Published: Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Sultan petitions Legislature for $350,000 for footbridge, sewage plant
The city asks legislators to help build pedestrian bridge over river
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Michael O'Leary / The Herald
Jerry Geib, 73, crosses the Sultan River bridge in Sultan on the narrow pedestrian wallkway. City leaders are asking the Legislature for $350,000 to build a pedestrian and bicycle bridge and a new pump to increase capacity at the sewage treatment plant.
SULTAN -- City leaders and staff are asking the state Legislature for $350,000 during a three-day trip to Olympia.
The money would be used for two projects, one that aims to increase the capacity of the sewage treatment plant and another to build a 400-foot-long pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Sultan River.
Both projects are linked, so they are being considered as a package deal, grants and economic development manager Donna Murphy said.
The city is asking $100,000 for the design of the bridge that would cross the river north of the highway. Currently, pedestrians and cyclists use a narrower bridge on U.S. 2, Murphy said.
"It was not designed for pedestrians, disabled people and bicyclists to safely cross," Murphy.
The bridge would not be connected to the highway in any way. The design would determine where the bridge should be built, Murphy said.
There are no numbers for how many people use this current bridge, but it connects people to the city's only grocery store, the library and the post office, Murphy said.
The bridge would also benefit people outside the city.
"This is a route people take to cross the state on their bicycles," Murphy said.
The total cost of the bridge would be about $2 million.
The city is also asking for $250,000 to design a new pump to increase capacity at the sewage treatment plant.
The plant needs to upgrade because it's near capacity. Without the upgrade, the city would have to call for a moratorium on new development.
The $794,000 total project depends on the construction of the bridge as well, because the city plans to install new pipelines beneath it. If there is no bridge, the city would have to bury them under the river, city administrator Deborah Knight said.
Both projects depend on funding to get started. If they get funding this year, both of them could be completed as early as 2015.
The group left to Olympia on Tuesday. The group includes the mayor, city administrator and council members. They are scheduled to come back on Thursday.
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
The money would be used for two projects, one that aims to increase the capacity of the sewage treatment plant and another to build a 400-foot-long pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Sultan River.
Both projects are linked, so they are being considered as a package deal, grants and economic development manager Donna Murphy said.
The city is asking $100,000 for the design of the bridge that would cross the river north of the highway. Currently, pedestrians and cyclists use a narrower bridge on U.S. 2, Murphy said.
"It was not designed for pedestrians, disabled people and bicyclists to safely cross," Murphy.
The bridge would not be connected to the highway in any way. The design would determine where the bridge should be built, Murphy said.
There are no numbers for how many people use this current bridge, but it connects people to the city's only grocery store, the library and the post office, Murphy said.
The bridge would also benefit people outside the city.
"This is a route people take to cross the state on their bicycles," Murphy said.
The total cost of the bridge would be about $2 million.
The city is also asking for $250,000 to design a new pump to increase capacity at the sewage treatment plant.
The plant needs to upgrade because it's near capacity. Without the upgrade, the city would have to call for a moratorium on new development.
The $794,000 total project depends on the construction of the bridge as well, because the city plans to install new pipelines beneath it. If there is no bridge, the city would have to bury them under the river, city administrator Deborah Knight said.
Both projects depend on funding to get started. If they get funding this year, both of them could be completed as early as 2015.
The group left to Olympia on Tuesday. The group includes the mayor, city administrator and council members. They are scheduled to come back on Thursday.
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
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