Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works Septemer 25 20071 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL 2 Public Works and Safety Committee 3 4 September 25, 2007 5 6 Committee Chair Barbara Brenner called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. in the 7 Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington. 8 9 Present: Absent: 10 L. Ward Nelson None 11 Laurie Caskey- Schreiber 12 13 Also Present: 14 Dan McShane 15 16 17 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION 18 19 1. DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE WHATCOM 20 COUNTY 2008 ANNUAL ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM (AB2007 -382) 21 22 Joe Rutan, Public Works Department, handed out the six -year plan map. The annual 23 construction program is the first year of the six -year plan. The Council packet includes 24 project summary sheets for each project. He will discuss the Lincoln Road project and the 25 Hannegan Road /State Route (SR) 544 intersection project. 26 27 Regarding the Hannegan Road /SR 544 intersection project, the plan is to install a 28 signal. The State Department of Transportation (DOT) supported the project, but the 29 legislature did not approve it. The County has proceeded with design and right -of -way 30 acquisition, which cost significantly more than expected. The construction costs have also 31 gone up from what was expected. About $2.5 million is available for the project, and they 32 will spend that amount simply on design and right -of -way acquisition. They are short the 33 construction costs of about $1.5 million to $2 million. 34 35 Options including doing nothing, scaling back the project, or using money budgeted 36 for other projects and not doing those projects. Half the intersection is a State route, but 37 there are no funds from the legislature. 38 39 Brenner stated this is one of the most dangerous intersections in Whatcom County. 40 Appropriate the money, and send half the bill to the State. If the State doesn't pay it, 41 consider legal action. Half the danger is the State highway. The State should prioritize this 42 before lots of other things. 43 44 Caskey- Schreiber stated she would like to have a serious discussion about phasing 45 Lincoln Road. She's afraid that road will take up a lot of resources. They can do the second 46 phase and put off the latter section, which will be very expensive. She's comfortable with 47 shifting funds. She agrees that the State should contribute funds. Someone's not 48 educating the legislature about the seriousness of the intersection. She's willing to help 49 educate the legislature. Delaying the Hannegan Road /State Route (SR) 544 intersection 50 project further is not an option. 51 52 Brenner asked if they can complete phase one of Lincoln Road if they bifurcate the 53 project. Rutan stated project one is defined as the stretch from Shintaffer Road to Public Works and Safety Committee, 9/25/2007, Page 1 Harborview Road, and project two is from Harborview Road to Blaine Road. Project one has fewer right -of -way acquisition needs, fewer wetland impacts, and less need to coordinate with the State Department of Transportation than project two. One proposal is to make it two projects. Do design and permitting of both projects together, with the expectation that permitting and right -of -way acquisition for project one would be done before project two, and then use the construction funds of project two toward Hannegan Road. They may be able to recoup funds from the State. The County can try to find grant funds for project two. At that time, they will have design and permitting done and funds invested, which granting agencies like to see. Transportation impact funds may also become available. The staff can come back to the Council next year to reprioritize all the other issues and projects. He's discussed funding splits with the State. The County is spending about $1 million on the State route. Buying $1 million of right -of -way and handing it to the State at the completion is another thing to address. Todd Harrison, State Department of Transportation, stated the State has experienced similar funding struggles. He encouraged the Council to talk to the legislature. The DOT supports the project. It is a high accident area that needs attention. Brenner asked if this has been discussed at the legislature. Harrison stated he didn't know when it's been discussed. It's on the list. It was considered as part of the safety program. Brenner asked the different pots of money from which projects are funded. Harrison stated the DOT has three budgets. One is pre - existing funds from $.23 of the gas tax. Of that tax, half goes to local agencies. The other half goes to State transportation. In 20x3, the legislature passed the $.05 gas tax with an associated list of projects. In 2005 was the $.095 gas tax over four years. Brenner asked from which pot of money they need to lobby. Harrison stated he can't make a recommendation. The legislature sets all these budgets. Brenner asked for a copy of the projects that have been approved for these three funding sources. She'd like to see what the State's comparing this project to. Caskey - Schreiber stated she thanks Mr. Harrison for immediately lowering the speed limit on that road. Nelson asked if there are other options in the State to handle this type of problem, due to increasing land values and limitations of communities to raise revenues. He asked if there could be road improvement districts or any other funding mechanism into which the State should put money. Harrison stated he recommends they talk to their legislators. Those things are being discussed. The regional transportation improvement district in the three county metro area, including King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, will be on the ballot this fall for that region. Have that discussion at the Regional Transportation Policy Board, which meets for Whatcom County. Nelson asked if the legislature has given local communities options other than the gas tax. Harrison stated there are some options. He can discuss those options with County staff. Brenner stated people say Whatcom County doesn't get its fair share of the funds collected from the gas tax, even with the Guide Meridian project. She would like to know how Whatcom County compares with King County and Seattle. Harrison stated he has that Public Works and Safety Committee, 9/25/2007, Page 2 1 information available, and will provide it. For the last several years, Whatcom County 2 hasn't been a donor county. 