanded walkway between Test Track and Future World is progressing, with new cement poured. Additional framing is being laid out, while electrical work ahead of light placement continues.

Work in front of the restrooms is beginning to also take shape with new sidewalk paving framework and utility pipes having been brought in.

Work on the area between Imagination and The Land progresses.

We can see that the construction includes new utility lines and the beginnings of a small brick structure behind the green fencing.

Space 220 Restaurant saw some work being completed today, with workers on-site performing various tasks.

The entrance is still covered by construction walls.

That does it for our look at the construction work inside EPCOT. Stay tuned as we continue to track the progress of the parks reimagining.

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PHOTOS: Latest EPCOT Construction Update (Park Entrance, Innoventions, Space 220, Guardians of the Galaxy, and More) 12/23/19 - wdwnt.com

AKRON, Ohio A 53-year-old man died after he suffered a cardiac episode while driving in Akron, which caused him to crash into a retaining wall, according to police.

Officers responded to a crash at 7:50 a.m. in the 500 block of Madison Avenue on Thursday. They found two vehicles involved in a collision.

A vehicle was traveling southbound on Madison Avenue when a 53-year-old driver suffered from what appears to be a cardiac episode, police said.

His medical emergency caused him to lose control of his car, which went left of center, striking a stopped northbound car head-on. The 53-year-old man continued southbound out of control and crossed over Madison Avenue, say police. His vehicle came to a stop against a wooden retaining wall in front of 564 Madison Avenue.

The driver was transported to Cleveland Clinic Akron General, where he was pronounced dead. His identity is being withheld pending notification of family.

The 79-year-old driver of the other vehicle who was hit head-on suffered minor injuries.

See original here:
53-year-old man dies after having cardiac arrest while driving - News 5 Cleveland

Lanes of Highway 152 have begun to open at Lovers Lane in Gilroy after a fatal crash and a vehicle fire, CHP officials said.

According to the CHP, the collision occurred at 5:11 p.m. on Highway 152 just west of Lovers Lane. An unknown model of Jaguar that was traveling westbound at a high rate of speed crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with a GMC van.

Following that collision, the Jaguar hit a tractor trailer and was sent into a retaining wall. Both the Jaguar and the GMC van caught fire, officials said. The male driver of the Jaguar was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials have not released his identity.

The driver of the GMC van suffered major internal injuries and was taken to San Jose Regional Medical Center, authorities confirmed.

The driver of the tractor trailer was uninjured.

Read more from the original source:
Lanes of Hwy. 152 Reopen in Gilroy After Fatal Crash - NBC Bay Area

Coastal GasLink is owned by TC Energy, the company formerly known as TransCanada Pipelines, which is also the driving force behind the Keystone XL pipeline opposed by indigenous groups in both the U.S. and Canada. CGL is set to run 670 kilometers (approximately 416 miles) from northeastern B.C. to a liquid natural gas facility in Kitimat that is yet to be constructed.

The company gained permission from elected First Nation councils along the pipeline route, but the hereditary Wet'suwet'en leaders oppose pipeline construction on their land. Since the Wet'suwet'en never surrendered their territories to the Canadian government, they argue that their hereditary leaders should have final say.

"This project aims to blaze a trail, in what has been envisioned as an energy corridor through some of the only pristine areas left in this entire region," a Wet'suwet'en media statement explained. "If CGL were to be built and become operational, it would irreversibly transform the ecology and character of Northern B.C. This is why the Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs have all unanimously opposed the construction of ALL pipelines through their territory."

The Wet'suwet'en first established a camp called Unist'ot'en in 2009 to fight pipelines in their territory, The Guardian explained. It was the first in a growing movement of indigenous encampments protesting fossil fuel infrastructure in North America. The indigenous nation is now waiting for a provincial supreme court to decide on an injunction sought by TC Energy that would ban indigenous protesters from blocking access to any pipeline construction sites.

