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Council approves road map for streets
6/3/2015 5:06:01 PM
By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor
By the time City Engineer Andrew Staples finalized the list of proposed road projects in Liberty Lake over the next six years, the document resembled a cross between a very circuitous tour map and a multi-layered tropical dessert.
The Transportation Improvement Plan, distinguished by its color-coded breakdown of funding sources, will guide Liberty Lake's agenda for road upgrades from 2016 to 2021. City Council unanimously approved an update of the plan – with an overall cost of just over $15 million – at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday night.
"If you don't have these projects on there, you can't get grants, you can't move forward," Mayor Steve Peterson said following the vote.
Cities must organize and update their respective street maintenance strategies to qualify for government funding. While Liberty Lake sets aside revenue from a 3 percent tax on cable, phone, electric, gas and garbage bills for road preservation, major work like the Appleway Avenue renovation this year and a similar project scheduled for Liberty Lake Road in 2016 both lean heavily on state dollars.
"I think everyone should realize that this is mandated by state law," Council Member Bob Moore said.
Next year's project list will be headlined by improvements on Liberty Lake Road from Country Vista to Appleway at a cost of just over $1.5 million. Also on the agenda are street, pathway and pedestrian upgrades and improvements at a pair of intersections – Mission and Molter and Harvard and Wellington.
Staples said the recommendation at Mission and Molter "would most likely be a roundabout." He added that positive reviews of the Harvard Road roundabout, completed in the fall of 2013, have bolstered support for the traffic calming feature.
"We know that roundabouts can be successful if they are designed and constructed correctly," Staples said.
Staples said the city is also looking at ways to improve pedestrian safety, including the completion of a sidewalk on Sharp Avenue by Liberty Lake Elementary and illuminated crossings at two more intersections – Boone and Molter and Country Vista and Molter.
Staples added that the city would look to "tack the Mission/Molter project onto the Liberty Lake Road work" as a way to save money.
"If we have a contractor who is already here building, we'll save a significant cost," he said.
Moore called the overall plan for roads "aggressive" and said the city "would face a challenge over the next six years to raise that kind of money."
The TIP includes nearly $2.4 million for street preservation over the next six years. City Administrator Katy Allen said that after projects like the Harvard Road roundabout and the overhaul of Appleway, the city should be focusing on restoring funds for future construction.
"We really need to build up our reserves again," she said.
Staples indicated that all intersection revisions in the TIP – including the possible addition of a traffic light at Appleway and Signal – would be funded through the Harvard Road Mitigation Fund, established in 2002 to collect funds from developers whose projects add to the traffic volume.
In a related transportation discussion, Peterson asked Staples to set up a meeting between city officials and representatives from Whitewater Creek and Greenstone Homes to address high-speed traffic along Country Vista Drive not far from Whitewater Creek's Lakemore development on the east end of the city. Both companies own property in the vicinity where the entire road has yet to be paved.
"I want people to know that we're working to mitigate speeding in that area," Peterson said.
In other city news:
• The next meeting of a citizen-based task force/steering committee for capital projects will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at City Hall. Allen said the group, which has met once already, will focus next on potential site locations for three major projects – an aquatic center, library and community center – with the help of local architect Gary Bernardo.
• Sales tax revenue is up $15,000 over this time last year due in large part to an increase in auto sales, according to Council Member Shane Brickner, who sits on the finance committee.
• Allen said the governing board will focus on the comprehensive plan, the sign code, the trio of capital projects being addressed by the steering committee and general council priorities at the annual council retreat scheduled for Aug. 11 at City Hall.
• New streetlights will be installed on freshly repaved Appleway Avenue during the week of June 15. Allen said the city is coordinating with the state Transportation Improvement Board to plan a dedication ceremony for Appleway.
• Brickner provided an update on recent vandalism at Town Square Park that destroyed three trees at a cost of around $1,000 to the city. Brickner urged citizens who witness any destruction of municipal property to call 911 immediately.
• Work continues on the addition of a concession stand, storage space and a restroom at Pavillion Park. Staples said the improvements are on track for completion by the end of this month.
• The installation of a restroom facility at the Liberty Lake Ballfields should be wrapped up by mid-June.
• The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
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