Chelan Council hears updates on WSDOT 2020 paving project

CHELAN - An agenda item to approve food trucks at Lakeshore Marina was included in the April 9, City of Chelan Council meeting which was pulled out of the agenda by Chelan Mayor Mike Cooney.

“Since I brought it up, I am going to take it off of the agenda tonight ... there’s a number of reasons for doing that. I know that businesses have had a tough winter to be brutally honest,” said Mayor Cooney.

Looking out for the well being of the town and the business owners, Cooney decided to talk about the food trucks at a later date.

Citizen comments followed Cooney’s decision, John Olson commented on the same topic. “I am pleased to see you are taking it off the table and I encourage you to really involve all the local business owners,” said Olson.

Russ Jones had a similar view. “I am glad you’re pulling it off the agenda; I am going to encourage keeping it off the agenda permanently,” he said. Jones explained that as a banker he helps out restaurants  in town and he knows that many of them “are getting by and that’s about it.” Jones also mentioned that parking is a big issue at the marina and food trucks would only make it worse. With Jones’ comments, Cooney restated that the agenda item was taken off.

The WSDOT 2020 paving project in Chelan has a few updates, informed Jeff Deal and Christopher Shell, representatives of the Wenatchee office of WSDOT during the meeting.

At the beginning of the year, Deal and Shell presented the paving project to the Chelan Council which involves: paving from Lakeside up to Apple Blossom Drive, redoing the ADA ramps through town, replacing the slab from both sides of Dan Gordon Bridge, as well as a shared use path from Lakeside all the way up to the Woodin Ave./ Webster Ave. intersection and bike lanes along the continuation of Hwy 97A up to the SR 150 highway intersection.

The first update to the project includes an additional crosswalk at Millard St. Deal also brought up the bike transition on Woodin Ave which will help bicyclists transition from the shared use path to a cycle track on the northern side of Webster Ave. past the Dan Gordon Bridge.

During the initial project presentation in January, council members noted their concern with the intersection on Farnham St. and Webster Ave. The concerns involved sight distance and it was a “hot topic for crossings,” said Deal.

After a closer look at the intersection, Deal mentioned that WSDOT would want the City of Chelan to partner up with them in order to install a rapid flashing beacon. The estimated cost for the beacon would be of $40,000. Deal presented other options which included tree trimming.

However he made it clear that beyond the edge of the curb it is the City’s responsibility to trim.

“One thing you will benefit from on here with the cycle track is that both lanes of traffic will be shifted to the right side of the bridge ... you will actually see oncoming vehicles a lot sooner,” explained Deal.

WSDOT will hold an Open House in May to present the public with the project. The Chelan City Council will meet next Tuesday, April 23 at 6 p.m. for a regular meeting. The full agenda could be found at cityofchelan.civicweb.net.