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Medical Lake planning panel debates roundabout proposals, traffic safety and maps for 20‑year plan
Summary
Planning commissioners reviewed a draft transportation plan, discussed five proposed roundabouts on the 902 corridor and asked staff for prioritized accident data and maps. Residents and commissioners raised pedestrian‑safety concerns; staff emphasized the plan is a 20‑year guide and that state (WSDOT) partnership will be required for Highway 902 changes.
Medical Lake’s Planning Commission spent the bulk of its April 16 meeting focused on transportation elements of the city’s comprehensive plan, including a consultant’s draft, proposed roundabouts on the 902 corridor and unresolved questions about maps and right‑of‑way.
Staff told commissioners a transportation consultant has prepared a draft that includes accident reports and that maps and graphics were still being finalized. “I can certainly ... assuming I have them prepared bring those back in May,” staff said, asking commissioners for feedback before the draft goes to city council. Commissioners pressed for the maps and for a master checklist of outside agencies that should be consulted, including the school district and hospitals.
The session moved quickly into a detailed debate about roundabouts. Commissioners and residents named candidate intersections they said deserve attention — including 902 & Graham, 902 & Brooks, Stanley & Lake and Lefay — and asked staff to prioritize sites by accident history and potential benefit. Staff cited accident data for Lake and Stanley covering 1990–2024 and urged commissioners to treat the comprehensive plan as a long‑range guide: “It’s a 20‑year plan, right? So it’s not ... let’s put roundabouts everywhere tomorrow,” a staff member said.
Arguments about roundabouts split the panel. One commissioner said roundabouts can keep traffic moving and slow vehicle speeds, while others worried about backups during hospital shift changes and the presence of buses, schoolchildren and parked cars near some intersections. Commissioner comments noted that 902 is a state highway and that WashDOT would need to be engaged for design and cost‑sharing. Staff said the existing right‑of‑way is sufficient for most proposed roundabouts but flagged one Brooks location that would require additional property; staff added that the parcel is city‑owned.
A resident, Diane Nichols, urged caution: “I’m not a huge fan of them and I do have concerns about the number that would be on 902,” she said during the public‑comment period, noting schoolchildren, bus stops and seniors in mobility devices who cross those corridors. Nichols suggested exploring alternatives — flashing signals, crosswalk improvements or parallel bike/ped routes — before committing to multiple roundabouts.
Other code changes tied to transportation were discussed in the same block of work: staff noted Senate Bill 6015 requires minimum parking dimensions and that Medical Lake’s code will be adjusted to match state law; staff told commissioners the city expects to move from its current 9-by-18 standard to 9-by-20 parking stalls as part of code updates.
What’s next: staff said they will circulate the draft maps when available, provide prioritized accident data for the commission to review, and return with more developed language in the next packet. The commission did not vote on transportation projects at the meeting, and no construction commitments were made.
