By Jordan Kline - Daily World writer

Tuesday, October 24, 2006 10:53 AM PDT

 

DAILY WORLD / KEVIN HONG A van splashes through puddles on an uneven portion of Ocean Shores Boulevard this morning.

 

SHORES — The Ocean Shores City Council unanimously approved the next phase of study on a road improvement project that could smooth out the city's notorious dips and bumps.

 

The council unanimously voted to move forward with a $206,800 study — the second phase of a cost-benefit analysis — to determine how much each individual property owner in the city would benefit from the improvements. Increased property taxes would be based on that.

 

At a meeting last night, Public Works director Ken Lanfear told the council that the first phase of the project feasibility study begun in July found that the cost of fixing the city's roads — $25 million from property taxpayers — is less than the expected benefit to those property owners.

 

The initial study said property owners stand to benefit from a $35 million to $50 million increase in property values as a result of the road improvements.

 

The study said the added property value for the average lot in Ocean Shores would be between $2,000 and $5,000 in assessed value at the low end, and $5,000 to $7,000 at the high end.

 

Lanfear said the results of phase two would be sent to residents for their consideration when the council discusses approval of the road construction. “This part of the study would tell (residents) what the estimated cost is to their parcel, so that the public can make the appropriate input to the council for their view of the project,” he said.

 

Lanfear estimated the benefits study would take two to three months to complete. During that time, the city will begin to prioritize the road improvements and develop a construction calendar.

 

“We'll be working on the priority array ... so we'll be able to show people what streets we plan to do in what order and what levels of treatment each street will get,” Lanfear said.

 

The study found minor differences in the benefits to lots east of Point Brown Avenue than their counterparts to the west, mainly resulting from the superior condition of the roads on the eastern half of the peninsula.

 

The city hopes to begin actual construction by March, and Lanfear said the project will take about three years and multiple contractors to complete.

 

The $25 million price tag for the construction still needs final council approval, but council members were pleased with the results of the feasibility study.

 

Councilwoman Terry Veitz said, “If we don't do something about our streets this time around, it's going to come back four years later at three times the cost. Soon, we're not going to have any streets left ... it has to be done.”

 

Macaulay & Associates, a Seattle-based firm hired to complete both studies, also worked with the city during their 1998 sewer improvement project.

 

Source

 

Jordan Kline, a Daily World writer, can be reached at 532-4000 ext. 111 or jkline@thedailyworld.com .