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Engineer briefs commissioners on Twisp apartment traffic study, compressor-brake noise complaints and shop equipment issues
Summary
County engineer Josh Thompson reviewed a traffic study for a proposed 72-unit Twisp apartment project, discussed a neighborhood complaint about unmuffled compression brakes ("Jake brakes") and briefed the board on shop day-tank and pump problems.
County Engineer Josh Thompson told commissioners he had reviewed a traffic study for a proposed 72-unit apartment complex near Twisp that projects roughly 536 vehicle trips per day if the development is built. Thompson said the road’s existing average daily traffic on Twisp–Carlton Road is just under 700 ADT, so adding the development is a sizable percentage increase, though models show the corridor remaining within the county’s level-of-service standard overall. State and city agencies will coordinate on the Highway 20 intersection where left-turn movements are expected to be most affected.
Thompson also raised a persistent noise complaint from residents on Conconully Road: unmuffled compression brakes (commonly called Jake brakes) being used in the neighborhood around 3:30 a.m. Most noise-ordinance language covers continuous or repetitive noise and contains exemptions for certain agricultural vehicles; a single vehicle’s unmuffled Jake brake may fall outside a straight application of the county noise code. Commissioners agreed to ask the sheriff’s office to attempt outreach and, if possible, to have an officer speak with or flag the driver when the behavior occurs before pursuing any ordinance change.
On county maintenance issues Thompson reported that one shop’s day tank and overflow pump system was not operating automatically: staff manually ran pumps and observed the overflow protection failed to engage at high tank levels. He said technicians will troubleshoot sensors and associated controls and that heat tape and small door canopies are planned to reduce freeze-related failures. Thompson also noted an interlocal agreement with WSDOT for under-bridge inspections of three bridges that is budgeted and ready to sign.
Why it matters: The Twisp development could alter traffic patterns at a nearby state-controlled intersection; Jake-brake noise affects resident sleep and may require sheriff or code-enforcement outreach. Shop pump failures affect equipment reliability for road maintenance operations.
What’s next: Thompson will share the traffic study with commissioners and coordinate with city and state engineers on the intersection. The sheriff’s office will be asked to monitor the Jake-brake complaint. Public-works staff will continue troubleshooting the day-tank controls and plan winterization fixes.
