Mount Vernon council adopts amendment to 2025–2030 transportation plan after public hearing on Blackburn Road and trail lighting

Mount Vernon City Council on Wednesday approved Resolution 1067, an amendment to the city’s 2025–2030 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that moves preliminary engineering for Kulshen (Kolschon/Kulshen in materials) Trail Safety Lighting Phase 3 to 2025 and separates the decades‑old Blackburn Road Extension project into a planning project and a later design/right‑of‑way project.

The amendment corrects a federal funding timing error for the trail lighting project and reorganizes the Blackburn Road work so the existing, locally funded planning contract can advance to a 30% preferred‑concept stage while the larger design and construction phases are listed separately for future funding efforts.

City staff said the Kulshen Trail lighting federal award is for 2025, not 2026 as previously listed, and the TIP needed to match that schedule to meet grant obligation documentation by March 1. Staff also said the Blackburn Road entry on the TIP had historically lumped planning, design, right‑of‑way and construction into a single listing and that splitting the item better positions the city to pursue federal legislative appropriations for later design phases.

At the public hearing, resident Liam Deepaitz said he supports lighting the trail for safety but questioned whether the Blackburn extension merits regional significance or federal pursuit. “It would serve approximately a 100 homes and shorten driving time to the area by a maximum of 4 minutes per trip,” Deepaitz said, arguing the extension could increase the city’s maintenance burden without producing broad transportation or environmental benefits.

Council discussion noted the project has been on the TIP for roughly 30 years and has been historically understood as developer‑funded for construction. One council member said they had concerns and intended to vote no; the council nevertheless moved to adopt the amendment. A motion to approve the resolution was made and seconded; the presiding officer announced the motion passed.

The amendment’s staff materials show no immediate impact on the city’s 2025 operating budget for the Blackburn planning project because that planning work is already locally funded. Staff warned there may be a need for a budget amendment to align local matching funds for the Kulshen Trail design grant and said they will return if a February amendment is required.

Resolution 1067 does not authorize construction. It reassigns TIP line items and timing so design work and grant obligations can proceed. Councilmembers indicated they expect further policy discussion about whether future design or construction phases should be pursued with congressional appropriations or remain developer‑funded.

Next steps: staff will complete the locally funded planning project for Blackburn Road to a preferred concept this year and pursue federal legislative appropriation opportunities for future design if council directs that effort.

Votes at a glance: Council approved Resolution 1067 to amend the 2025–2030 TIP. The motion included a recorded public hearing; at least one council member voiced opposition before the vote; the presiding officer announced the motion passed.