Traffic study approved for Quincy’s 13th Avenue

QUINCY — A contract to study traffic patterns and traffic volume on 13th Avenue Southwest, the first step in possibly widening it, was approved by the Quincy City Council at its regular meeting Tuesday. The contract for about $393,000 was awarded to Transportation Engineering Northwest, Bellevue.

The vote was 4-0. Council member Dave Dormier recused himself from the discussion, saying he has worked with Transportation Engineering Northwest on other projects.

The engineers will look at traffic from the intersection of 13th Avenue with SR 28 to Road 9 Northwest. The street provides access to Monument Elementary School and Quincy Innovation Academy as well as Lauzier Park. Quincy city officials are planning improvements to Lauzier Park, and among the possibilities is the proposed indoor sports facility called the Q-Plex.

Council members also approved a revised proposal for a Quincy Valley Regional Parks District, which will be on the November general election ballot. Money raised through the district would help pay for construction of the Q-Plex and a new swimming pool, and help pay for their maintenance.

The traffic study will look at two intersections on 13th Avenue Southwest at peak times in the morning and afternoon. The engineers will look at the existing road and who’s using it, and make some estimates of future use. The company will oversee the project, including design.

City officials want to widen the road, make stormwater improvements and possibly realign it. They also want to add a sidewalk or walking path.

The Q-Plex facility is designed to provide recreation opportunities year-round, and could keep 13th Avenue busy. The facility would be 143,000 square feet and would have enough room for two to four soccer fields, depending on the number of players, and could be configured for other sports and events. There also would be two basketball courts that could be configured for other activities, sports and otherwise.

The boundaries of the new recreation district, if it’s approved, would be the same as the Quincy School District. The school district includes a small section of Douglas County, which was left out of the original resolution. The revised resolution passed Tuesday includes that.

The proposal must be approved by the Grant County and Douglas County commissioners before it can be placed on the ballot. George City Council members approved it on a unanimous vote at their meeting Tuesday (see separate story).

If the regional parks district is formed, property owners would pay a maximum of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. If it’s approved, it would be operated by a separate board with representatives from Quincy, George and Grant and Douglas counties.

Quincy City Administrator Pat Haley said in an earlier interview that money raised through the parks district must be used for specific projects, which would be the Q-Plex and the swimming pool. The estimated cost of the Q-Plex is about $18 to $20 million.

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.