SHORELINE — Just before the window of opportunity was shut tight for the winter, Shoreline City Council members voted to proceed with a four-lane design for the North City Project.
The motion was approved with the provision that a traffic study be undertaken on the portion of 15th Avenue NE extending from 145th to 180th streets.
“Over the weekend, I paged through big notebooks and my big concern was the lane configuration,” Council member Paul Grace said. “With this, the project can go ahead and when the study in March comes back, it may not affect the design.”
Grace proposed the motion in two parts, the first of which was to proceed with Option 1 and the second which was to request that staff conduct traffic studies on the portion of 15th Avenue NE from 145th to 180th streets. This includes hourly traffic counts, which would be reported back to the Council in March.
Option 1, which was previously recommended by staff, is a four-lane design that includes undergrounding of utilities, parking on both sides with curb bulbs, new signals and controllers and a 6-foot sidewalk with a 4-foot amenity zone, for an estimated cost of $5.59 million.
Before the Council discussed the motion, several residents commented on the project.
Business owner Gary W. East thanked the City Council members who attended a forum he organized Nov. 17, where business and property owners were given an opportunity to voice their opinion on the project.
“This project has a tremendous amount of support in the original form,” East said. “I would hate to see the culmination of years of work be delayed another year; I urge you to pass it tonight.”
Alan Sharrah, director of operations at Frank Lumber Co., said he attended the meeting organized by East and noticed frustration from people on both sides, despite the overall consensus that improvements to the area are needed.
“There was a common thread, nobody was opposed to improving North City,” Sharrah said. “But we do have concerns about the three-lane configuration.”
Grace explained that with Option 1, the project would be able to go out to bid in March, while the traffic study assesses the portion of road south of the business district.
Council member Rich Gustafson said since most residents support the project, the part many are concerned with is the lane configuration. He said studies have shown that three lanes are safer compared to four lanes. He supported Option 1, but preferred the original design.
“Most cities with a four-lane configuration are moving to three,” Gustafson said. “I prefer the current design, but will support Option 1.”
Council member Bob Ransom proposed a substitute motion to contract for Option 2, which would also retain the four-lane configuration, but would not include curb bulbs. His substitute motion failed.
Council member Maggie Fimia then attempted to amend the second half of Grace’s original motion, and instead of requesting a traffic study, supported restriping to four lanes on 15th Avenue NE from 145th to 172nd streets.
“We have done enough studies and are getting reports back,” Fimia said. “It is time to look at the on-the-ground experience of people.”
She said it makes sense to open up the portion of 15th Avenue NE south of the business district.
Ransom supported Fimia’s substitute motion, and said it addresses a key issue the citizens are concerned with. He said the letters opposing the project focused on the need to retain four lanes of traffic.
“I am responding to voters,” Ransom said. “I support this because it is what the voters want.”
The substitute motion failed, and the main motion proposed by Grace passed 4-3, with Fimia, Ransom and Chang dissenting.
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