Thursday, Aug. 1 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Eastsound Fire Hall
Progress to install radial curbs on Prune Alley in Eastsound were stymied at the last Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) meeting on July 11. The EPRC had been informed the day before, on July 10. that the county was not awarded government “Complete Street” funding for plans to improve the Prune Alley “Streetscape,” discussed at length at EPRC meetings and among affected property owners since last year.
“The funds were very competitive,” County Public Works engineer Shannon Wilbur said. The prospect of the funds and the County plans to chipseal Prune Alley in 2014 had spurred the EPRC to suggest collateral improvements such as curbs, sidewalks and gutters.
Klein summarized the streetscape project: “The goal now is to include radius curbs at intersections on Prune Alley when it is chip sealed in 2014.”
Progress on the Mt. Baker Road and trail reconstruction were also aired at the close of the meeting. Questions asked were submitted to the project manager, Colin Huntemer, whose responses on July 18 are reprinted below:
Schedule: The contract is for 90 working days beginning on Monday March 18, 2013. Working days are not charged for holidays or when critical path work was prevented due to weather, differing site conditions or significant changes to quantities of work. As of today the contractor must be physically complete by August 20, 2013 to avoid financial penalties.
Budget: This project is within budget. The annual road program for 2013 budgets $1.748m for the two County road projects, Mt Baker Rd Trail and Mt Baker Rd Improvements. Our projected construction costs are within the budget.
Compaction: We have not had any problems obtaining compaction for this project. We have a contract with a geotechnical testing consultant to perform regular compaction testing during the placement of aggregate.
Sidewalk: The original contract at bid award called for placement of a pervious cement concrete sidewalk along the south side of Mt Baker Road from North Beach Road to the entrance to Buck Park. It was later extended to the Crescent Beach preserve and thickened along the face of the embankment from 4 to 6 ½ inches.
Road Profile: During the course of construction we encountered significant drainage and utility conflicts near Madan Lane. To avoid expensive delays in relocating utilities, provide better conveyance in culverts and to elevate the road out of the adjacent wetlands we decided to raise the profile elevation of Mt Baker Road about one foot for about 200 feet either side of Madan Lane.
Colin Huntemer may be reached at (360) 370-0514 or colinh@sanjuanco.com
Why is there such an interest on the EPRC and in Public Works to de-rural-ify Orcas? Radius curbs? Wide roads? Sidewalks along scenic lanes? Traffic circles for Pete’s sake?! A great charm of the San Juan Islands is that they are scenic, rural, and don’t look like Suburban America. Many of us were drawn here for this reason, and it is a significant attraction for tourists. Why are people so eager to throw all of that over in favor of what we have purposefully left? Has anybody read the county comprehensive plan, which specifies that the rural nature of the islands be respected and preserved when it comes to such projects? I thought not. Everybody should!
thank you, Moana, for voicing the concerns of many, including myself. I have seen these road widening and straightening projects turn into fatal accident zones. I find no fault with the workers who are doing the best job possible with the specs. It’s trying to engineer something that never should have been engineered in the first place. What’s wrong with slowing down and enjoying the island? The comp plan was for protection against such as what is happening. I too wish everyone would read it.
This ain’t Martha’s Vineyard . . . .
Henry –
Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?
The question to ask is “would you like Prune Alley to be like Main Street and North Beach road or remain the same?”
The goal of the Prune Alley concept is to have a similar look and feel as North Beach road.
Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.
I like Prune Alley as it is; am very fond of Orcas Road’s charming twists and turns, and cannot imagine why anyone needs a circle on A Sts.
I have been very dismayed at the changes over the last few years. I realize we cannot control locals’ and visitors’ behavior, but mark my words, once the Mt. Baker Road project is complete…people will still be walking and riding bikes in the street and not on the sidewalks.
My Eastsound property was “taken” for sidewalk use and everyday we must drive around people who still insist on walking in the street.
I couldn’t agree more that the rural character of this island is disappearing and many of the “improvements” have been most unnecessary.
There is a lot to complain about regarding the work on Mt Baker Road, the most significant being cost vs need in the first place. Add to that that no thinking walker is going to risk life and limb on a 4ft sidewalk that is also used for bicycles and no bicycler is going to use a 4ft sidewalk which is used by walkers. So… guess what? They both use the road. It better be pretty when its finished ’cause it ain’t gonna’ be much in the “useable as intended” drawer
In response to the comments regarding proposed improvements on Prune Alley, I would like to give some background and some history…this will have to be in the form of a “report” to the community rather than an extended comment on this posting. As our councilman, Rick Hughes, has stated, the overall intent is to extend the “streetscape vocabulary”, i.e., the sidewalks, curbs, landscaping elements, and some variety of on-street parking, of Main Street and N. Beach Road along the length of Prune Alley…some would consider this a desirable improvement over the existing fifty foot wide swath of chip seal and gravel installed as a “temporary” measure by SJCDPWs twenty years ago.