Consider Adopting Resolution #14-02-034 Ordering Preparation of Feasibility Report for Reconstructing Garnet Street and 168th Avenue

The segment of Garnet Street north of 167^th Avenue and south of a point approximately 300 feet south of 169^th Lane NW, which measures approximately 1,350 feet in length, was originally constructed with bituminous pavement and curbing in 1988, as was the segment of 168^th Avenue NW west of Garnet Street, which measures approximately 670 feet in length.  Both streets are relatively flat and as such are not able to efficiently shed stormwater runoff, resulting in oil being stripped from the pavement more quickly than normal leading to more rapid degradation of the pavement.  Both streets were sealcoated in 2006 but currently have a Pavement and Surface Evaluation Rating (PASER) of 1 and are therefore considered to be among the worst streets in the City in terms of pavement condition.  In fact, large areas of Garnet Street are no longer covered with pavement so Public Work’s has been filling the non-paved areas with class 5 aggregate recently in an attempt to maintain the streets in a passable condition.  However, each spring when the ground thaws the street becomes extremely difficult to navigate and maintain, due primarily to the poor underlying soils which become unstable when saturated with groundwater.  Figure 1 (attached) shows the overall project site.
 
In addition to reconstructing the pavement sections of Garnet Street and 168^th Avenue, staff is proposing to construct a 6-foot wide concrete sidewalk along the east side of Garnet Street.  This new sidewalk segment would serve to connect the existing 6-foot concrete sidewalk on the east side of Garnet Street south of 169^th Lane NW to the existing sidewalk on the north side of 167^th Avenue.  Since both existing sidewalks connect to the bituminous trail on the west side of TH 47, adding sidewalk along the east side of Garnet Street would allow the existing pedestrian facilities to be fully connected.  Figure 2 (attached) shows the existing and proposed pedestrian facilities.  As can be seen, all other streets in this area include sidewalks along one side of the street so staff believes it makes sense to connect this lone gap in the sidewalk system.
 
Staff is also proposing to explore costs to construct public utilities as part of this project.  Staff feels it is important to consider these costs as part of the Feasibility Report due to the fact that if utilities were added after the street was reconstructed, much of the street would need to be removed and reconstructed at that time.  As such, it might be cost-effective to construct public utilities as part of this project, even if some or all of the utilities remain unused for a decade or more.

No notifications are required for this case.

Observations:
Staff is requesting authorization to prepare a Feasibility Report at this time for several reasons.  First, staff recommends completing this project in the near future due to the extremely poor condition of the existing pavement sections on these streets.  Secondly, if the City is not able to agree on a funding source for our long-term street maintenance program, we will likely have to continue using special assessments to fund a portion of our street reconstruction projects, which requires that a Feasibility Report be completed as part of the public process.  And lastly, by completing the Feasibility Report now, staff will be able to provide an accurate estimated cost for this project for future budgeting purposes.  And while it is likely too late to reconstruct these streets in 2014 given the fact that a funding source has not yet been identified for street reconstruction projects, by preparing the Feasibility Report now the City would be better positioned to move the project forward more quickly at the time a funding source is identified for such projects.  It would also be a relatively simple process to update the Feasibility Report in the future so this work would not “go to waste” if the project is not completed for several years.
 
The Engineering Department is currently short-staffed and has several other higher priority projects in the works so the completion of this report will likely take several months.  Once the Feasibility Report is complete, staff will present the report to Council.  At that time Council may choose to wait with the project, or they may decide to move forward with the project so a “shovel-ready project” is on the shelves.  But again, if special assessments are part of the funding package the public (Chapter 429) process must be followed, including the required public hearings.  Staff would also propose to conduct a public information meeting to gather feedback from residents living on these streets regarding the proposed design elements.

Alternatives:
Alternative Action #1 – Motion to adopt Resolution 14-02-057 Ordering Feasibility Report for Reconstructing Garnet Street and 168^th Avenue as proposed by staff.
 
Alternative Action #2 – Motion to adopt Resolution 14-02-057 Ordering Feasibility Report for Reconstructing Garnet Street and 168^th Avenue with the following modifications to staff’s proposed design alternatives: ____________________.
 
Alternative Action #3 – Motion to deny adoption of Resolution 14-02-057 at this time.

The Feasibility Report will be completed in-house as part of staff’s regular duties, and since several soil borings were already completed in this area the cost to prepare the report will be minimal.
 
Regarding funding for the reconstruction of Garnet Street and 168^th Avenue, staff had previously planned to complete this work as part of the 2014 street maintenance program using revenue generated by the proposed franchise fees.  However, since a long-term funding source has not yet been identified for street reconstruction projects, this work may need to be funded using a mix of bond proceeds and special assessments.  Funding sources will be explored in more detail within the Feasibility Report.

Staff recommends selecting alternative action #1 or #2 to help prevent the City from falling farther behind on the long-term street maintenance program, and also to allow staff to generate accurate estimated costs to help budget for this much needed project.

The City Council is being asked to pass a motion adopting Resolution #14-02-057 ordering a Feasibility Report for reconstructing Garnet Street and 168^th Avenue.