3 4 Rutan stated the County gets money based on road mileage, type of road, and 5 population. Whatcom County is a donor county from that fund. In terms of the total gas 6 tax, that is different. 7 8 Harrison stated Whatcom County has changed from a donor county to not being a 9 donor county. 10 11 Brenner stated she thought they got money from Canadians coming across the 12 border to buy gas. Harrison stated they are finishing construction on a $52 million project 13 in Blaine to totally remode( the truck crossing. It's the fourth largest freight crossing in 14 North America. 15 16 Rutan stated the proposed cross - section of the Lincoln Road project included a 17 median. He read from the project summary sheet. The difference in cost between a 18 median and non - median is about $500,000, which isn't significant. The difference between 19 having a median and not having a median is significant in impacts to wetlands and right -of- 20 way acquisition. 21 22 )im Karcher, Public Works Department, described the project with the separate 23 median and trail. 24 25 Rutan stated staff proceeded with the median section design. They value- engineered 26 that median section to see if they can have the same functions, but at a lesser cost. Keep 27 the same design with separate trail, but without the median. It removes the bio- filtration 28 factor, which will have to be moved to the outside, and it removes the safety factor. Also, 29 left turns could now occur. Without the median and with the left hand turns, they will have 30 to analyze the placement of each driveway. 31 32 Brenner asked if they can do stormwater detention in a different way. Karcher 33 stated there isn't a detention issue at this point. They will get the stormwater treated in 34 some way, such as with a bioswale. The outfall will go to Drayton Harbor. 35 36 Brenner asked the amount of savings of doing a swale instead of median. Karcher 37 stated the estimated savings are about $2 million. 38 39 Rutan stated there are also savings in terms of wetland impacts and right -of -way 40 acquisition, which are time and permitting issues. 41 42 Caskey- Schreiber stated the median is the right choice in terms of safety. She asked 43 if they can stick with the median concept, which will do better bio - filtration than any other 44 option. She asked if another criteria of the project could be safety or environmental 45 impacts, which are just as important as the money factor. 46 47 The entire project is too big and will take too long. Phase the project to get some of 48 it done now. She's not convinced that money alone is the factor they should consider for 49 this area, Rutan stated the wider section has more wetland impacts. There is higher 50 potential for water quality treatment. It's a balancing act. Differing permitting agencies will 51 have different opinions on which is best. 52 Public Works and Safety Committee, 9/25/2007, Page 3 Caskey- Schreiber suggested doing a median in the first section, but not in the area with heavy wetlands. Rutan stated that is an option. There are fewer property owners, so it will be easier to acquire the right -of -way and obtain grant funds. Karcher stated that at all intersections, they will have to constrict down to a standard intersection with a roundabout. If they submit a project with questionable environmental impacts due to a separated section, they have to show that the safety gains from that separated section are worth the environmental impact. They don't know how that will be received. Nelson asked the speed limit in this section. Rutan stated it will be probably about 45 miles per hour, and 15 miles per hour through the roundabouts. Nelson stated he is inclined to go with the median and drainage in the middle. He's not sure if it makes sense to do it that way at a speed of 45 miles per hour. He asked why there is a lower cost to the design with two ditches than the design with one ditch. Karcher stated the median design also requires ditches on the outside of the road lanes because of offsite water coming toward the County ditches now. Rutan stated the roadways also require shoulders on both the inside and outside shoulder of each lane. He showed and described a drawing of the standard cross- section and median cross - section. Brenner asked if they can prioritize this kind of thing, so the County can work on permitting with any property owners who want to develop their property and are willing to negotiate an easement. Rutan stated they can. Weimer asked the profile of Mr. Bovenkamp's road. Rutan stated it is a median cross- section with urban features including curb, gutter, and sidewalk. They are looking for some architectural method to tie the sections together for aesthetic, safety, and environmental reasons. However, the environmental benefits are offset by the wetland impacts. Brenner asked who will have to stop at the intersection. Rutan stated there will be a roundabout, so no one stops. Project one will include the roundabout at Harborview Road. Doralee Booth, 8188 Birch Bay Drive, stated the Birch Bay Transportation Committee discussed these sections a year ago. The