CITY OF SHORELINE

SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL

SUMMARY MINUTES OF DINNER MEETING

Monday, November 27, 2000

6:00 p.m.

Shoreline Conference Center

Highlander Room

PRESENT: Mayor Jepsen, Deputy Mayor Hansen, Councilmembers Grossman, Gustafson and Ransom

ABSENT: Councilmembers Lee and Montgomery

STAFF: Larry Bauman, Interim City Manager; Kristoff Bauer, Assistant to the City Manager; Joyce Nichols, Community and Government Relations Manager; Bill Conner, Public Works Director, and Anne Tonella-Howe, Aurora Corridor Project Manager

The meeting convened at 6:00 p.m. and began with a general discussion of alternatives regarding the issue on tonight’s agenda of setting the property tax levy rate.

Joyce Nichols, Community and Government Relations Manager, distributed a memorandum summarizing provisos attached by King County Councilmember Maggi Fimia to specific operating proposals in the King County budget. Ms. Nichols also distributed for Council review a draft Letter to the Editor regarding the 1^st NE Transfer Station ramp proposal. Council discussed the letter and the King County budget process, as well as the transfer station and the benefits of the access ramp proposal.

Councilmember Ransom arrived at 6:16 p.m..

Discussion turned to the Fircrest/North Rehabilitation Facility planning process and inconsistencies in Councilmember Fimia’s positions.

Moving on, Larry Bauman, Interim City Manager, introduced Anne Tonella-Howe, Aurora Corridor Project Manager. He said that tonight’s discussion specifically concerns lane widths and potential added opportunities to ease the impact of the project on adjoining properties.

Ms. Tonella-Howe explained that the City has been negotiating with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) regarding the channelization plan for Aurora Avenue. The plan must be approved by WSDOT because Aurora Avenue is a State Highway. She reported that WSDOT has accepted nearly every aspect of the design, with the exception of the width of the outside Business Access and Transit (BAT) Lanes. WSDOT would like to see these lanes be 13-feet wide, while the plan calls for 12-foot wide BAT Lanes.

Mr. Bauman pointed out that WSDOT local representatives participated throughout the Aurora Corridor design process; however, the State Engineer is now objecting to the 12-foot BAT Lanes.

Ms. Tonella-Howe described the position articulated by the State Engineer and then provided the Council with three alternatives for a response from the City:

• Accept WSDOT 13-foot lanes;
• Accept WSDOT13-foot lanes but maintain the preferred alternative overall width by narrowing the median or the sidewalks; or
• Do not accept WSDOT 13-foot lanes and continue to negotiate for the preferred alternative cross-section.

Ms. Tonella-Howe noted that agreeing to increase the lane width would result in greater impacts to adjacent properties (22 buildings along the 3-mile length) and would add approximately $2 million in cost to the project. There was general discussion raising concerns that the estimation of impacts is too low. Councilmembers questioned whether the second option is even possible, given the impacts of alternative cross-sections.

Ms. Tonella-Howe noted that following the third alternative and not accepting the WSDOT requirement could delay the implementation of the project. The cross-section must be finalized in order to allow the project to move forward. Pursuit of the third option will likely require participation by the Council and state elected officials from Shoreline. There was general discussion in support of this option.

Mayor Jepsen offered to meet with WSDOT officials as soon as possible.

Ms. Tonella-Howe pointed out that other jurisdictions that have accepted the 13-foot requirement have included a bike lane within the 13 feet. Shoreline has the Interurban Trail to facilitate bike travel.

There was general discussion of ways the City could provide additional support for property owners impacted by the Aurora Corridor project.

Councilmembers signed the draft letter circulated earlier in the meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.

____________________________________
Kristoff Bauer, Assistant to the City Manager