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Council studies Northwest 5th Street designs and funding as staff forecasts 2,650 vehicles at build‑out
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Summary
City staff presented design alternatives for Northwest 5th Street and a projected 2,650 vehicles per day at full build‑out; council members urged further coordination with the school district and said a future roundabout would improve access, while staff warned actual cost estimates depend on final design.
City staff presented options for the long‑planned Northwest 5th Street project at a study session before the Battleground City Council on April 26, laying out design alternatives, school‑area accommodations and funding uncertainties.
Mark Percy, who led the presentation, said the Connecting Washington package awarded to the city in 2016 provided about $7.7 million for a set of projects intended to reduce congestion at the 502/503 corridor. He said the transportation plan envisions 5th as a neighborhood collector with a 50‑foot right‑of‑way, 32‑foot curb‑to‑curb pavement and 5‑foot sidewalks on both sides, but noted staff has developed several alternatives after school‑district input. "It's anticipated that about 2,650 vehicles will use the street, at the build out 2044," Percy said.
Percy outlined a school‑sensitive design with an 8‑foot sidewalk and a drop‑off lane on the CAM campus side, protected crossings with rapid rectangular flashing beacons for pedestrian routes from campus, and a concept for a future parking area that would not be built with this project. He said the school board did not appear to broadly support the project in the February presentation and that the board has new members since then.
Council members focused questions on timing, grant conditions and how the new road would interact with planned future improvements on state Route 503. Staff said the state has approved a right‑in/right‑out configuration for the non‑alternate options but would not approve the alternate alignment that used 7th Street. Percy told the council the roundabout at 503 and 5th would be a future recommendation to enable full movement access there but is not required as part of the first phase.
Council member Shane Bowman urged the council to continue moving forward, arguing the project would relieve downtown congestion and that failing to complete promised work risks the city losing political capital in future grant rounds. "We need to move forward," Bowman said, noting that delays and cost inflation over the multi‑year program have stretched the original schedule and budgets.
Other council members said they supported additional discussions with the school district and nearby businesses, including the property owners affected by the project, before approving any final design or funding plan. Staff confirmed roughly $2.6 million of the original grant remained unspent but cautioned that a final cost estimate will depend on which of the design alternatives the council selects.
Next steps: staff will continue design work, return with more detailed cost estimates and follow up conversations with the school district and affected property owners before bringing a final design and funding recommendation to council.
