After more than three years of discussion and planning, the City Council voted 6-1 Monday night to approve a $7.28 million plan to redesign a mile-long stretch of Pacific Highway Southwest. The road runs through Ponders Corner, an area with a reputation for drugs, prostitution and violent crime.

The changes will shift the road’s center line between Bridgeport Way and Gravelly Lake Drive about 10 feet south and reduce the number of lanes from five to three. The project is scheduled for completion in 2010.

The road shift, officials say, will give businesses more exposure from Interstate 5 and create room for more parking, sidewalks, landscaping and utilities.

Other improvements to Pacific Highway call for curbs, gutters, sidewalks, an improved drainage system, landscaping, a bike lane and street lighting.

Officials said they hope the improvements will spur redevelopment and help clean up Ponders’ image.

“I don’t see this as a traffic issue,” said City Councilman and deputy mayor Don Anderson. “I see this as an economic development issue.”

Lakewood leaders hope redevelopment will resemble what happened on the other end of Pacific Highway in Fife, where businesses benefit from visibility to 200,000 freeway drivers a day on I-5.

No one spoke in opposition to the plan Monday, although officials considered postponing the vote to allow the citizen transportation advisory committee to review the plan.

City Councilman Pad Finnigan cast the lone vote against it. He and some business owners in Ponders had expressed concerns over reducing Pacific Highway’s width, saying it could restrict traffic flow and result in extra costs to them.

Stewart Rowland, owner of Pawnbrokers Northwest on Pacific Highway, said Tuesday that he supports cleaning up the area. But he worries that the project will choke traffic both during and after construction, especially from cars leaving Fort Lewis.

“Maybe down the road it might be a good thing,” Rowland said. “Right now it’s hard to say.”

Lakewood leaders had also expressed concern about property owners’ willingness to contribute to the project. But City Manager Andrew Neiditz said the city received some $3.3 million in state grants, which should allow it to deliver the improvements without asking landowners for money.

The road project is just the latest investment Lakewood is making to reclaim Ponders from years of blight. Last year the city sold a piece of right of way for half its appraised value to Lakewood Ford; the dealership opened just north of Ponders last summer.

Now City Councilman Walter Neary says improving Pacific Highway is the most sensible action the city can take to spur redevelopment in Ponders.

“This really is momentous,” he said Monday.

Brent Champaco: 253-597-8653