Council receives update on Highway 99 Stage 3 supplement; design and right‑of‑way elements to proceed

City transportation staff presented Supplement No. 2 for the Highway 99 (Stage 3) Revitalization Project, outlining added design and right‑of‑way work for the corridor segment roughly between Fourth Avenue and north of 238th.

The supplement covers about $375,000 in additional design work and a right‑of‑way phase to support take and negotiation on about 21 parcels that need frontage or strip acquisitions. Staff said the total project‑to‑date budget stands at about $4.4 million, which incorporates the original contract (approximately $3.2 million), an earlier supplement, and the new Supplement 2 (presented as roughly $684,000–$784,000 in the briefing), and includes a management contingency.

Design elements in the supplement include new sidewalks on both sides, a five‑foot planter strip with a raised one‑foot delineator and a five‑foot bike lane, a second northbound left‑turn lane at Highway 99 and 238th, street‑level pedestrian lighting, stormwater treatment and planter buffers, and additional traffic and active‑transportation safety upgrades that WSDOT has asked to be included as part of complete‑streets requirements. Staff said that the complete‑streets and overlay work attracted additional WSDOT funding for portions of design and construction.

The presentation flagged six private properties needing more detailed design or off‑site stormwater work: the Safeway parcel, the Pizza Hut parcel, Taco Time, Campbell Nelson site, Shoreline Academy parcel, and the K & E Motel parcel. Work ranges from driveway regrading, parking‑lot reconfiguration, ADA ramping and stairs modifications, to bioswale and stormwater connection changes. Staff said acquisition impacts will be handled through right‑of‑way appraisals, title review, negotiation and potential cost‑to‑cure payments to property owners; the committee heard that appraisals are triggered for takes over a stated threshold (committee members referenced a $35,000 appraisal threshold in discussion).

Staff said the design target is to complete right‑of‑way design and permitting by mid‑2027 and begin construction in mid‑to‑late 2027 with about 18–24 months of construction, which would target a project finish by 2029. A right‑of‑way subconsultant (RAS Group) is on the team and SCJ (prime consultant) has been working on the project since 2022. Staff reported the project is funded primarily by Connecting Washington / Move Ahead funds and WSDOT contributions that cover substantial portions of the complete‑streets and overlay items. Staff also said they will hold future property‑owner meetings, an open house public meeting is planned, and that a placemaking committee of property owners, residents and project team members has been formed.

Ending: There was no committee vote; the presentation served as an informational update and staff said they will return with further outreach, updated design milestones, and details as right‑of‑way negotiations proceed.