Just months after the splash pad opened at Magic Island, city officials now are planning to add another enhancement to the park.
City Council voted to approve an agreement with GAI Consultants, Inc. for engineering services related to the Magic Island trail terminus and overlook project.
The development was supposed to coincide with the creation of a bike lane on Kanawha Boulevard from Patrick Street to Magic Island, but that project has been held up in the state Department of Transportation office for the past two years.
That doesn't mean the city can't complete other additions to Magic Island, though.
A terminus point provides cyclists with a place to turn around.
The overlook will be built in a half-sphere design surrounding the restrooms at the park.
Unlike the overlook at Haddad Riverfront Park, this one will use steel beams and brick pavers instead of asphalt, which means the project's time frame won't be restricted to warmer months.
City Engineer Chris Knox said the city plans to put the project out to bid in the next week and construction will "hopefully get started this winter.
"I'm thinking this part would hopefully take three to four months," Knox said.
The overlook will be equipped with the ability to support a canopy in the future, but that included as an alternate for the current design because there may not be enough money for it, he added.
The agreement with GAI is for $18,500, but it's unclear how much the project's construction would cost.
City Council also unanimously passed a bill Monday evening that restricts the use of fireworks in city limits to four days out of the year: Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and New Year's Eve.
Council also passed several resolutions with regard to streetscape projects around the city.
One of them involves Hampton Road, which will receive improvements as part of the Holz Elementary Safe Routes to School Project. The city awarded the bid for that project to L & L Contracting for $75,400.
Major improvements also will be made to a block of 42nd St. SE in Kanawha City, between MacCorkle Avenue and Cottage Avenue.
The street will be freshly paved with brick pavers on either end of the block, and angled parking spaces will be painted.
"This comes out of a larger study we did for all of MacCorkle Avenue a few years back," said City Manager David Molgaard.
"Part of the overall master plan contemplated creating more side street parking areas...it would be really nice to eliminate all this backing out onto [MacCorkle Avenue]."
The city awarded the bid for that project to Asphalt Contractors & Site Work Inc. in the amount of $198,000.
Also on Monday, Council voted to:
n Approve an amendment outlining two changes to the current budget's general fund. The first change will transfer $69,000 from the city's contingency fund to the Charleston Fire Department to help fund the purchase of a new pumper truck. The previous truck was totaled last winter after it slipped on ice, Molgaard said. The remainder of cost will be funded by insurance proceeds previously received under the city's property damage coverage.
n Approve the purchase of a 2000 GPM Triple Combination Pump Truck from Pierce Manufacturing, Inc. for the Charleston Fire Department.
The other change reflects the elimination of Pro Pay from certain city departments in conjunction with the new compensation plan.
Pro Pay was a premium given to certain employees with certain certifications, such as in equipment maintenance.
That premium "will now be incorporated into the overall base salary," Molgaard said.
n Approve the receipt of $78,000 from the West Virginia Homeland Security Administrative Agency for upgrades to the surveillance camera system at City Hall and the City Service Center.
Reach Elaina Sauber at elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3051 or follow @ElainaSauber on Twitter.