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Council discusses renaming Landfill Road to Countryway; trustees, contracts and easements to be vetted before a final decision
Summary
Councilmembers generally favored changing the name to Countryway but asked staff to coordinate with the solid waste district, Republic contract obligations and public-works easement needs before formally pursuing renaming and the land-use steps required for a street-name change.
Washington City council members spent significant time Wednesday discussing whether to rename a portion of the roadway now known as Landfill Road to Countryway.
Background: The roadway in question includes a spur that provides access to the county landfill and a longer stretch that now connects Telegraph to Washington Dam Road. City staff told the council the spur into the landfill has already been abandoned and transferred to the solid-waste district; the longer connection now reads as a primary route and council members suggested the name Countryway better reflects the city’s evolving character.
Council concerns and staff direction: Several council members said they favored the Countryway name for the segment carrying through traffic but raised operational and contractual questions to resolve before moving forward: (1) the city should confirm obligations in the Republic (solid-waste) contract that reference Landfill Road (Republic is required to clean that roadway under its current contract), (2) public-works staff asked that any abandonment of smaller spurs retain easements for existing utilities (water lines and other infrastructure run in the right-of-way), and (3) the council asked the city attorney or legal staff to confirm whether a name change would require contract amendments or notices to affected parties.
Public-works notes: Public-works staff flagged a conservation-district and regional waterline access structure — an elevated blow-off/air-vac — located close to a proposed roadway alignment, and noted realigning the curb and intersection to accommodate a road connection could create nonstandard geometric intersections and require utility relocations. The department also requested retention of easements when abandoning small spurs because significant water infrastructure lies in portions of the roadway.
Next steps: Council asked staff to place the topic on upcoming agendas for the solid-waste district board to ensure Republic and the district are aware of and agree to any renaming that could affect contract references. Council agreed renaming is appropriate long-term, but requested staff to return with confirmations on contracts, easements and potential grant funding or cost-sharing for any necessary repair works before a formal renaming ordinance or public hearing is scheduled.
Speakers quoted: "I think long term it should be country way... but maybe these two things ought to be vetted just a little bit before we pull that trigger," Councilman Coates (paraphrased). "When we go to abandon those smaller spur to the south, we need to make sure we retain all of the easements there because we've got some pretty hefty water lines," Blake (Public Works Director).
Ending: Council signaled general support for the Countryway name but asked staff to coordinate with the district and other agencies and to return with legal and operational clarifications prior to initiating the formal renaming process.
