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The Bateman Mall restoration group met with city officials on Tuesday to discuss a final restoration plan. Public Works engineer Lorin Jensen presented the group with a rough draft of the mall restoration design. 

Alta Bates Hospital will start the restoration of the grassy mall as soon as the current hospital construction is completed and two-way traffic is opened on Colby Street.  

Both city officials and the hospital are hoping to start construction between Oct. 1 and Oct. 15 at the latest and complete it within two weeks. 

The city’s associate traffic engineer, Peter Eakland, told the group that the encroachment permit for the closure of Colby Street for construction through Nov. 1 would be reissued on Wednesday. The permit is subject to the following conditions: 

• The contractor shall install a 10 mph speed limit zone at the Colby section leading southbound to the medical office parking lot driveway from Webster and a diamond-shaped sign with the legend “Traffic Fines Doubled in Work Area.” These signs are in addition to the “No Outlet” Sign that already exists. 

• Alta Bates shall provide weekly updates on construction to key persons in the adjacent area as identified by the city. 

• Alta Bates shall install at two clearly visible locations a notice providing both city and Alta Bates daytime and emergency telephone numbers for each of the following issue areas: noise, traffic, drainage, and general work site conditions and operations. 

• Alta Bates agrees that Colby Street will be open to two-way traffic, 24 hours a day, south of Webster Street no later than Oct. 15. 

• Restoration of Bateman Mall will begin as soon as two-way traffic begins on Colby Street no later than Oct. and be completed within two weeks from the start of construction. 

• The encroachment permit will be extended to Nov. 1, as work will be required within the city right-of-way not required for opening of two-way traffic.