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Planners describe 48‑unit Bayview Vista building; commissioners press on traffic and pedestrian safety
Summary
City staff described the Bayview Vista 48‑unit multifamily building and said traffic studies and sidewalk infill are intended to mitigate impacts; commissioners raised pedestrian‑safety concerns near SR 20 and asked about signalized crossings and a planned roundabout on a nearby subdivision entrance.
City planning staff told the commission on Aug. 11 that Bayview Vista is a 48‑unit, three‑to‑four‑story residential building with a street‑oriented entrance and new sidewalk, curb and gutter on Barrington.
"It is a 48 unit residential building," Ray Lindenberg, senior planner, said during the presentation. He said the development includes surface parking tucked to the rear and new sidewalk infill designed to improve walkability into downtown.
Commissioners pressed staff about traffic and pedestrian safety on State Route 20 near the project, pointing to a local history of pedestrian collisions. "We actually have a, unfortunately, very high, pedestrian accident rate," one commissioner said, urging attention to crossings and signals.
Lindenberg responded that traffic studies are standard for projects of this scale and that, while vehicle trips will increase incrementally, the street network is heavily gridded so traffic should disperse. "Yes, there will be more traffic. We feel it's dispersed enough, and there is not a situation where an intersection is failing because of this project," Lindenberg said, adding that sidewalk construction and coordination with WSDOT on signalized crossings are part of mitigation options.
The staff presentation also noted that Oak Heights subdivision access work includes a proposed roundabout at Eagle Vista and SR 20 intended to relieve concentration of traffic at 24th Avenue; Lindenberg said that roundabout design is "very near approval" and construction could occur within roughly six to ten months. Commissioners said they want the city to continue partnering with WSDOT on crossings for pedestrians and to monitor the effects as adjacent projects move forward.
