By Kevin Hanson-The Courier-Herald
The city of Enumclaw may not have the money needed to bring all its streets into top-notch condition, but a priority list has been prepared and adopted.
The city's Public Works Department commissioned a study, which was conducted in the fall. Experts looked over each of the city's streets and assigned a numeric grade to each.
Enumclaw has miles of roadway on its roster, varying from nearly new to somewhat uncomfortable.
At the conclusion of the road study, results were delivered to the City Council, along with a suggested list of remedies. Options ranged from the financially impossible - making timely improvements to every street needing work - to doing nothing at all in the coming years.
The council listened, but did not take action. Instead, the report will be passed along to the council's Public Works Committee, which will study the findings and make a recommendation to the full council, according to City Administrator Mark Bauer.
Tackling every street needing repair is out of the question. The estimated price tag for such a plan climbed into the millions over the next five years and no one is hinting that such an undertaking is even remotely possible.
Likewise, no one at City Hall is suggesting that nothing be done.
Bauer said the council has authorized $150,000 for each of the next five years to be used for road repair. That plan could be altered, however, once the results of the street survey have been fully digested.
Bauer noted it's not as simple as tackling the lowest-rated streets first. Other factors, like traffic volume, will determine which roads are dealt with first.
Public Works Director Chris Searcy noted that judging the quality of a city street isn't as simple as driving over the roadway and noting how bumpy the ride might be. Some surfaces seem smooth, he said, but are riddled with small cracks that directly lessen the road's lifespan.
Eight portions of city streets floated to the top of the list, making them the worst in the city's inventory. The survey judged each on a scale of zero to 100, with lower numbers representing the worst the city has to offer.
Earning only a score of 3 was a stretch of Bailey Street between Kibler and Davis avenues.
Others judged among the city's worst were:
€ a piece of Elmont Avenue east of Harding Street, with a score of 5.
€ Lincoln Avenue between Loraine and Garfield Streets, with a score of 6.
€ a section of Blake Street north of Warner Avenue, and a stretch of Initial Avenue between Garfield and Harding, each with a score of 8.
€ Division Street between Initial and Montgomery avenues, and Warner Avenue east of Berninger Avenue, each with a score of 9.
Kevin Hanson can be reached at khanson@courierherald.com.
