The very bumpy, dirt route to the apartments will be from N. Meridian Rd onto Desoto Street and left nto the parking lot for now. Desoto Street is now closed at the curve near the white fence.
For at least the next 2 weeks the intersection of Desoto and N Meridian Road will be closed from all four directions. All N Meridian Road traffic going both north and south will be detoured. All traffic on Desoto on both sides of Meridian Road will be detoured. During this time the only path to the apartments will be through the Los Robles neighborhood. You can enter the neighborhood off Meridian Road at 7th Avenue and take all left turns and left forks until reaching the apartment on the right side of Desoto. Getting away from the neighborhood is also very tricky because the only way out takes you to Seventh Avenue at N Monroe Street. Also, the detour path through the neighborhood is often used by big dump trucks, so give yourself extra time in and out.
For Google Maps Directions through Los Robles (showing closures) ==>
Click Here
During work hours, City workers and others have been parking in our visitor
parking spaces, and sometimes on the grass near the street corner. This is
generally a temporary inconvenience of the project. Any damage caused to
the grass or the parking lot should be repair after completion.
You may have received notices from the City of Tallahassee and seen signs along the street about the Lake Ella and DeSoto Water and Sewer Upgrade Project. I attended a project meeting at the North Meridian Senior Center on October 18, where the City engineers were available to talk about and answer questions on the project. The planned outcome of the project is that the water and sewer pipes in the area will be upgraded to new, larger pipes. This will of course require digging up the streets, replacing the pipes, then re-paving the streets. On DeSoto Street, the major excavation work will be on the opposite (north) side of the road to lessen our impact. The City will provide notice and will work with us for the periods when our services may be briefly interrupted.
I recommend that you view the City's Project Website at www.TalGov.com/Projects/LakeEllaSewer for the project details, the work schedule, frequently asked questions, and a form for submitting feedback to the City. I see that the City site has not been recently updated.
This project is scheduled to begin in early June and is expected to be completed in spring 2024, barring any unanticipated delays. Construction hours will generally be from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.
Once construction begins, it will be necessary to close sections of Lake Ella Drive, Meridian Road, and Desoto Street. The pedestrian trail around Lake Ella will remain open. Road closures will be as brief as possible, and you will always have access to your residence during construction. All detours will be clearly marked to route traffic around the construction zone. It may also be necessary to temporarily disconnect your water or sewer services to make the necessary improvements. Advanced notice of any water or sewer outage will be provided, and every effort will be made to minimize the length of the outage.
At all times, we strive to provide you with the highest level of customer service and will work to minimize impacts as much possible. Project Inspector Cullen Duggar, (850) 294-3562, and Senior Inspector Daniel Cutchen, (850) 694-0622, are available to answer any questions you may have throughout the process.
This project represents an important investment in our community and is designed to enhance the quality of life enjoyed by you and your neighbors. We hope you will be pleased with the result and appreciate your understanding and patience during construction.
Thanks for your patience and cooperation.