Hansville Cross-Connector Road Committee Report
November 24, 2008
Background
The 2008 Hansville Cross-Connector Road Committee was formed in response to a June 11, 2008 public meeting held at the Greater Hansville Community Center to further discuss speed table options. The June 11th meeting was a follow-up to a May 27, 2008 public meeting during which speed table options were brainstormed.
At the June 11th meeting, participants were asked to identify two or three issues/possible actions for further study, then to volunteer to join one or more of the working groups to research and evaluate feasibility of proposed actions for subsequent recommendation to the wider community and then to the Board of County Commissioners.
The resulting three “working groups” were:
(1) Removal of the tables and proposal of alternatives for controlling speed;
(2) Modification/improvement of the existing tables;
(3) Research the possibility of constructing a new road connecting Hood Canal Drive with Hansville Road (a “cross connector” road). [A new road would make it possible for Shore Woods, Driftwood Key, and western Twin Spits residents to travel to and from their homes without traversing speed tables.]
History
The possibility of constructing a Hansville Area Connector road was extensively studied by the Kitsap County Public Works Department in 1996 using the consulting services of Kato & Warren, Inc. of Seattle.
Reference was appropriately noted of the 1993 Hansville Community Plan prepared at the direction of the Hansville Open Space Committee with the support of the Kitsap County Department of Community Development. This plan encompassed four goals:
(1) Establishment of Open Space corridors to support diversity and continuity of natural systems;
(2) Balancing the creation of open space with the preservation of private property rights.
(3) Establishment of mechanisms to preserve rural character.
(4) Interconnecting of the Hansville community with a Pathway Network consisting of both on-road and off-road pathways.
The 1993 Hansville Community Plan also references a possible new regional road connecting Hood Canal Drive approximately located from the gravel pit west of the curve south of Ponderosa Road (in the section of 2008 reconstructed Hood Canal Drive) to Little Boston Road. This regional road was included among the Report’s Recommendations for Further Study.
Hansville Area Connector: Phase 1 – Corridor Reconnaissance Study, October 1996
The 1996 Corridor Reconnaissance Study focused on endeavoring to identify the best corridor, rather than on trying to establish specific roadway alignments. Two variant corridor routes were examined; one more southerly, and one more northerly. It was determined that the best terminus point on the west side of the peninsula was at or near the intersection of Ponderosa Road and Hood Canal Drive NE in the Shore Woods area. On the east side, the north corridor variant would terminate on the Hansville Road NE about 1.9 kilometers north of the intersection of Little Boston Road NE and Hansville Road NE. The southerly route would be longer –3.0 miles - as it angles southward towards Little Boston Road. The northerly route would be about 2.6 miles long.
One of the 1996 project objectives was to minimize adverse environmental impacts. Both corridor routes endeavored to achieve this objective, primarily by avoiding wetlands to the extent possible. The northerly alignment was projected to be located on a ridge that is drier and has less wet lands.
In terms of construction and right-of-way acquisition costs, the north alignment was estimated in 1996 to cost between $6.22 million and $6.58 million, whereas the south alignment would cost approximately $7.78 million, a difference some $1.4 million from the north alignment.
In 1996, the County recommended that the next step would be for completion of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) of the two alternative proposed routes. The next phase of study would also have included the “brush cutting” and staking in the field of the two proposed corridors.
Subsequent study was never undertaken. It was reported to the Committee that the proposed Hansville Area Connector Road was deleted from the County’s 6-year Transportation Improvement Plan when the Olympic Property Group’s (OPG) north end property was down-zoned.
The 2008 Cross-Connector Road Study Committee’s Work
July
The first meeting of the North Kitsap Cross-Connector Road Committee was convened on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. at the Greater Hansville Community Center. The meeting was convened by Gerry Porter who had volunteered to chair this working group.
Other members of the Committee who attended one or more subsequent meetings were: Bob Amos, Barb Fox, John Hunter, Karla Martin, Daria Nelson, Gary Paulson, Dody Solaas, Hugh Tucker, and Carol Wood.
