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Council approves $144,660 design contract for 17th Street drainage improvement
Summary
The council authorized a $144,660 contract with Osborne Consulting to design and permit a project that will replace an open drainage ditch near 17th Street with a piped system and extend the stormwater outfall into Fidalgo Bay to support redevelopment and a future shoreline trail.
The Anacortes City Council authorized a contract with Osborne Consulting Inc. for $144,660 to design and permit the Seventeenth Street drainage improvement project, which will replace an open ditch east of Q Avenue with a piped storm system, extend the outfall into Fidalgo Bay and provide a long‑term solution ahead of redevelopment in the area.
Staff described a chronic problem: the open ditch that conveys stormwater from a large upstream basin suffers sediment buildup and vegetation overgrowth (reed canarygrass and willows) that restrict flow, causing surcharging and localized flooding near Q Avenue in heavy rainfall. The ditch crosses property owned by the Port of Anacortes and the Anacortes School District under existing easements; anticipated development by a private party (MJB) will remove routine physical access to the ditch for maintenance, prompting the city to seek a permanent, piped solution.
Project design work funded by the contract will prepare bid‑ready construction documents, permitting materials and an extended outfall so the proposed shoreline trail is not compromised by the existing short outfall. Staff said the pipeline would tie into existing hard piping near the shoreline and be extended farther seaward to reduce erosion and conflict with the planned trail.
Councilmember Young moved to authorize the mayor to sign contract 25‑166‑STMD‑001 with Osborne Consulting; the motion carried unanimously (motion: Young; second: Moulton; yes: Cleveland McGrath, Moulton, Young, Walters). Staff said the current phase is design and permitting; construction funding and easement coordination with the Port and School District will be addressed in later steps.
