News from Snohomish County Council

Snohomish County Council
3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 609
Everett, Washington 98201

8th floor, Robert J. Drewel Building
Phone: 425-388-3494
E-Mail: [email protected]

Barbara Chapman, Legislative Aide

Ribbon Cutting for the new Sauk River Bridge

On May 18^th, Councilman Koster and other dignitaries, including Darrington Mayor Jones cut the ribbon for the grand opening of the new Sauk River Bridge. The $16 million bridge costs were partnered by the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Town of Darrington and Snohomish County. The bridge is 479 feet long and was designed so that the bridge deck would be 3 feet above the 200-year flood elevation. It serves 300 residents on the Sauk Prairie and provides access to a large area of the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest and a portion of the Skagit County road system. This bridge replaces the old bridge that was built in 1930.

Council extends subdivision approval

On May 14^th, the Snohomish County Council passed Ordinance 09-018 which provides a one-time extension of up to three years for preliminary subdivision and short subdivision applicants to request final subdivision and short subdivision approval. The ordinance also provides for new fees in connection with these extensions. Due to the impact of the economic recession and the severe slump in the housing market in Snohomish County, builders have requested amendments to allow more time for applicants to complete final subdivision approval.

Councilman Koster Speaks To 4^th Graders on Law Day

On May 1^st, Councilman John Koster visited Kent Prairie Elementary School (Arlington) at the invitation of the 4^th grade teachers to address 80 students on Law Day. As a former State Representative, Councilman Koster taught the students how a bill becomes law. He also spoke to them on how laws are made in Snohomish County. This was a new curriculum for the Arlington 4^th graders and they were a very interactive audience. The students are required to complete a classroom based assessment for the state on this topic and the councilman was pleased to be able to accommodate.

Relay for Life

Saturday, May 30^th was the American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" celebration. Cancer survivors and their families gathered at Everett's Cascade High School to support each other and to raise funds for cancer research. Councilman John Koster, a cancer survivor was asked to lead the walk along with Janey Provazek, the American Cancer Society's 1960 "poster girl". There were 61 teams sponsored by leading businesses, families and individuals who walked to raise funds both Saturday and Sunday. Through this effort, 634 participants raised $87,697.66. Families and individuals were able to make luminarias that were placed on the track and were lit up at 10 pm in memory of those who did not survive their battles with cancer. The councilman made luminarias for both his mother and his father.

Safety Improvements Planned for Lakewood Road in August 2009

JUNE 2009

Project

Limits

Lakewood Road is located west of I-5 between Marysville and Stanwood. Snohomish County Public Works will begin construction of a traffic safety project on Lakewood Road in August 2009. The project will extend from Frank Waters Road at the west end to East Lake Goodwin Road on the east end.

Project description

The project will add westbound left turn pockets on Lakewood Road at two intersections: East Lake Goodwin Road and West Lake Goodwin Road. In addition, five-foot wide walkable shoulders will be added along both sides of Lakewood Road to improve conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists. The curve near 56th Avenue NW will also be modified to improve sight distance for drivers.

The project is bond-funded

The Lakewood Road project is part of the Enhanced Community Infrastructure Development Initiative (E-CIDI) package of projects. E-CIDI is a bond-funded program developed by County Executive Reardon and the County Council in 2006 to speed the delivery of 46 projects to neighborhoods throughout the county. The projects are designed to improve roadways for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers; expand recreational opportunities; improve water quality; and reduce flooding. By building sooner, 10 years sooner in some cases, the county is avoiding the high cost of inflation and rising interest rates. For more information about the initiative visit the county's Web page, www.snoco.org, and search "E-CIDI."

During construction

Construction will continue into fall 2010. Intermittent single lane closures and occasional full road closures may be necessary for special construction within the road surface. Flaggers, a temporary traffic signal, and portable traffic signs may be necessary for traffic control during construction, which is scheduled to occur between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.

Find information about other roadway projects

For information about Lakewood Road and projects on other Snohomish County roads, visit the county's Web site, www.snoco.org, and search "roads." You will find descriptions of the county's current and future transportation projects and a weekly report of lane and roadway closures and links to other resources.

Contacts

Sai Nguyen, Project Manager

[email protected]

Bassam Al-Ali, Project Engineer

[email protected]

Mary Auld, Environmental Planner

[email protected]

Tina Hokanson, Communications

[email protected] or

425-388-3789

CT BUS ROUTES

Community Transit Route #240 serves Lakewood Road

Stanwood Senior Center, 276th St NW, Cedarhome Dr., 83rd Ave NW, 272nd St NW, 72nd Ave NW past Haggen, etc. to Old Pioneer Hwy, SR 532, 88th Ave NE, 271st St NW, 99th Ave NE, 272nd Pl NW (Josephine Sunset), 102nd Ave NW, 272nd Pl NW, 271st St NW, 88th Ave NW, Marine Drive, (Stanwood Park and Ride), Warm Beach Health Manor, 188th St NW, Lakewood Rd, SR 531, 172nd St NW, Smokey Point Blvd (near Smokey Point Transit Center), Stillaguamish Senior Center, 188th St NE, 47th Ave NE, Cemetery Rd, 204th St NE, Stillaguamish Avenue (Cascade Valley Hospital), 1st St, Olympic Ave, Division St, Broadway St, Burke (SR 530) (Near Cascade District Court), Newberry, Gilman, Broadway.

For more information about Community Transit routes and schedules visit www.comtrans.org, 425-353-7433

I hope you found this eNEWSLETTER to be informative and useful. You can make it even more valuable by suggesting topics and issues for future newsletters. Please contact me at 425-388-3494, or e-mail [email protected]. If you would like to share this newsletter, select the Forward email link below.

Sincerely,

John Koster
Snohomish County Council