At the first meting, the following purpose/mission statement for the Committee was agreed upon:
Construction feasibility study for a new road connecting Hood Canal Drive near the Driftwood Key-Shore Woods communities with Hansville Road to facilitate access and egress.
The following tasks were outlined:
· Identification of stakeholders: North Kitsap neighborhoods, Olympic Property Group, Hansville Greenway & Wildlife Corridor, Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife, North Kitsap taxpayers, utility providers including Puget Sound Energy, Public Utility District #1, CenturyTel, and Comcast.
· Review 1996 Hansville Area Connector Study.
· Identification of proposed route and width of the connector corridor
· Meet with stakeholders to listen to concerns and assess support/opposition
· Organize sub-groups to develop next steps.
Committee members were asked to read the following background documents:
(1) Cross Connector Road: Questions and Answers, February 1997
(2) The Cross-Connector Road by Bob Amos
It was agreed that Gerry Porter and Gary Paulson would meet with Olympic Property Group officers to gauge their interest and potential support for the development of a North Kitsap cross connector road. On Tuesday, July 20th, Gary and Gerry met with Jon Rose, Olympic Property Group President, and Elizabeth Wilson, Olympic Property Group Vice-President at OPG’s Poulsbo headquarters.
During this very positive discussion it was determined that OPG’s position on the proposed project would be neither “for” nor “against.” Also, due to the current economic environment, no near-term further development of OPG’s North Kitsap land holdings is foreseen, and participation at this time by OPG in the proposed road’s construction is unlikely.
The value of the proposed connector road to future development of the property currently owned by OPG – either by OPG or a subsequent owner – is difficult to predict. If there is development of this property in the future it is conceivable that a connector road could well provide access to the area’s wider road net.
August
The Committee next met on August 26th at 1:00 p.m. at the Greater Hansville Community Center. Invited guests attending were Jon Brand, Assistant Public Works Director and Kitsap County Engineer, and Jeff Shea, Traffic Engineer for the Kitsap County Department of Public Works. Discussion focused on the County’s planning process for new road construction, costs, and funding alternatives.
The Department of Public Works has a six-year planning cycle for new road projects. Priority is determined by urgency, length of time in the planning process, and funding availability. Ultimately, road improvement projects are chosen based upon their value in promoting safety and for improving infrastructure. North Kitsap projects in the six-year planning cycle include the 2009 paving of shoulders on Hood Canal Drive from Ponderosa Road to Twin Spits Road, reconstruction of Cliffside Road (2010) for which a WA State grant is available, and the paving of Hansville Road shoulders from Ecology Road north to Twin Spits Road (2011).
Brand indicated that the proposed cost today for construction of a cross-connector would likely be in excess of $20 million. Subsequent to the meeting he provided spreadsheets indicating an estimated cost – including contingencies and right-of-way acquisition – for the north alignment route (2.6 miles) at $25,678,262 and $35,443.298 for the south alignment route (3 miles).
These cost projections provided by Brand were based on quantities generated in the Kato and Warren report and 2008 estimates. According to Brand, there are storm water and critical areas regulations in place today far exceeding anything anticipated by Kato and Warren. Brand’s figures also included an estimate for fair market value to purchase the right-of-way.
Availability of County funds for roads is increasingly limited, especially due to the repair work required as a result of the December 2007 floods and the current economic downturn in County revenue. The County’s 2009-2014 Transportation Plan includes $5.3 million for new projects. Brand suggested that one funding source might be the establishment of a Road Improvement District (RID) for northern tip of the Kitsap peninsula. This would require a minimum of 60% of property owners to support the funding of a RID through a special property tax levy; such a levy would be in effect for several years, depending upon how the RID might be structured.
In follow-up to the August 26th meeting, Jeff Shea provided a Bainbridge Island Local Improvement District (LID) Checklist outlining 111 steps required for the establishment of a LID/RID.
