Council moves ahead on road‑diet, nonmotorized corridor and speed‑limit changes; authorizes condemnation steps

The Federal Way City Council on May 20 voted to advance a set of transportation measures: it moved ordinances that authorize staff to pursue condemnation if necessary for right‑of‑way acquisitions on South 280th Street (road‑diet Phase 2) and the Pacific Highway nonmotorized corridor (Phase 2), and it forwarded a speed‑limit ordinance that would lower speeds on two project corridors while adjusting default limits on certain commercial streets.

Jonathan Strong, a civil engineer for Public Works, explained the 7‑Eleven parcel involved in the South 280th Street road‑diet project: the city offered $49,260 for a 324‑square‑foot permanent strip and an 89‑square‑foot temporary construction easement; negotiations had stalled and the ordinance authorizes continued negotiation and, if necessary, condemnation. John Mulkey, senior civil engineer, said a title discrepancy affecting a 20‑foot strip along Pacific Highway requires a legal determination of ownership so the city can secure property needed for the nonmotorized corridor; staff published certified mail notices and will use condemnation to resolve ownership if negotiations fail.

Separately, Rick Perez presented a speed‑limit ordinance: the Washington State Department of Transportation requested reducing posted limits from 35 mph to 30 mph on the South 280th Road Diet corridor and the Poverty Bay multiuse trail project as part of federally funded project conditions. The city is also proposing to raise the statutory default of 25 mph for unspecified commercial streets to 30 mph on a list of commercially zoned corridors where design speeds and conditions support that limit. In committee discussion staff said the proposed reductions on project corridors are combined with physical changes designed to make lower limits self‑enforcing; the commercial increases respond to streets designed for higher speeds.

Councilors discussed enforcement, pedestrian safety and neighborhood context. A public speaker urged caution: pedestrian‑safety research shows collision severity increases sharply with vehicle speed, and suggested the council examine collision histories for streets proposed to rise from 25 to 30 mph. Staff said they would publish maps and supporting engineering analyses before final adoption; the council forwarded the speed‑limit ordinance to the June 3 meeting for second reading.

All three condemnation/ordinance actions were forwarded to the June 3 meeting for second reading and enactment after unanimous council votes. Staff said they will continue outreach to property owners, exhaust negotiation, and pursue condemnation under state law only if a negotiated acquisition is not possible. The 280th Street project and Pacific Highway corridor are part of the city’s ongoing multimodal and safety upgrades, and the speed‑limit changes are intended to align signage with the road designs being constructed.