The Shoreline City Council is planning to select a preferred alternative for the Aurora Corridor Project from 145th to 165th at its upcoming Dec. 9 meeting.
According to Shoreline City Manager Steve Burkett, staff will recommend a ‘Modified Alternative A’ to the Council at the meeting. The City Council meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Mt. Rainier Room at the Shoreline Conference Center, 18560 First Ave. NE.
Three alternatives were analyzed and considered in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the funded project from N. 145th to 165th Streets: a ‘no action’ alternative and two ‘build’ alternatives. The ‘build’ alternatives both include features such as curbs, gutters, sidewalks and upgrades of storm water facilities.
“‘Modified Alternative A’ responds directly to the issues identified in the public comment period,” Burkett explained. “For example, where there are parking or building issues on bordering properties such as Shay’s, CarePlus and Seattle Ski, the modified plan reduces the amenity zone and sidewalk widths to accommodate specific needs.”
While the original alternative A includes right-of-way widths of 112 feet, six northbound left and u-turn pockets, five southbound left and u-turn pockets and eight-foot sidewalks; the ‘modified alternative A’ reduces the right-of-ways to 110 feet and adds two additional southbound left and u-turn pockets and one additional northbound left and u-turn pocket. It also reduces the sidewalk widths from eight feet to seven feet.
The plan also recommends closing the eastern leg of the 160th and Aurora intersection to reduce cut-through traffic into the neighborhood and to create a safe crossing for the future Interurban Trail. ‘Modified alternative A’ thus includes a total of seven northbound and seven southbound pockets for U-turns and left turns on the average of every 750 feet. These modifications, which required special state approval, also make the intersections safer for both motorists and pedestrians, city officials said.
The modified plan also includes additional money for storm drainage and electrical hookups for adjacent properties to tie into the underground utilities. City officials said the city will also develop a plan to reduce the impacts of construction as much as possible such as using special signage, maintaining business access at all times and maintaining traffic flow.
“We received so many valuable comments from Shoreline citizens during this process,” Burkett says. “About 40 people testified at the DEIS public hearing, and more than 70 people submitted written comments. In the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) we are responding to over 1,000 comments — a big job.”
The FEIS will be available by the end of November. Copies will be available for purchase in the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 17544 Midvale Ave. N. for $15 for a hard copy or $3 for a CD. Copies will also be available for review at the City Clerk’s Office; Richmond Beach Library, 2402 NW 195th Pl.; Shoreline Library, 342 NE 175th St.; FHWA Washington Division Office, 711 S. Capitol Way, Ste. 501, Olympia, contact Elizabeth Healy 360-753-8655; and WSDOT Northwest Region Office, 15700 Dayton Ave. N., contact Ben Brown 206-440-4528.
For more information about the Aurora Corridor Project, call Project Manager Kirk McKinley at 206-546-3901 or see the Aurora Corridor link under “Projects and Programs” on the City of Shoreline’s Web site, www.cityofshoreline.com and subscribe to the Aurora Corridor Project email list on the Web site.
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