Alley-Paving Estimate Jars Neighborhood Organizer

To Mel West, it’s just alley paving, not rocket science. But to the city of Spokane, the cost of paving a block-long alley is $28,733.

Leading the fees imposed by City Hall is $7,500 for engineering.

“When I picked up the bill, I was outraged,” said West. “There isn’t much to the alley, really.”

The president of the volunteer community policing effort in Nevada-Lidgerwood became involved in the project so the neighborhood could convert two houses into a headquarters for the Neva-Wood COPS organization.

The paving was required in the alley between Broad and Wellesley avenues, from Lidgerwood Street to Standard Street, to allow for parking behind the COPS substation.

West circulated a neighborhood petition asking the city to pave the alley. The project had the backing of all but one of the 20 property owners and was expected to cost each $1,400.

The city calculated the final costs of the project before it was approved by the city hearing examiner. West admits he didn’t object then because he didn’t examine those calculations until after the hearing.

But when the project went before the City Council on Aug. 14, he did. Now, West is asking the city for a full review.

Though West doesn’t think the costs are ordinary, city staff members say they are.

Dave Mandyke, city construction services manager, said the engineering fees are expensive but not out of line from what the private sector charges. The overall fees look expensive because the project is so small.

A more expensive project would have similar fees and wouldn’t stand out as much.

“These kinds of questions come up when you show somebody those numbers,” Mandyke said. “They frequently don’t have a basis for why they think it’s too much. They aren’t working in the field.”

The charge for interest, which now is only an estimate, is due to the fact that local improvement districts have to be sufficient to pay for themselves outside the auspices of the city’s general operating fund.

And the city pays contractors before it collects final charges from property owners.

If the city didn’t pay out that money, it would be earning interest at a rate of 6.1 percent. That charge is therefore imposed on property owners.

Mandyke added that the bill includes many services that have not yet been completed, and so the numbers are a best estimate.

Still, the project is fairly straighforward without a lot of unexpected problems.

“This is a fairly vanilla alley,” he said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Paving estimates Here is a estimate of the costs for the alley paving: Total: $28,733. Cost of improvement: $16,900 Engineering fee: $7,500 City clerk: $257 City treasurer: $2,340 Accounting: $162 Interest: $1,098 Bonds: $45 Attorney fees: $431