Windtree Alternate Access

Access into the Windtree neighborhood is challenging. The only access is via 121st Ave. which serves more than 100 homes as the sole access point from 88th St. In the past six months this bottleneck has been made painfully apparent by a few events that have caused road closures along 121st. First, during the December windstorm, a power line was downed and lay draped across the roadway for more than 6 days. There was limited access around the downed line but the situation could have been worse especially if emergency vehicles were unable to use the roadway. Second, the construction of the Windtree sewer project has caused daily short-term closures, that are not just inconvenient but pose a safety risk as well.

At this Tuesday's (June 19th) Council meeting we will be reviewing and considering changes to the TIP (a public hearing will also be held at a future meeting). The Transportation Improvement Program (or TIP) is a list of transportation related capital projects the city intends to carry out. The TIP is a planning tool that is required by state law for coordination with other local public agencies. The only change to the TIP currently being proposed this year is a project titled "Alternate Access for Windtree". Of the 18 projects identified in the TIP, this project is placed 6th in priority behind phases 2&3 of Coal Creek Parkway, general pavement overlays, and the Newcastle Transit Center. By placing this project on the TIP, it gives the city authority to begin planning for a possible project. The first step in 2008 would be to survey/study the current access and explore possible alternate locations for access roads. After a study is completed an estimate of cost for a full project would be presented to the council (presumably in late 2008).

I believe that it is important for the rest of the council and city staff to hear the opinions of the residents of Windtree on this subject. While I have been an advocate of exploring alternate access to the neighborhood I am unsure of what the best alternate might be and am curious to hear the thoughts of other neighbors. So if you have opinions on the issue please feel free to come speak at public comment period during this Tuesdays meeting or submit comments via email to cityclerk@ci.newcastle.wa.us.

July 19th Council meeting agenda

For those who are interested, the following items are on the agenda for next Tuesday's meeting.

• Financial Report; 1st Quarter 2007 (no action)
• Introduction of 2008-2013 Transportation Improvement Plan
• Ordinance Repealing CBC Building Moratorium

-dan