group chose a road configuration at that time. They will be extremely happy with a safe commuter road, even if the standard is that of Semiahmoo Parkway. At the time, they said that standard road would be difficult to build because it would sink. (Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side A.) Rutan stated a concern is the roadway settling eight to 12 inches. An advantage of the median design is that repairs will be less of an issue if the road is separated. Additional engineering measures would be taken to deal with that settling. It remains a concern. Brenner asked if they would save maintenance money by having a median. Rutan stated they must design and construct for that issue, which could become an ongoing maintenance issue. Public Works and Safety Committee, 9/25/2007, Page 4 Booth stated the reassessment in the northwest quadrant will bring in significant new road taxes from Birch Bay. Besides maintenance on roads in Birch Bay, Birch Bay hasn't had a new road built, but it has received the growth. They are okay with dividing the Lincoln Road project into phases, as long as phase two is completed at some point. Weimer asked about the median. Booth stated the committee would love a divided road, but is okay with a road like Semiahmoo Parkway. She doesn't like the idea of increasing costs as they wait for the project to be done. Fred Bovenkamp, 2425 E. Bakerview Road, Bellingham, stated he supports the idea of dividing the project into two phases or projects. It will accelerate the opportunity to convert the unsafe portion of the road into a safe County road. From the standpoint of a taxpayer and developer, have at least the same standard as Semiahmoo Parkway. Apply the cost savings to the dangerous intersection at Hannegan Road. Rutan stated the difference in total costs of the project between a median and non - median section would be about $2 million to $2.5 million. Robert Williams, Semiahmoo Resort Association President, stated he agrees with the previous speakers. It's important to do the first section as soon as possible. Whatever design they pick will be fine, as long as it's as good as the existing parkway. A median would be nice to avoid severe accidents. He appreciates the idea of dividing the project into two phases. It will expedite the process and save money. Nelson stated the design on the median includes a ditch. There are other types of ditches. He asked why they must have a ditch in the median. Rutan stated it's a treatment facility. Without the median, the side ditches serve a double function. Nelson asked the cost of having the side ditches serve both functions, with a median for safety only. The biggest benefit to the median is the safety aspect and handling ingress and egress. Nelson stated the second phase may continually get put off. Caskey - Schreiber stated they may want to do different designs in the two sections. Karcher stated the cost of a safety -only median in the standard County section, designed like an island, will be somewhere between the cost of a design without a median and a design with a median. Nelson stated a rough estimate would be a savings of about $1 million to $1.25 �' inR•1i1! Weimer stated a considerable amount of savings would come more from the second section with the wetlands. He asked the savings per section. Rutan stated the savings per section would be about even. The second section is shorter with a lower property value. Caskey - Schreiber stated that the original reason for the median design was because the staff was concerned about the road subsiding without a filtration strip in the center. Rutan stated there were several reasons why they liked the median design. One reason was because they are going to experience some settling. Differential settling is less of an issue and doesn't cause pavement cracking that they would otherwise experience and have to design, engineer, account for and maintain. Another reason was because of safety, an Public Works and Safety Committee, 9/25/2007, Page 5 aesthetic theme, and to not have to rip up the roads to put in utilities or left -hand turn lanes. With the roundabouts being at the intersections, the design allows a median section. People can have their driveways wherever they want. That's what they are doing on the Guide Meridian. Brenner asked if there are many driveways on the section from Mr. Bovenkamp's project and Harbor-view Road. She asked if there are more than ten or 15 driveways. Many times, people do shared driveway easements. Caskey- Schreiber stated it is still a nightmare. Rutan stated the County staff works with people to develop and locate their driveways. Brenner asked the distance from Mr. Bovenkamp's project to Harborview Road. Karcher stated it is about .7 miles. It is less than a mile. Brenner stated someone would have to go a mile to go another way. Rutan stated people could potentially have to travel close to two miles to get back to where they were at, Brenner asked if that's what they have to do on the Guide Meridian. Rutan stated the roundabouts will be no farther than one mile apart. Caskey - Schreiber stated there could be a turn section in the center of the roadway. Rutan stated that would limit their ability to do bio- filtration. It introduces left hand turns. Caskey - Schreiber asked what Mr. Rutan recommends. Rutan stated he recommends dividing the project into two stages. He really likes the median design, but given the financial status of the road fund, he recommends the more standard design, similar to Semiahmoo Parkway. He prefers the median, but it's become very expensive. Caskey - Schreiber moved to separate the Lincoln Road project into two phases and go with the standard roadway design instead of the median design. Nelson stated he will vote against the motion. He believes in the median, but not necessarily a ditch in the