Lake Forest Park pauses EV charging roll-out after cost review; public works director recommends engineering study

Lake Forest Park’s public works department recommended pausing further work on a planned citywide electric-vehicle charging station installation after a cost review showed substantially higher expected expenses, Public Works Director Rebecca told the Budget & Finance Committee on Feb. 25.

Rebecca said the city had secured grant funding for charging equipment but that a deeper review of site electrical capacity, parking reconfiguration needs and transformer upgrades showed the total project cost could be far higher than the original estimate. "We came in way over where we had originally anticipated," she said, and recommended staff "draw back, regroup, really do an evaluation of this at some point, get some funding for some engineering, and then put together cost again and go for it again."

Why it matters: proceeding without a full engineering study risks escalating costs and missing grant requirements; staff said that some grants require completed installations and reporting by October of the award year, which constrains schedule if the city proceeds without a completed site study.

Key details and numbers

- Grant and match: Rebecca said the grant award for the charging stations was about $75,000, and that with an anticipated local match the project previously estimated to total about $210,000.

- Updated total estimate: Based on preliminary engineering questions and potential need for a transformer upgrade, Rebecca said staff now estimate the total cost could be around $900,000 if an electrical service upgrade is required.

- Study cost estimates: During discussion Rebecca provided a rough study estimate of about $100,000 to evaluate sites, electrical needs and design; another councilmember suggested a larger funding envelope (discussion referenced amounts up to $300,000 for study plus design), and staff said a firmer number will follow RFQ responses.

- Schedule implications: Rebecca said Seattle City Light review processes and potential transformer work could extend the schedule; she estimated permitting and utility coordination could take many months and “could be even up to a year.” She also noted the city’s ability to satisfy some grant deadlines depends on completing installations and reporting within the grant period.

Committee questions and options considered

Councilmembers asked whether the project could prioritize public works fleet chargers ahead of city‑hall public chargers to meet grant deadlines; Rebecca said the grants as structured require completed installations to meet reporting and that prioritization might not satisfy the grant requirements. Councilmembers asked about public–private partnerships; Rebecca said the city could explore partnerships with private property owners or regional consortiums but that details and interest levels would need to be vetted.

Staff recommendation and near-term direction

Rebecca recommended pausing active procurement for installation and redirecting the previously earmarked $210,000 within capital facilities into design and engineering to develop a grant-ready project. She told the committee she will return with firm study cost proposals after RFQ responses are received.

Ending

The committee heard a request to reallocate capital-design funding and to authorize an engineering study; no formal vote on reallocation was recorded in the transcript. Staff will bring firm cost proposals and RFQ results to an upcoming meeting before any construction authorization.