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Colfax council told Ann Street likely can’t meet 20‑foot fire‑code width
Summary
City Administrator Matt Hammer and SynTier engineer Tom Stirling told the council the slope and right‑of‑way constraints make a continuous 20‑foot Ann Street unlikely; the engineer estimated a 19‑foot width for about 250 feet of the 1,700‑foot street and the council asked the fire department for a written apparatus‑width report.
City Administrator Matt Hammer told the Colfax City Council that the fire department had advised the International Fire Code (IFC) minimum road width is 20 feet and that turning‑radius requirements apply. SynTier Engineering’s Tom Stirling, who has been working with the Solbracks on the Ann Street proposal, reported field work showed slope and right‑of‑way limits make achieving a full 20‑foot street impractical; he said the Old Orchard portion “will ultimately be 19 ft. wide for approximately 250 feet of the 1700 ft street.”
The council heard that over‑digging one side to widen the roadway would require impacting neighboring properties and retaining walls will be needed where the hillside is cut. Hammer noted current city street‑build code is 32 feet and said the earlier resolution authorized only a feasibility study, not construction approval. Council members raised concerns about city liability for nonconforming width, escape routes from the Solbrack property, and whether a narrower street could impede emergency response. The council directed the fire department to meet with Tom Stirling and provide a written report on apparatus width and operational implications; no final decision was made at the meeting.