The RCMP documents obtained by The Guardian led Canadian officials to voice concerns over the role the police play in clashes between fossil fuel companies and indigenous land defenders.

"There are a number of very deeply concerning words, phrases and terms used to a situation that is immensely delicate," Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said Friday, as CBC News reported. "This is something that we need to revise as a government and take a look at that, because the terminology is entirely unacceptable."

In another document reviewed by The Guardian, the police also said they needed to arrest demonstrators for the goal of "sterilizing the site."

RCMP Sgt. Janelle Shoihet said in a statement reported by CBC News that the police had been denied a request to review the documents, but said some of the phrases may have been taken out of context. The term "lethal overwatch," in particular, does not necessarily mean that police snipers would be deployed to shoot at protesters. They are often deployed to ensure public safety during parades and demonstrations.

"Police officers who occupy the position of lethal overwatch are tasked with observing, while other police officers are engaged in other duties which occupy attention," Shoihet said.

But indigenous leaders and their supporters questioned who the police, who cleared the site on the strength of a B.C. Supreme Court injunction obtained by TC Energy, are ultimately protecting. The protesters' lawyer Martin Peters said the police had acted as "security guards" for the company.

"I was shocked," Wet'suwet'an hereditary chief Hagwilnegh, also called Ron Mitchell, told CBC News. "[The RCMP] assured us that they were there to protect everyone, including us. That was the message we received from them. The question that comes to mind is, who are the RCMP working for? They weren't nice to our people, especially the elders."

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'Everything Is Burning': Australian Inferno Continues, Choking off Access to Cities Across Country - EcoWatch

99 years ago in 1920:

Two street jobs that had been hanging fire for some time were given fresh starts by council, and both jobs were to be cleaned up in the coming year.

The East Market street job was to be the big one. It calls for the widening of the street by six feet, from Park Avenue to Logan Avenue and repaving it from Park Avenue to the P. P. & F. tracks. This improvement had been under consideration for several years, but nothing had been done. The plans and specifications had been prepared and the council had adopted a resolution declaring it necessary to proceed with work.

The Tod Avenue improvement had been on the books for many years and meant the erection of a retaining wall along the property of L. Krauss so that the pavement could be widened to conform to the rest of the street.

50 years ago in 1969:

The four choirs of Champion Presbyterian Church were to present the annual Christmas music festival in the church sanctuary.

The youth choir was to sing Joy to the World by Handel-Davis, Carol of the Drum by Katharine Davis and Do You Hear What I Hear? by Regney-Shayne.

The Chancel Choir was to sing Good Christian Men, Rejoice by Parker-Shaw, O Come All Ye Faithful by Wade-Normand, The Holly And The Ivy by Parker-Shaw, andTell Us Shepherds Maids by Mary Caldwell. The Chancel and Youth Choirs were to combine on O Holy Night by Adolphe Adam and Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah by George F. Handel.

The Cherub Choir was to sing Away in a Manger and The Friendly Beasts and the Junior Choir was to sing Silent Night and The Cherry Tree Carol. Cherub and Junior Choirs were to combine on Carol, Christians, Carol.

Choir directors were Mrs. Gail Boggs, Chancel and Youth Choirs, and Miss Shirley Knowlton, Junior and Cherub Choirs.

The organist was Mrs. Dorothy Reynolds.

25 years ago in 1994:

The spirit of giving had provided some opportunity to take and the city post office was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of holiday Grinches.

City Postmaster Len Simon said five mail drop boxes in the area were broken into last Christmas season and two were hit last Thanksgiving.

The postal office responded with attempts to make the drop boxes tamper-proof and by offering the reward, Simon said.

There was no estimate of the amount or value of the mail stolen.

The thieves are after cash that people are putting into their letters, Simon said. We try to remind people all the time not to send money in the mail, but some do it anyway.

Simon said the thieves were most active around the holidays. Mailboxes located in the Austin Village and near Woodland Avenue had been broken into on several occasions, but the break-ins were not limited to the Warren area.

