Mount Shasta council adopts Lake Street 'for all' plan, seeks minor design tweaks

Mount Shasta city council voted to adopt the Lake Street Complete Streets Plan on a voice vote after a presentation from Green Dot Transportation and follow-up questions from council and the public.

Ken Kellogg and Jeff Schwine of Green Dot summarized community outreach and technical analysis that identified sidewalk heaving, ADA ramp noncompliance, and travel lanes that encourage higher speeds. The consultants said the preferred approach reduces travel lanes to approximately 11 feet, adds parking-protected bike lanes and improves pedestrian crossings with distinctive paving treatments. "We see sidewalks that are heaving because of trees," Jeff Schwine said during the presentation, adding that designs balance pedestrian space, parking and maintenance needs.

The consultants estimated construction costs for the bicycle and pedestrian components at roughly $2 million, on top of about $2 million already identified for pavement work. Schwine said the project has a competitive chance for Active Transportation Program funding and recommended integrating the upcoming pavement project to avoid rework: "We don't want to rip out anything that we've done," he said.

Members of the public raised questions about left-turn access at the police/CVS area, sewer condition under Lake Street, and snow removal. City staff responded that the sewer line in the corridor is "fairly newly installed" and that the plan narrows lanes rather than acquiring private property for sidewalks. Schwine also said designs consider plowing and snow storage and that elevated or “deck-style” bike lanes would be plowable where used.

Council discussion focused on emergency-vehicle access, the final cost estimate and integrating the pavement and active-transportation scopes. A council member moved to approve the plan "with the amendments mentioned during the presentation," and the motion passed on a voice vote with no recorded opposition. The council directed staff to incorporate the small design tweaks discussed at the meeting before proceeding with grant applications; the consultants noted grant application deadlines in mid-June and a construction target around 2027 if funding is secured.

Next steps: staff will revise concept slides to reflect the tweaks discussed, include final design funding in grant applications, pursue Active Transportation Program grants and continue public outreach during the design phase.