Committee authorizes local agreement to accept $950,000 grant for Pine Street Crossing improvements

The Bellingham Public Works & Natural Resources Committee authorized forwarding a recommendation that the mayor enter a local agency agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation to accept grant funding for the Pine Street Crossing project.

Freeman Anthony, engineering manager, told the committee the city secured federal rail safety grant funds (Section 130) and unobligated regional carbon-reduction funds, and that accepting those funds required federalizing parts of the procurement process earlier than planned. "This is one of the projects that I'm still clinging to in my new role, but it's an exciting one," Anthony said, explaining the funding mix and the rationale for moving forward.

Anthony said the Pine Street Crossing project will bring the crossing up to quiet-zone standards, add a multi-use trail crossing, upgrade utilities, and improve the Pine Street and Cornwall Avenue intersection. Chair Lilliquis said the grant amount is $950,000 and the transcript lists the total project cost with a transcription error as "$2,765,000.200." He stated primary local funding of about $1,400,000 from real estate excise tax and $465,000 from the local transportation fund, and said those amounts are already budgeted and do not require a budget amendment.

Committee member Lisa voiced support and moved approval; members signified approval by voice. The committee will forward the authorization and related amendments with a positive recommendation to the full council for final execution of the agreement.

The transcript records funding amounts and the grant total but contains a numeric transcription error in the total project cost; the committee did not amend or correct the figure on the record. The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript.