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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works January 31 2006WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL Public Works and Safety Committee January 31, 2006 Committee Member Barbara Brenner called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington. Present: Absent: L. Ward Nelson None Sam Crawford Also Present: None SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS 1. ELECTION OF COMMITTEE CHAIR (AB2006 -022) Crawford moved to nominate Councilmember Brenner. Motion carried unanimously. COMMITTEE DISCUSSION 1r_U 1. DISCUSSION OF CONSTITUENT COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE LACK OF 29 LIGHTING AT THE CORNER OF NORTHWEST AND SLATER AND THE CORNER 30 OF SMITH ROAD AND THE MOUNT BAKER HIGHWAY (AB2006 -084) 31 32 Joe Rutan, Assistant Director, asked if the constituents had contacted the Public 33 Works Department. 34 35 Brenner stated Nelda Sigurdson was the one who complained to her about the 36 problem at Slater Road and Northwest Road. She's noticed the problem, too. She doesn't 37 know if the other person contacted the Public Works Department. In both intersections, 38 people have to pull out far into the intersection to see, even in the daylight. Rutan stated 39 most complaints are about dark intersections like that. It's hard to see the throat of the 40 intersecting road when it's dark. That is the type of concern he hears of. 41 42 Brenner stated Ms. Sigurdson's complaint was about driving on Slater and 43 approaching the Northwest Road intersection. It's very dark there. When stopped at a stop 44 sign, drivers aren't out to where they need to be to see traffic. Rutan stated that is not a 45 lighting issue. He agrees the intersection is dark. It is open to the sky right there, so there 46 is more ambient lighting. Generally, the concerns are when there is canopy that keeps it 47 dark. There are 20,000 intersections in the County, and many are dark. 48 49 Brenner stated those two intersections are well -used. Rutan stated that if the 50 County wants to do a program of lighting intersections, the staff likes to light intersections 51 that are controlled by signals. There are three lighting districts in the county. The County 52 doesn't do streetlights like the City does. 53 Public Works and Safety Committee, 1/31/2006, Page 1 1 Brenner stated this is the second and third complaint she's had about lighting in the 2 years she's been on the Council. They don't get complaints often. Rutan stated he gets 3 complaints weekly. If it's a program the Council wants to do, identify and prioritize the 4 locations. Then they can set up a program with an identified budget. The cost of a 5 streetlight also includes the cost of operating the light. 6 7 Brenner stated no one has called her in all this time. Before the County sets up a 8 program, have the people call her and the Council so she can get a feel for the complaints. 9 Programs cost money. That doesn't mean they shouldn't go ahead and look at these two 10 areas. Rutan stated intersection of Smith Road and Mt. Baker Highway is controlled by the 11 State Department of Transportation (DOT). It is a high accident location (HAL). He met 12 with the regional traffic manager out there three months ago. They tried to figure out why 13 accidents are happening and the potential solutions. The intersection needs to be realigned. 14 There is a bad angle. The State will prioritize that bad location against all the other bad 15 locations in the state. 16 17 Crawford asked if realignment of that intersection means there will be a curve on 18 Smith Road, so it comes in at a 90 degree angle. Rutan stated that option requires 19 relocation of a house. It doesn't solve the speeding problem on Mt. Baker Highway. 20 Another option is a roundabout. They would not have to relocate the house, and it would 21 calm the traffic on the Mt. Baker Highway. 22 23 Crawford stated that politically, the DOT did not consult much with local jurisdictions 24 on priorities. The local jurisdictions didn't even see the list that the legislature came up 25 with. The rationale behind that list is that they are highway safety improvements. He 26 hopes the DOT acquiesces to local concerns about safety issues. 27 28 Come up with a lighting strategy. The County has nothing to look forward to in the 29 future of Whatcom County other than more population and densification. It is time, since 30 staff is hearing concerns about lighting weekly, to transition the County's thinking about 31 road and street lighting into more of an urban context. Rutan stated that's why they do 32 that in urban growth areas. 33 34 Crawford stated he was reluctant to do the light at Yew Street Road and Samish Way 35 for that reason. However, look at it comprehensively. He asked how the County can do 36 that. He asked the amount of staff time required and whether the Public Works Department 37 has the time to work on it. Getting calls weekly on any issue is an indication that it's 38 becoming a big issue. Rutan stated most citizen calls are from people who have just moved 39 into the County and want streetlights at their driveways. 40 41 Brenner stated don't set up a process for that. Rutan stated he agrees. The corner 42 of Slater Road and Northwest Road has a lot of problems. Lighting is one of the lesser 43 problems. 44 45 They took off projects from the six year plan. He has that list of projects and will re- 46 introduce them. One project is reconstruction of the Slater Road and Northwest Road 47 intersection. He will propose to put it on the six year plan. They need to relocate the house 48 at the northwest corner of the intersection. The road comes in at a bad angle to avoid that 49 house. They need to put in a left hand turn lane on Northwest Road. They need to put in 50 turn lanes on Slater Road. That will make the roads wider. They also need to put in 51 shoulders and improve drainage. At that time, he will propose an additional cost to light it. 52 Public Works and Safety Committee, 1/31/2006, Page 2 In the interim, there are things they can do to help people see the throat without lighting. Raised pavement markers and reflectors can do a lot to let people know where that throat is. This spring, when the pavement dries out, the staff will go out there and install raised pavement markers. Because of high truck volume, the pavement markers won't last long. It will be a high maintenance issue until they rebuild the intersection. Brenner asked for an estimate of the cost to reconstruct the intersection, including moving the house, compared to a blinking three- or four -way stop. Rutan stated he can. Brenner stated a blinking stop would slow down traffic also. Rutan stated they don't like to use stop signs for speed control. Brenner stated they sometimes have to. Rutan stated lights and stop signs are for access control, not speed control. They are to control