Willits postpones downtown project
Beautification will begin in January
During a special meeting held Oct. 8, the Willits City Council unanimously agreed to postpone the upcoming sidewalk paver and tree installation project until after the first of the year for three reasons: 1.) recent wildfires necessitated a later start date, 2.) the preferred pavers were on backorder, and 3.) the construction would interfere with holiday shopping downtown.
Due to the nearby August Complex wildfires, the contractor performing the project, Granite Construction, lost staffing and equipment to the firefighting efforts, and therefore requested to postpone the state date.
However, even with the postponement, Granite expected to complete the project before the Thanksgiving holiday, as projected. According to the City Staff Report presented to council members, “California’s extreme fire weather this season has interrupted many construction companies’ workloads, as workers and bulldozers and other equipment have been pulled into use by the fire efforts.”
And, although Granite Construction would be able to start the project soon enough, the pavers that the City had previously decided to use, were now on backorder and would not be available for 10 to 12 weeks due to COVID-19 shutdowns. “COVID-19 has impacted the construction industry in the procurement of manufactured materials such as tiles and pavers,” said the Agenda Summary.
And, while City Council was open to choosing a different paver in order to get the project going, it seems all available pavers from the subcontractor would not be available for at least five weeks, which puts the construction project directly in the path of the holiday shopping season.
As a downtown business owner, council member Gr eta K anne said she would prefer there not be construction downtown during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
She pointed to the many challenges 2020 has bestowed upon small businesses this year, and said construction would make it harder for profits to be had.
And, with many businesses already struggling to survive, any loss of the critical holiday shopping income — which amounts to as much as 30 percent of a retail store’s total income — could be detrimental. “It’s a lot to ask for downtown businesses. I think it’s better to wait.”
The other four council members agreed that it was more important to support local businesses during the holidays, than to get the project done before the end of the year as planned.