County, Port to cooperate in Larson improvements

MOSES LAKE — Grant County officials have proposed working with the Port of Moses Lake on a series of improvements on sidewalks and streets in the Larson community — including formally sealing off the old base entrance near North Elementary School.

Speaking to a meeting of the commission overseeing the Port of Moses Lake on Monday, Grant County Engineer Dave Bren said the old base entrance near the intersection of Larson Boulevard and West Craig Street, not far from SR 17 and North Elementary, is in disrepair and something of a nuisance. The entrance was fenced and blocked off when the base was closed in the 1960s.

“We need to get rid of the old base entrance,” Bren told commissioners. “It’s a security concern. People park their RVs there and go through holes in the fence.”

The proposed changes would improve the road, curbs and sidewalks in the area, which would allow the Moses Lake School District to formalize its bus routes to and from North, turn the end of Larson Boulevard into a proper cul-de-sac, and redo the fencing along SR 17.

“That would get rid of a problem. The old base entrance is still there,” he said.

Bren made his proposal to the Port of Moses Lake Commission because commissioners have committed to spending $150,000 per year on community improvement projects. While that money won’t go very far, Bren said the county will fund most of the improvements and has a number of things slated for the Larson area — including chip sealing the streets, redoing the neighborhood’s sidewalks and improving water and sewer lines — in preparation for any future annexation of the Larson community into the city of Moses Lake.

“The city and county are looking at making that annexation happen,” he said. “There is an opportunity now to get (Larson) ready to turn over to the city.”

“There are no (Americans With Disabilities Act)-compliant corners in all Larson,” said Port of Moses Lake Facilities Director Milton Miller, who originally proposed last year that the port set aside $150,000 annually for community improvement projects.

“I like the idea. North has always been a terror getting in and out of that parking lot, and we need to get that fixed,” said Commissioner Stroud Kunkle.

Bren spoke of a 10-year-plan of improvements across Larson as part of preparing the neighborhood for formal inclusion in the Moses Lake city limits, but in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald following the meeting, City Manager Allison Williams said there is no formal plan and there have not even been any formal discussions between the city and the county about Larson’s future.

“The concept of annexing Larson has been around for many years. It came up as a need in the city’s comprehensive planning process. It has not been discussed formally, however, and there is no timeline set,” she wrote. “We are pleased to see the county putting together a plan for improvement for the neighborhood.”

Currently, the city of Moses Lake provides water and sewer to the Larson community, and the neighborhood is part of the city’s urban growth management area.

Bren told commissioners the county already has plans to chip seal all of Larson’s streets next summer and can get started on planning and engineering work to formally eliminate the old base entrance and improve the area near North Elementary. However, the Washington State Department of Transportation currently owns the former base entrance, and would have to transfer the land to the county in order for work to start.

“The county can do all the work, the design and the engineering,” he said. “If everyone is on board, we can move forward very quickly.”

“I think this is an excellent idea,” said Commissioner Darrin Jackson. “It looks like we will move forward.”

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at cfeatherstone@columbiabaisnherald.com.