September
The Committee next met on Tuesday, September 30th at 1:00 p.m. at the Greater Hansville Community Center. Elizabeth Wilson, Olympic Property Group Vice-President, attended as a guest.
Bob Amos provided an update on recent discussions he had with Jon Brand and other resource persons in an attempt to get a better handle on cross connector road construction costs (including contingencies and land acquisition). While hard numbers are difficult to determine, Bob estimates that cross-connector road construction costs should not exceed $12 million based upon actual costs of comparable 2006-2007 projects. More reliable figures will be developed by the work that is proposed in the conclusions section of this report.
In advance of the meeting, copies of speed monitoring graphs comparing the dates of 5/2/07 (pre-speed table installation) and 1/22/08 (post-speed table installation) provided by Jeff Shea were distributed to the Committee. These graphs in general showed a marked decrease in speeding over 40 mph following the speed table installations.
Gerry Porter reported on inquiries he had received as a result of articles regarding the Committee’s work, primarily resulting from articles published in the Greater Hansville Community Center Log. Concerns have been expressed about the proposed route as it might affect Shore Woods and Hansville Road residents. Concerns have also been noted concerning the potential negative effects on the Hansville Greenway and the road bisecting a wildlife corridor.
Discussion focused on the feasibility of presenting a cross connector road project plan to the wider northern Kitsap peninsula community. The following challenges were identified:
· County priority – and funding – is probably non-existent for a new road to be constructed on the North Kitsap Peninsula in the foreseeable future.
· In view of the downturn in the housing market, it is unlikely that OPG will participate in the construction of any road in the near future; however as stated earlier, any road built in this area may well ultimately benefit OPG or subsequent owners. It is not unreasonable to expect therefore that the County could negotiate for donation of the right-of-way (ROW) for the road’s construction.
· A definite cross connector corridor route has not yet been determined.
· Projected costs for road construction and land acquisition are very soft.
· The current U.S. economy is not favorable for local residents to likely support a special tax assessment to fund a cross connector road.
· Population growth – and business development - in the north end are not projected to significantly increase in the foreseeable future.
· Concerns remain among some for a cross connector road’s impact upon the Greenway, wetlands, and wildlife.
· There appears to be a fair amount of anti-development sentiment among North End residents.
Conclusions
The Committee remains of the opinion that the construction of a cross connector road would greatly improve access and egress for Shore Woods and Driftwood Keys residents providing an alternative for these residents to avoid the speed tables on these Twin Spits Road and Hood Canal Drive. A cross connector road would also substantially relieve traffic on both Twin Spits Road and Hood Canal Drive, benefiting residents of those neighborhoods.
Due to the feasibility concerns identified above, the Committee is not prepared at this time to recommend a cross connector road construction plan to the wider community.
Before the Committee closes this chapter on the possibility of a cross connector road for its consideration at some future time, the Committee invites any interested persons to volunteer for two short-term projects to give the community a better understanding of the road and its potential cost and funding:
(1) Cutting of a rough path on the 1996 proposed north corridor route to define its vertical and horizontal alignment and to discover any wetland, stream, or other issues for mitigation; this data will be used to aid in the calculation of more accurate projected costs for the road’s construction.
(2) Identification of the boundaries of the area benefited by the road and the assessed value of the properties within those boundaries.
With a more accurate estimate of the road’s projected cost and the assessed value of the property within the benefited area, the community will be in a much better position to know the mill rate that might be assessed against their property if in the future a Road Improvement District (RID) were to be formed. While this is not anticipated in the near future, information such as this is what a community needs to develop an understanding and perspective.
Persons interested in assisting with either of these two projects are invited to be in touch with either Bob Amos at (360) 638-2608 or Dody Solaas at (360) 638-2444.
Appreciation
Thanks and appreciation are expressed to the Committee members participating in these discussions, members of the Kitsap County staff who provided valuable resource material and information for the Committee’s deliberation, Olympic Property Group officers who provided important information and counsel, and to the Greater Hansville Community Center for graciously hosting the Committee’s meetings.
Respectfully submitted,
Gerry Porter, chair