10 years ago in 2009:

The holiday season was a hectic one for firefighters. Several local fire chiefs said December was one of the busiest months, thanks to a combination of cold weather, improper use of heating sources and holiday decorations. Liberty fire Chief Michael Durkin said his main concern when the weather got cold was carbon monoxide poisoning. He said a family of six became ill and it was determined their home was filled with carbon monoxide. He said they were lucky they got sick during the day when they were awake.

If it happened in the middle of the night, they would all be dead, Durkin said.

He said people must make sure their heating system was installed by a professional. Proper installation and ventilation is crucial.

Another concern, according to Cortland fire Chief William Novakovich, was people using heating sources improperly, including a kerosene heater indoors.

Compiled from the archives of the Tribune Chronicle by Emily Earnhart

The rest is here:
This week in history | News, Sports, Jobs - Warren Tribune Chronicle

The expansion of Interstate 5 at the Rose Quartermay cost as much as $795 million, not the $450 million estimated in 2017, when the Oregon Legislature passed a bill to fund the project.

That new information comes from a draft copy of a report due to the legislature in February.

The draft of an Oregon Department of Transportation Cost to Complete report, obtained by WW, pegs the project cost at somewhere between $715 million and $795 million, using 2025 as when the project will be midway through completion.

It attributes a substantial portion (upwards of $130 million) of that cost increaseto inflation, though it's not clear why the agency wouldn't havecounted that in the original cost given thatthe project was never expected to begin immediately.

Costs for construction, engineering and the purchasing of property for right of way all are higher than previously estimated. ODOT also blames the new gross receipts tax, passed by the legislature this year to fund schools, for driving the cost higher by at least $25.5million.

House Bill 2017, the transportation package passed by the legislature in 2017,approved$30 million a year in funding for the project beginning in 2022.

Oregon Department of Transportation officials say the draft is incomplete, but declined to say if the project costs would be higher or lower when the draft is finished. ODOT will make the report public next month and share it with the Legislature in February.

"The agency has been very transparent about cost estimates at various stages of the project," says ODOT spokesman Don Hamilton. "This is an open process that is refined over time. As the scope and schedule change and as we learn more about construction costs, the overall cost of every project changes. ODOT uses a similar approach to every project. The nearer to construction the better idea of costs is known."

The project has already been a lightning rod. Environmentalists have challenged the idea of building a wider highway, given climate change. Portland Public Schools has been skepticalof expanding the highway closer to Harriet Tubman Middle School.

Several local leaders have asked for a more thorough environmental review.

The draft Cost to Complete report does not estimate the cost of an expanded retaining wall at Harriet Tubman Middle School; of redesigning one of the highway covers for "pedestrian and bicycle needs;" or of altering the traffic flow near Moda Center, among other costs for which there is a blank spot for estimates in the draft report.

This week, as the members of the Oregon Transportation Commission prepared to push forward on the project in meetings on Dec. 16 and 17, they referenced the Cost to Complete Report but not the increased costs, and appeared ready to greenlight the project despite the objections of Portland Public Schools, Albina Vision and local elected officials. (The OTC delayed action only after Gov. Kate Brown delivered a last minute letter on Dec. 16, asking for a pause.)

The report does not assume ODOT would acquireHarriet Tubman Middle School from PPS, a transaction the district says could cost $100million.

And it does not plan for the more substantial caps for I-5 sought by Albina Vision, the nonprofit group advocating for a rebuilding of the African-American neighborhood decimated in part by I-5's construction decades ago.

"The Cost to Complete report suggests that ODOT continues to deceive the public in every pertinent detail about this disastrous, polluting megaproject," says Aaron Brown, organizer of No More Freeways, a group opposed to the project.

Read more:
The Cost of Expanding I-5 at the Rose Quarter Project Rises $250 Million, to as Much as $795 Million - Willamette Week