The environmental hurdles are more than expected.
The project cost is rising.
The community support is not there.
We think the county needs to reassess why it is moving forward with a $2.75 million improvement project for Mount Baker Road.
County engineer Dan Vekved told the Sounder there are more wetlands and stormwater requirements than expected.
“We need to step back and take a look at what we’re doing,” he said.
State funds are supplying 90 percent of the money, and the county is paying for 10 percent. Vekved said it is likely that environmental issues will cause the total cost to increase. The county hopes to secure grants to fund those additional costs.
The work aim to improve public safety and road quality from 600 feet west of North Beach Road (before it splits off into Lover’s Lane) to Terrill Beach Road. The proposed improvements include widening the 20-foot wide road to 30 feet (two 11-foot lanes and four-foot shoulders), rebuilding the failed road base and adding drainage features, designing for a 35 mph speed limit, removing or relocating road hazards such as trees, fences, and culvert ends to at least 10 feet from the edge of the new lanes, and enhancing or replacing wetlands.
There are three design options still on the table, all of which incorporate widening the road. Alternative A is a rural road with no path or sidewalk, Alternative B includes a five-foot pedestrian path, and Alternative C features a curb and gutter and five-foot sidewalk inside the UGA boundary with the rural road section and 5-foot path the rest of the way.
The pedestrian trail is not being funded by state money. The county just received $88,000 of Federal Transportation Enhancement Funds to continue the trail design process, and public works just applied for a $450,000 “Safe Routes to School” grant, partnering with Orcas School, Orcas Pathways and the Sheriff to fund the construction.
While we fully support a pedestrian path, we are skeptical that the other improvements will deter speeders. If the road is significantly wider with fewer trees, won’t drivers be more inclined to speed? We don’t know if the pedestrian path is possible without widening the road, but if it is, we’d like to see one installed if the grant is approved.
One homeowner on Mount Baker Road has already told the Sounder he is not pleased with the road project and how much right of way acquisition it will require. We’ve also received letters from community members who are bristling at the thought of curbs and gutters on a scenic road.
The county is confident it can secure additional funds for the added costs, but what if it can’t, and we’re stuck, halfway through, with hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay because of unexpected environmental challenges?
All of this makes us wonder why the county is proceeding. The state may be giving us money for the project, but we have to pony up additional funds. It’s like buying something on sale: it may be half off, but you still have to put down the money.
