City readies for ‘green’ road

Shoreline’s first green street will be designed and constructed in 2009, city staff told City Council members at the Dec. 1 council meeting.

The intent of the city’s Green Street Demonstration project is to develop a street that improves the community and has a minimal impact on the surrounding environment. Improvements can include bioswales, pervious surfaces, traffic calming devices and walkways, according to city program manager Kirk McKinley.

He met with residents along 17th Avenue Northeast between Northeast 145th and 150th Streets on Nov. 13 to explain the project to those who will have a front-yard view as the project progresses.

“It will be a very inclusive process,” McKinley said. “We need to at least touch base with everybody involved in the process.”

The staff looked for a simple street, with few challenges, city manager Bob Olander told council members.

“We wanted one that we could start with at a fairly low level,” he said. “We didn’t want one with so many challenges it would fail.”

The selected street does not have curbs, will require minimal property encroachment, does not have significant drainage issues and is relatively flat and therefore suitable, McKinley explained. The project is part of the adopted 2009-2014 Capital Improvement Plan that allocates $200,000 for planning, design and construction of the street improvements in 2009.

Part of the process will involve trying different tools such as natural storm drainage and traffic calming techniques, McKinley said. The city staff will also help participating neighbors learn more about impervious surfaces, composting, solar access and natural yard care.

“Seventeenth Avenue is lending itself to finding low cost effective solutions that we can replicate in the future that will function and look good that people will want to have in their neighborhood,” capital projects manager Jon Jordan said.

The next step in the process will be to hire an engineering firm in early 2009, according to McKinley. City staff will then work with residents through the spring to design improvements for the street.