The City of Lakewood and the Washington Military Department appear headed on a collision course over plans to move the main gate serving Camp Murray and send more traffic through a residential neighborhood in Tillicum. Millions of dollars in federal money could hang in the balance.
In a letter to be submitted by Friday, the city will raise serious concerns with the proposal to move the gate north to the intersection of Portland Avenue and Boundary Street. The letter is in response to a draft environmental assessment for the project and the military department’s official finding that the gate would have no significant impact.
The city is still drafting the letter, but David Bugher, Lakewood’s assistant city manager for development, outlined its contents to the City Council during a Monday night work session.
The intent of the proposed move from the intersection of Berkeley Street and Union Avenue is to reduce congestion at the Interstate 5 interchange serving Berkeley. Relocating the gate north will make it more convenient for drivers to use the I-5 interchange at North Thorne Lane, which connects to Portland Avenue.
The main objection is increased traffic.
The environmental assessment forecasts that average traffic volumes on a stretch of Portland Avenue will increase 63 percent, or about 1,000 vehicles a day, but it says the impact can be reduced with improved crosswalks and signs.
Bugher said the street was never designed for that level of traffic and it would cost millions of dollars to improve it.
Tillicum residents say the gate move would make Portland Avenue unsafe and would represent a step backward on the path to make the neighborhood more pedestrian-friendly.
Col. Duane Coffey, director of construction and facilities management for the Washington National Guard, headquartered at Camp Murray, said Tuesday that he welcomed Lakewood’s concerns.
“We think we’ve done everything. We think we’ve studied everything,” he said. “Every comment that we get will be reviewed. I don’t want to negate what people have said unless we felt that we already have addressed an issue.”
Among Lakewood’s concerns are that the military department’s analysis of the impacts is inadequate, the need for the move has not been established, and alternatives to a gate relocation haven’t been fully examined.
Bugher said the city’s public works department takes issue with the military department’s contention that the move is needed because the intersection serving the current gate is unsafe.
“There’s no justification, no numbers,” Bugher said.
Just how much Lakewood has been involved in planning for a new gate was unclear Tuesday.
In an open letter to residents last week, Maj. Gen. Timothy Lowenberg, the military department’s director, said Lakewood initiated the discussion with the department about moving the gate more than two years ago.
“We shared the city’s concerns and agreed to synchronize our planning efforts (for Camp Murray) with those of the city (on Tillicum),” he wrote.
But Bugher wrote in a report that city staff members became aware of the proposal in May 2009 after they were invited by the military department to review a development plan for Camp Murray. He said Lakewood has never been a proponent of the project.
City Council members asked a couple of questions Monday but were supportive of the direction city staff members are taking.
The National Guard Bureau will review the comments as it decides whether to issue a finding of no significant impact for the project, Coffey explained. That would trigger the release by the federal government of more than half the money for the estimated $4.7 million project.
The money must be released by Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year, or the project can’t move forward, Coffey said.
The military department intends to award the construction contract on Sept. 23, the day after comments on the draft environmental assessment are due, with construction scheduled to begin within 90 days, Coffey said. The deadline for comments was recently extended.
The military department must secure a right of way permit before the proposed gate can connect to public streets. It applied for the permit last week.
Bugher said the permit is under review and the city will notify the military department whether the application is complete within 30 days. Bugher declined to divulge further details about the review because it’s pending.
Lakewood City Manager Andrew Neiditz said the city could withhold the permit if it isn’t satisfied with the military department’s responses to its concerns.
“I see that the city has a lot of leverage at this stage,” Neiditz said.
Bugher said the intent of the letter is to get the military department’s attention, not to cost it the federal funding. He said the city would be in contact with federal lawmakers to see if there’s a way to have the money set aside for the project until the city’s issues are addressed.
If unsatisfied with the department’s responses, the city could take its case to federal court.
On the other hand, a decision by the city to withhold the permit could prompt the military department to appeal. That process begins with the city hearing examiner and could go to Superior Court.
Christian Hill: 253-274-7390
christian.hill@thenewstribune.com
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