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Cosmopolis council weighs traffic-calming and parking fixes after resident complaints
Summary
Councilors debated a proposed four-way stop at Paisley/Dundee and an ordinance amendment about parking damage at Macareno Park, heard resident testimony about gravel parking on Bell Drive, and asked staff for an action plan, community forum and targeted enforcement.
Councilors spent substantial time on April 15 addressing local traffic and parking concerns, ranging from a citizen request for a four-way stop near a park to damage at Macareno Park caused by persistent parking.
Council Member Skinner introduced a citizen letter opposing installation of a four-way stop at Paisley Way and Dundee Drive; the author said she had lived nearby for 50 years and had not observed safety problems. Other council members said they had received reports of at least two near-misses involving children and noted a daycare and park nearby. Council discussion emphasized alternatives — painted roadway markers, crosswalks, stop lines, higher-visibility pavement markings, community education and bike-safety programs — and the need to prioritize action items in a traffic-calming plan before spending limited funds.
On Macareno Park, Mayor Spring described damage from vehicles parking on city-owned parkland and asked council to review Ordinance 1369. Building inspector Mr. Cedor said the city owns the parcel and that a PUD only holds an easement for overhead power lines; he advised the city is the only entity that can grant parking permission. Several residents spoke during public comment: one described installing and maintaining a gravel strip to reduce mud and said park users now overflow into neighborhood parking on Bell Drive; another urged the council not to adopt an unenforced ordinance without enforcement capacity.
Councilors asked staff to add these items to a public-safety action plan, host a neighborhood open house, coordinate targeted enforcement with the contracted police provider during high-event times (cross-country meets), and publish notice of parking ordinances and warnings before issuing tickets. Mr. Cedor also cited a state RCW provision that requires property owners to remove tracked mud or debris from roadways.
Next steps: staff will prepare an action-plan proposal and community outreach forum to gather neighborhood input and identify low-cost calming measures and enforcement steps.
