Sequim officials consider Prairie Street for possible congestion relief

SEQUIM — As Washington Street’s traffic flow continues to grow, drivers could be looking a few blocks south for a new option.

Sequim city staff is investigating Prairie Street as a possibility to relieve congestion from Sequim’s main thoroughfare.

“Western Washington Street mid-day is at capacity,” said Matt Klontz, Sequim city engineer. “There’s a need for an east-west alternative for drivers. This could take the pressure off.”

City staff received confirmation Monday that it received a $1 million loan from the Washington state’s Public Works Board at 1.56 percent over 20 years to pay for pre-construction planning to improve Prairie Street.

Cost estimates have the total pre-construction phase of the project at $1.372 million with the $1 million loan covering a majority of the estimated $1.229 million needed for right of way, followed by $118,000 for technical feasibility and concept level designs, $16,000 for public outreach, and $9,000 for environmental permitting.

Klontz said the idea to improve Prairie Street has been in place in some capacity in several city plans including the Transportation Master Plan, Six-year Capital Improvement Plan and Comprehensive Plan.

He told the Sequim City Council, which unanimously agreed to accept the loan at the March 26 meeting, the preliminary design would give about 30 percent of the scope of the project for the public to see the direction the city is going.

“It’s not just the Prairie Street we see today, but the future of Prairie Street,” he said.

Klontz said they chose Prairie Street because it falls halfway between U.S. Highway 101 and Washington Street. It’s also a more complete stretch than other parallel roads south of Washington Street, he said.

One major component of the plan is connecting two Economic Opportunity Areas near Highway 101 that were created in the city’s updated 2015 Comprehensive Plan.

Improving Prairie Street could connect these areas for possible incoming businesses, Klontz said, but if the Economic Opportunity Areas were to develop and the road wasn’t improved then congestion could worsen on Washington Street.

City staff said a Prairie Street improvement is needed because recent improvements including the planned reconstruction of Fir Street by Sequim schools starting in 2019 mostly fall north of Washington Street.

“We desperately need this on the south side,” Councilman Ted Miller said.

“I think this (loan) is a golden opportunity to do it.”

Klontz said the project also could help add better sidewalks, possibly add bike lanes, and help with property values.

“There’s always been an idea of revitalizing neighborhoods through the streets,” he said.

By the end of summer or early fall, city staff plans to begin outreaching to city residents for input on the project.

“We want them to have a voice especially if they’re going to be impacted along the street,” Klontz said.

The city may hire a consultant for the community conversations, he said.

Sequim has two years to complete the pre-construction plans following the $1 million loan’s guidelines, but Klontz said it’s likely the city could apply for an extension if needed.

To cover the remainder of the approximately $372,000 in pre-construction costs, city staff said city council members could approve transferring funds from the city’s Real Estate Excise Tax, general fund and/or Transportation Benefit District if needed.

Following right of way purchases, community input and pre-design work, Klontz said the project will be attractive in many ways for future grant and loan opportunities to cover construction costs that have not been estimated.

Developers in the Economic Opportunity Areas also may pay for nearby improvements, he said.

Some of Prairie Street has been resurfaced so there’s not a lot of utility work that would need to be done, Klontz said.

How long of a stretch of Prairie Street would be redone is undetermined at this time.

Klontz said the construction could be broken up depending on funding and the city’s Transportation Master Plan forecasts expanding Prairie to South Ninth Avenue from its current stopping point at South Seventh Avenue.

The final construction plan could also call for a traffic signal on Sequim Avenue and Prairie Street, he said.

For more information on the pre-construction plans of Prairie Street, contact the City of Sequim, 152 W. Cedar St., at www.sequimwa.gov or 360-683-4908.

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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.