Big Bear Lake, CA, July 16, 2014 – During Monday nights’ meeting of the Big Bear Lake City Council, several capital improvement contracts were awarded with one large project in particular, rejected. Contracts for the Knickerbocker parking lot, the Paine to Bartlett sidewalk and sewer lift rehabilitation were awarded. But a 1.5 million dollar project designed to create the Knickerbocker Creek Trail and pedestrian bridge was rejected, as all 4 bids exceeded 2 million dollars.
Even with partial transportation grant funding, the majority of the budget was from city coffers including local measure Y funds. In order to keep the Knickerbocker Trail project in the pipeline, the council approved spending no more than 1.65 million dollars and directed City Engineer David Lawrence to change the scope and lower the costs by repurposing street lights, grading material, and pavers from the recently completed Village reconstruction.
Lawrence told the council he believes with the changes, the project will soon be back on track and within budget. The pedestrian bridge portion of this project will connect the Knickerbocker parking lot directly with the center of the Village shopping and dining district. In other city news the Council will soon, in a workshop, tackle a rewrite of the City’s Mission Statement.
