Council debates street vacation

Members of the Cathlamet Town Council sparred over vacation of a street and worked on other issues during the monthly meeting on Monday.

Councilmembers have been ready to act on a request from Port District 1 to vacate a portion of Beal Street which runs through port district property at the Elochoman Slough Marina. Port spokespersons have said they would like ownership of the land to accommodate economic development activity.

On Monday, former mayor and now planning commission member Richard Swart urged the council to wait till the planning commission has reviewed the proposed vacation as part of its update of the town's comprehensive plan.

"There are good reasons to get input from the planning commission before you abandon the right of way," Swart said. "Once it's gone, it's gone."

Mayor Dale Jacobson disagreed.

"Beal Street has been a hodgpodge for years," he said. He pointed out that the council has already vacated property at each end of the street. Where it isn't developed, it is used for business parking, and Wahkiakum PUD has run a power line down the right-of-way.

"I encourage the council to go forward," Jacobson said.

Councilmember David Goodroe also urged action. He commented that the comprehensive plan revision has been underway for 16 years and that the vacation, which would generate economic benefits, doesn't need to wait longer.

However, Councilmember Wally Wright had a different idea.

"Why doesn't the port pay," Wright asked. "Why should the town be giving away property?"

"I said months ago, 'Put a sign on it,'" added Councilmember Bill Talbott.

Goodroe countered that the town government will benefit from sales tax revenue. The proposed agreement with the port commission also stipulates the town may use a port parcel near town hall for its parking needs as long as the port doesn't need it for an event.

"It's a street we'll never use," Goodroe said.

Former Mayor George Wehrfritz asked if the state Department of Transportation had discussed the ramifications of vacating a street so close to the marina. He also asked how the vacation might affect flow of large trucks or emergency response vehicles.

Ryan Smith, who lives in the neighborhood and is a candidate for council, commented that he had seen large truck combinations use the streets without problems.

After more discussion the council voted to approve the vacation ordinance for the second of its three readings. Wright voted no; Andy Lea abstained, and Goodroe, Talbott and Hannah Booth Watts voted in favor.

Councilmembers tabled action on a request to lift a moratorium on development in Columbia Ridge Estates. The council had imposed the moratorium several years ago because the homeowners association, which is responsible for street construction and maintenance, was inactive and street work hadn't been completed.

Developer Scott Espedal asked that the moratorium be lifted because the conditions cited in the document have been satisfied. The association is active, he said, and they have completed the street work, he said.

Wright asked if the association had also completed the street link with Douglas Street, which connects to the development over an unimproved dirt road.

Espedal responded that the link wasn't part of the moratorium, but Wright and Fire Chief Fred Johnson said the link is important for emergency response.

After more discussion, the council agreed to table the request. Espedal said the homeowners association would need to act if improvements were to be made to the unimproved link.

Councilmembers approved a payment to the contractor who installed new streetlights along Main Street.

However, they expressed dissatisfaction with the design engineers, and some suggested a claim for damages because of the project's problems.

Public Works Director Duncan Cruickshank commented that the town has surplus brackets and poles that don't meet design standards, and that the banner brackets on the poles were so low that a delivery truck broke one off the day the contractor was finishing up the project.

Mayor Jacobson reported finding support for the idea of turning the old sewer lagoons into a park. Port 1 would like to use the site for an upland disposal site for dregde spoils, the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce wants to work with the town to help design the project.

The counicl voted to authorize town officials to pursue the project.