who has right -of -way in the intersection, not the speed. Brenner stated that is what she means. If she drives down Northwest Road and sees someone pulling out on Slater Road, she gets nervous because she's not sure if people can see her. It is about access. Rutan stated he will run that traffic information through the traffic warrants. Crawford stated that in trying to solve a number of issues in that area regarding access to Interstate 5, Bellingham growth to the north, Caitec continuing Slater Road to the Guide Meridian, the DOT study at the intersection of I -5 and Meridian, and evaluating truck traffic in that area, he would really like to see some State involvement and developer involvement to create a new access from I -5 across to Guide Meridian. That would have a significant impact on everything to do with this intersection. If a significant amount of traffic from the Guide were crossing to Northwest Road, everything would be widened and lighted. They're not there yet. The uncertainty of the development at Caitec is far from settled. The DOT study is not complete. As he listens to this conversation, there is a wait - and -see factor. He's not excited about Northwest Road having stop signs put in the middle of it. Rutan stated generally accidents on Northwest Road are people who are stopped to turn left onto Slater Road getting rear - ended. Brenner stated she's also seen accidents involving people who are coming onto Slater Road. Rutan stated that's the reason for stop signs on Slater Road. They will control Slater Road's access onto Northwest Road. The traffic on Northwest Road is much greater. He will analyze that intersection for warrants. He will commit to getting raised pavement markers and see what he can to install reflectors. He will analyze it for warrants and bring forward the project to be included in the six year plan. He will continue to work with DOT on the Smith Road and Mt. Baker Highway intersection to push the project forward as much as he can. It is one of the most dangerous intersections in the county. Brenner asked if it would help to have a letter from the County Council. Rutan stated he will find out. Brenner stated the Council can send a letter to the Governor, DOT, and others. The gas tax money was to make things safer. This is one of the most unsafe areas. Crawford stated the gas tax projects were already identified. He asked if it is possible in the future to talk about the cost and staffing requirements of a lighting program. Rutan stated that is possible. Public Works and Safety Committee, 1/31/2006, Page 3 1 2 Crawford stated he would like to be able to tell folks there is a way the County looks 3 at the issue. Rutan stated now, the County policy is to install illuminations at intersections 4 that are controlled by stop lights; upon special requests like Yew Street Road; during 5 certain construction projects, such as at Haxton Way; or if there is a lighting district. Many 6 requests for lighting come from people who move to the Birch Bay area. Those people need 7 to work with the lighting district to expand the lighting district. 8 9 Crawford asked if there are a number of intersections that don't meet those 10 standards that already have lights. Rutan stated there are. He notices them. Many were 11 done when intersection improvements were done. There was a grant for the lights at 12 Haxton Way, and the power is paid for by the Lummi Nation. 13 14 15 OTHER BUSINESS 16 17 Brenner stated she's received emails about the parking lot on Lummi Island. She 18 asked where the County is with that. Rutan stated Jeff Monsen and Ken Richardson have 19 been working on it. 20 21 Crawford stated another rumor is going around Lummi Island that it looks like the 22 stump at the Embrey House is to be saved. Rutan stated they will have to ask Jeff Monsen 23 and Ken Richardson. He will make sure those questions are forwarded. 24 25 Brenner asked about the Kings at 4240 Lee Lane and a culvert that is not big 26 enough. The culvert prevents H Street drainage. She sent the concern to Jeff Monsen 27 already. Rutan stated Mr. Monsen would have sent it to the Maintenance and Operations 28 Division. He will look into it. In the past month, they've received hundreds of calls about 29 these types of issues. Many of the issues are private property issues. He supports 30 developing a public drainage arterial system that the County maintains. The County is a 31 landowner, like anyone else. They just happen to have long streets. They're just passing 32 the drainage from one side to the other. That's what a lot of the complaints are about. 33 Drainage is systemic, but they're not dealing with it systemically. He can't legally spend 34 money outside of the right -of -way to drain a property. 35 36 Brenner stated things like that should be taken care of systemically. She asked how 37 they change. Rutan stated they would identify a system, such as an arterial drainage 38 system. Then, the County would make sure it has the ability to maintain the system, 39 including easements and access. Then the County develops a financing mechanism to do 40 that. When he was employed by the City of Bellingham, he was involved in setting up the 41 stormwater utility district. They have a system. Once the water gets into a catch basin, it's 42 the City's problem all the way to the outfall. 43 44 Brenner asked what happens if a property owners refuses to give an easement. 45 Rutan stated development of the system network is not easy. It's currently going on in 46 Birch Bay. There is a project to identify the system and who is responsible. There will be a 47 recommendation on what a public system could be and how it could be financed. That is a 48 large task. 49 50 Whatcom County is a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 51 community and will have to have a system and financing mechanism. For now, that system 52 includes just the rights -of -way. The County is just another property owner. Everyone has 53 to follow the laws of gravity. People are not allowed to change the location or rate of Public Works and Safety Committee, 1/31/2006, Page 4 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 outfalls. They can change the water quantity. For instance, a detention pond holds the water and lets it out at the pre - development rate. Brenner asked who maintains detention ponds in developments. Rutan stated it depends. Many are privately maintained. Whether or not they are maintained is a big issue. The County has no authority to do something for a detention pond that isn't maintained. It is a discussion he would like to have sometime. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 2:02 p.m. Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcri tion ATTEST �% %% �1 ; . C *HAr" fie r Dan ro0 0s., Jbm.til WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Barbara Brenner, Committee Chair Public Works and Safety Committee, 1/31/2006, Page 5