Concepts for addressing Sunset Avenue concerns on Tuesday City Council agenda

The much-talked-about Sunset Avenue Walkway will once again come before the Edmonds City Council, during its Tuesday night work meeting.

Public Works Director Phil Williams is scheduled to offer several concepts that would address concerns raised about the temporary walkway, which runs from the west side of Sunset beginning at Bell Street on the south, running north along the bank above the railroad tracks, rounding the dogleg at Caspers Street, and finally meeting the existing sidewalk at Third and Caspers.

According to the council agenda: “The purpose of this presentation is to provide several concepts for continuance of the project: a rough concept of the use of the overlook, a traffic calming device at the intersection of Sunset Ave and Bell St, methods to alleviate congestion at the area of angled parking, possible inclusion of additional parallel parking areas, and a concept for discouraging wrong-way traffic on the road.”

The pilot restripe of Sunset Avenue to include the walkway was opened for public use on Sept. 18, 2014. Since then, the item has come up for discussion before the city council several times, and has been the subject of both criticism and compliments from those who live on Sunset Avenue as well as those who use the walkway.

You can see a copy of the concepts presentation here.

Also on the council agenda for discussion only:

– Briefing on the 2017-2022 Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program

Proposed location of speed limit reduction on Highway 104.
Proposed location of speed limit reduction on Highway 104.

– Ordinance amending Section 8.16.040 of the Edmonds City Code (ECC); amending the speed limit from 40 MPH to 35 MPH on Highway 104 from the west side of the 95th Place intersection to the east side.

– Presentation of a Supplemental Agreement with Murray, Smith & Associates for the design of the 2017 Waterline Replacement Project

– Presentation of a Supplemental Agreement with BHC Consultants for the 2017 Sewerline Replacement Project

– Presentation of an Agreement with Comcast for the underground conversion of overhead utility line within the 76th Ave West and 212th Intersection Improvements Project limits

– Presentation of an Agreement with Wave Broadband for the underground conversion of overhead utility lines within the 76th at 212th Intersection Improvements project limits

The council will also consider one action item: authorizing Mayor Dave Earling to sign an employment agreement with Andrew Pierce as the City Council’s new legislative/executive assistant.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Public Safety Complex, 250 5th Ave. N. You can see the complete agenda here.

  1. Oh sure, solve the lousy changes to Sunset be redirecting traffic to 2nd Ave. N. This just gets worse and worse. The original configuration was quiet, safe and popular. Give it up?

  2. I think the Mayor and Phil Williams are determined to win out even though actual Edmonds residents say no. It seems like money is no object?

    1. It has seemed that way from the beginning. BNSF has not agreed to an easement and probably never will. Why should they?

    2. Well, pet projects can become personal and lose sight of what might make sense or how much it costs. I hope that’s not the case here.

    1. Oh, it’s no private street. It used to support an endless circular caravan of kids in cars. That led to the present configuration of no left turn from west-bound Caspers and the no right turn from east-bound Caspers. Still works. Traffic still comes through but mostly north bound.

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