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The slight rainfall outside Millwood City Hall on Monday night could have been mistaken for the applause of passing pedestrians.
With Argonne Road scheduled for a major-league overhaul next year, leaders in Millwood have been discussing the need to address the street’s crumbling sidewalks despite the fact that a $1.3 million grant from the Washington Department of Transportation will only cover pavement resurfacing and the installation of wheelchair ramps along a half-mile stretch of the city’s main corridor.
“We have complaints from people who say they can’t get through town,” said Millwood Mayor Dan Mork. “There’s no place to walk.”
On Monday, Matt Gillis of Welch/Comer Engineers, the group hired by the city to work on the design portion of the project, provided council with an update on the blueprint, including the latest opportunities for additional grant funding. Gillis said the city would need to apply for two grants through the Transportation Improvement Board by August, both of which would cover improvements to pedestrian routes on Argonne.
After a brief discussion, Council voted unanimously to have Welch/Comer pursue applications for both grants. The city will be required to come up with matching funds – 5 percent for one grant; 20 percent for another – in order to secure the money.
Gillis estimated that about 30 percent of the overall design work has been completed on the project and said he would have a preliminary cost estimate ready by the next council meeting on July 7.
Welch/Comer continues to work with Millwood’s Public Works Department as well as Spokane County on the organizational stages of the work, scheduled to begin next summer. Gillis said the top priorities include coordination of traffic signals and utility services as well as the management of stormwater drainage during construction.
Gillis echoed statements made previously by Mork and other leaders emphasizing the importance of improving all aspects of Argonne once the project is underway.
“Now is the time to work on this,” he said. “Especially with the cost of asphalt the way it is, it’s better not to tear up the pavement if you don’t have to.”
The city has already earmarked certain areas of the pedestrian walkway that will require renovation. Mork pointed to a narrow stretch of sidewalk in front of the Inland Empire Paper Mill that has been mentioned as the site of a future bikeway that would lead to the Centennial Trail.
In other council news:
- Council voted to pay a $625 annual membership fee to join Greater Spokane Incorporated, an organization created in 2007 as the result of a merger between the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Spokane Area Economic Development Council. Mork said the city’s involvement in the group – cities like Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and Airway Heights are already members – could help keep Millwood informed about funding options for transportation improvements and other municipal projects and help “voice concerns to the state Legislature.”
- Millwood became the second city in Spokane County to approve a “no-idle zone” ordinance based on the goal of reducing emissions from stalled vehicles. Liberty Lake passed a similar ordinance last month. Millwood City Council will work with the Spokane Clean Air Agency to install no-idle signs on city streets, reminding motorists to turn off their vehicles in an effort to improve air quality.
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By
Craig Howard
