September 27, 2022 |
In Rawlins, a dangerous retaining wall that posed a threat to an adjoining property finally has been removed and the property secured.
It was nearly a year ago that city council gave Community Development Director Lou Lascano emergency authorization to demolish and remove the wall at 1127 9th Street. Finding a contractor held up the project.
City council last week approved the final payment for the work. Prior to the vote, Lascano advised the governing body that an additional $2,800 was needed to dispose of concrete and steel.
Pictured above: The 9th Street retaining wall is 130 feet long, about the length of a city block, and holds back 12-feet of earth. Photo by Cali O’Hare/Bigfoot 99.
It was not a small job. The wall stood 12-feet high and leaned precariously into a neighbor’s yard. The foreclosed property had been owned by Matthew William Brockett, according to county records.
On May 13, 2021, Rawlins Judge Michael Bennett deemed the wall a danger and issued a court order for its abatement. The city bid out the work in August of last year. Only one bid was received in the amount of $83,000. The city rejected the offer because a mandatory bond was not included. No bids were received when the bid was put out second time in September of last year.
On October 19, 2021, council issued the emergency authorization of funds because of the danger the wall posed. Lascano urged council to move quickly to remedy the situation.
Even with the emergency authorization given at the meeting, getting the work done took nearly a year to complete. With last week’s authorization to release a final payment, the mayor and council expressed a sense of relief.
Wild Services was contracted to tear down the wall and transport the materials off site. The money for last week’s final payment came from the Dangerous Building Fund budget. In addition to the expenditure of $2,879 approved last week, city council previously had budgeted $96,000 in Resolution 3-C 2022. The Dangerous Building Fund contains $400,000.
