Bridgeport council addresses pool heaters, tree sculpture preservation

BRIDGEPORT – A public hearing has been set for the July 19 Bridgeport City Council meeting to consider amending the city zoning code to allow auto sales in the central business district on a conditional use basis.

City planner Kurt Danison explained the process to modify the existing zoning code through the advertised public hearing process in response to a petition filed by Mario Martinez, a property owner at 1130 Columbia Avenue. Martinez petitioned the city for a zoning code amendment to change the current central business district designation to include auto sales as an allowed use, which it currently does not.

Danison also reviewed two grants received by the Revitalization Committee from USDA Rural Development. One is for the city gateway signs.

Danison said the signs have been ordered, the building permits have been issued, so they can be installed before too long.

 The other grant is for Phase Two construction of the tree sculptures parking lot.

“We realized that we were not going to get much done with the money in terms of construction because we did not have the design work done,” said Danison. “We went back to USDA and asked them to modify that grant so we can use the $50,000 to actually pay for the engineering and not construction.”

USDA approved the modification.

“The next step for the city is to retain a firm to come with a number for what it is going to take to prepare good ready documents for that parking lot – the entire thing,” said Danison. “That will put us in a much better position to get construction dollars; it’s very difficult to get construction dollars if you don’t have a plan.”

A public hearing for the six-year plan for the Transportation Improvement Program was also set for July 19.

Superintendent of public works Stuart Dezellem is trying with little success to find a contractor who will tackle the job to lift the carved tree sculptures and put permanent foundations under them.

“Even if the city accepts the liability for them damaging a tree, I can’t get a contractor to bite on it,” said Dezellem. “I’ve approached three different sizes of contractors, and nobody is interested in taking on that job.”

The city may have to do the tree rehab itself. Dezellem is evaluating equipment options the city has in its inventory and what it might need to do that work.

“I believe we can handle all the trees except one,” Dezellem said.

“If you pick them all up except one,” said Mayor Janet Conklin, “I will get the PUD to get the other one.”

The public pool water is heated by four electric heat pumps and the circuit boards need replacement, said Dezellem. Replacement circuit boards are hard to find even if any are still available, so Dezellem explained the options to purchase propane and natural gas-powered units instead that are more available. He recommended that the city use some if its American Recovery Plan Act funds. He also cautioned that the post-Covid supply chain for electrical equipment has still not recovered adequately to get needed items.

Mayor Janet Conklin urged action to get the tree sculptures preserved as a priority for city ARPA funds which amount to about $90,000.

The city requested more information on the heat pumps and Dezellem said he will assemble numbers for both electric and propane units.