median. The median is more proactive than a standard parkway design to handle the growing community. He would like to just separate the projects. Caskey- Schreiber amended her motion and moved to separate the Lincoln Road project into two phases, Motion carried unanimously. Nelson moved to put the bio - filtration swales in the outside ditches, and include a median that serves a safety purpose only. The safety issue is more of a concern. With the roundabouts, the roadway will protect the citizens and be an example of community design that is a little better than the standard two -lane road. If the posted speed limit is 45 miles per hour, the speed people will actually drive will be higher, making it more dangerous. Rutan stated another reason for the roundabouts is to calm traffic. Brenner stated she is against Councilmember Nelson's proposal. The bio -swale median will save money on maintenance and allow them to do further upgrades. Semiahmoo Parkway doesn't have any problems until it gets to Shintaffer Road. Keep the Public Works and Safety Committee, 9/25/2007, Page 6 1 roadway consistent. Drivers won't be able to speed too fast because of the roundabouts 2 that are one mile apart. Rutan stated there are tradeoffs to his recommendation. One is 3 that the first phase doesn't change the travel network from what exists now. The county 4 will make the route safer and nicer, treat the water, and provide pedestrian and bike 5 access. They really don't get a payoff until the Lincoln Road goes all the way through. They 6 plan to put a roundabout at the intersection of Blaine Road and Birch Bay Lynden Road. 7 That will solve the issue at the intersection of Harborview Road and Birch Bay Lynden Road. 8 It will get the people out of there. Phase one of Lincoln Road won't get the people out of 9 that intersection. In the interim, it may not function as they would like it to. 10 11 Brenner stated the complaints she gets are about the section of road from the 12 bottom of the hill on Semiahmoo Parkway. People complain that the road is nice until that 13 area. That's the big problem. 14 15 Caskey- Schreiber stated she agrees with Councilmember Nelson's proposal. The 16 center median is, essential to safety, especially with the potential for quite a bit more 17 development, It will be a heavily- traveled road with potential for pedestrian traffic. Do 18 what they can to make it as safe as possible. She will not ignore the last phase of this 19 project. It won't get forgotten. 20 21 Brenner asked if it will take much more time to do the road as Councilmember 22 Nelson proposes. Rutan stated there is less risk to get this delayed if they do the Shintaffer 23 Road to Harborview Road section. Proceed in parallel to design the two projects. They may 24 save time on permitting for wetland mitigation as one project. They will have to do one 25 mitigation site. The wetland impacts will be a wash, either way. The right -of -way 26 acquisition and construction without having to deal with the DOT is significant. Construction 27 of that first section can be completed in the same amount of time. 28 29 Karcher stated the one concern is that if they deviate from a median design with a 30 large opening and no obstructions, it won't be much safer. The question is whether it will 31 be safe at higher speeds. They will look into that. 32 33 Weimer stated a flat median with no curb would not provide much safety. Karcher 34 stated a median would need some kind of containment. 35 36 Rutan stated that to have trees, the median must be wide enough to accommodate 37 roots that don't rip up the pavement. A smaller median will help with head -on collisions, 38 but won't be wildly significant. It will prevent the left hand turns. 39 40 Caskey - Schreiber asked staff to come back to the committee with options. 41 42 Weimer stated staff previously talked about an increase cost from doing the project 43 in two phases. Rutan stated the overall cost at the end will be more if they do it in two 44 phases. They will have to hire two contractors and manage two contracts. However, two 45 projects will allow the staff to get going on the first phase and get it constructed, free up 46 some money for the Pole Road /Hannegan Road project, and make it more likely to get grant 47 funds. 48 49 Brenner stated the lower cost 'of construction today, rather than having higher 50 construction costs in the future, will offset other added expenses. Rutan stated they can 51 add 15 to 20 percent to construction costs each year of delay. 52 Public Works and Safety Committee, 9/25/2007, Page 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 Brenner asked if they have to decide on the median right now. Rutan stated they do not. Introduce this item to Council, with changes, so there can be a public hearing. Caskey - Schreiber asked the staff to suggest options for medians designed as Councilmember Nelson suggested. Rutan stated they can have another Public Works Committee discussion in two weeks to discuss options. Motion carried unanimously. Brenner stated this will be held in two weeks. COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION 1. RESOLUTION IN THE MATTER OF CONSIDERING THE VACATION OF A PORTION OF TRIGG ROAD, AN UNOPENED AND UNMAINTAINED ROAD IN WHATCOM COUNTY (AB2007 -383) Joe Rutan, Public Works Department, stated this item is different from what they've seen before. This motion will direct the staff to prepare an engineer's report. Nelson moved to recommend approval to the full Council. Motion carried unanimously. OTHER BUSINESS There was no other business. ADJOURN meetio_g adjourned at 2:55 p.m. Jill Ni; oq %MYl4llr6WT6pnscrijition i A ••y,HA C •, - 0:0 .'r WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Da Browfw pis'; Court I Clerk Barbara Brenner, Committee Chair list Public Works and Safety Committee, 9/25/2007, Page 8