Valley transportation issues hashed out
Cascade Valley development leads to road impacts
EPHRATA — Grant County commissioners met with Moses Lake City councilmembers Wednesday to discuss transportation issues facing Cascade Valley.
The Schneider Homes Inc. annexation in Cascade Valley is alleged to exert thousands of additional vehicles over the next several years into the limited access area.
"Obviously as development occurs there will be impact," Grant County Commissioner LeRoy Allison said.
As development occurs, infrastructure must be concurrent with development, he added. From a transportation point of view, the annexation is not contiguous with city roads. It is contiguous through the lake, he said. There is no bridge linking the valley area to the opposite side of the lake. On dry land the annexation is linked through various strips of alternating city and county roadway.
The two entities discussed how and who would manage the roadway as it switched between the two jurisdictions.
"What do you have in mind for your share of the roads that are yours?" Councilmember Richard Pearce asked the commissioners.
A large portion of Valley Road extending to Cascade Valley already has sidewalks installed, Allison said.
The condition of the roadways are adequate to meet the needs of the population density in the valley, Grant County Road Engineer Derek Pohle said. Once the annexation is developed, it will no longer be adequate.
Allison said it is important to project what infrastructure is needed for the future growth of the area now and work on it now rather than after the development is built. Funding for transportation issues can be collected by Grant County Public Works from the developer while the project is being built, he said. Once the project is completed, the developer is not required to pay anything.
According to the city Notice of Intent for the annexation, there is no impact on the roads.
Pearce explained there is no impact on the roads due to the annexation. Impact on the roadway begins once development of the annexed land occurs, he said. Once development begins, impact studies are taken into consideration.
Pohle said it is not an issue of reconstructing the road to make it adequate for the projected traffic. A large portion is installing turn lanes, re-striping, sidewalks, bus pull-outs and street lights, he said.
Pearce said he does not believe the city or the developer is responsible for improving county roads. Each entity should be responsible for their jurisdiction.
The group was unsure of the legality to require a developer to improve a county road.
"This is a unique situation," Pohle said. "We want to have some discussion upfront."
No solutions were decided during the meeting, it was for discussion and information only. The city and county entities plan to meet again to discuss the information and possibly find a solution. A meeting date is not set.