Council directs staff to contact property owners as first step on Washington Drive improvements

City public works staff reported that a recent survey of Washington Drive found the city lacks the right of way necessary to build full-width roadway improvements including sidewalks, curb-and-gutter, bike lanes and storm drainage. The survey was conducted after council asked staff to clarify the existing public right-of-way on the corridor.

Staff told council the corridor has inconsistent recorded widths and that implementing the full reconstruction will require additional land from adjacent private properties in the form of donations, purchases or, as a last resort, condemnation. "To provide for travel lanes, for bike lane, and replacement of curb and gutters, you know, we don't have" the necessary right of way, staff said. The report noted ongoing issues including flooding, pavement degradation and collision risk on the corridor.

Council discussion focused on next steps. Members suggested an initial step of approaching property owners to determine their willingness to dedicate or sell the required strips of land and described the outreach as a prerequisite to assembling a grant application. Council directed staff to begin contacting affected property owners and to return with findings; staff was also asked to map the distances and describe what each property would yield in right-of-way width. No formal condemnation action was taken; staff and council emphasized preference for voluntary relinquishment first.

Why it matters: Without additional right of way and drainage improvements, Washington Drive has recurring maintenance and safety problems, including flooding and crashes. The project is likely to require multiple funding sources and will be a long-term undertaking that could affect homeowners' property lines and access.

Next steps: Staff will contact property owners and report back to council with responses and a clearer estimate of needed acquisitions before pursuing funding or formal legal steps.