WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCL AGENDA BLL NO. 2017-323 CLEARANCES nitial Date Date Received in Council Office Agenda Date Assigned to: Originator: JPR 1012412017 ll/8/2017 Council- ntroduction Division Head: JPR 1012412017 11 H ~~~ :» 1112112017 Council- Hearinf( Dept. Head: -/;- ;o/2~/;7 fi:v J0/~7/11 Prosecutor: Purchasing!BudJ;et: Executive: '\)t? \0\~\n TTLE OF DOCUMENT: An Ordinance Regarding Establishment of Speed Limits on a portion of Lake Whatcom Boulevard. 3 1 ""' il L ATTACHMENTS: 1. Memo to County Executive and County Council 2. Petition to Reduce Speed 3. Speed Limit Ordinance 4. Vicinity Map SEP A review required? ( ) Yes (X ) NO Should Clerk schedule a hearing? (X) Yes ( ) NO SEP A review completed? ( ) Yes (X ) NO Requested Date: ll/2112017 SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTCE LANGUAGE: (f this item is an ordinance or requires a public hearing, you must provide the language for use in the required public notice. Be specific and cite RCW or WCC as appropriate. Be clear in explaining the intent of the action.) To comply with RCW 46.61.415, at the direction of the County Council, it is found necessary and expedient to lower the speed limit from 35mph to 25mph on Lake Whatcom Boulevard between Cherry Lane and the western intersection Strawberry Point Road. COMMTTEE ACTON: COUNCL ACTON: 11/8/2017: ntroduced 7-0 Related County Contract #: Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number: Please Note: Once adopted and signed, ordinances and resolutions are available for viewing and printing on the County's website at: www.co. whatcom. wa.us!council.
PROPOSED BY: Public Works - Engineering NTRODUCTON DATE: 11/8/2017 ORDNANCE NO. AMENDNG WHATCOM COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 10.04, ESTABLSHNG THE SPEED LMT ON A PORTON OF LAKE WHATCOM BOULEVARD WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council is authorized under RCW 46.61.415 to establish speed limits on certain County roads; and WHEREAS, a request to lower the speed limit on Lake Whatcom Boulevard by local residents; and WHEREAS, the County Engineer is forwarding this request to the County Council to formally establish a new speed limit on Lake Whatcom Boulevard; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE T ORDANED by the Whatcom County Council that the speed limit on Lake Whatcom Boulevard be established as follows: 25 mph on Lake Whatcom Boulevard from Cherry Lane easterly to the westerly intersection of Strawberry Point Road located in Sections 35 and 36, Township 38 North, Range 3 East. BE T FURTHER ORDANED that Whatcom County Code Chapter 10.04 is hereby amended to reflect the above speed limit. BE T FNALLY ORDANED that the County Engineer is hereby directed to post the appropriate signs and that the Whatcom County Sheriff and the Washington State Patrol be notified by a copy of this ordinance. ADOPTED this day of, 2017. ATTEST: WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHNGTON Dana Brown-Davis, Council Clerk Barry Buchanan, Council Chair APPROVED AS TO FORM: ( ) Approved ( ) Denied Civil Deputy Prosecutor Jack Louws, Executive Date:
EXHBT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLC WORKS 322 N. COMMERCAL ST., SUTE 301 BELLNGHAM, WA 98225 (360)778-621 0 VCNTY MAP ' \ \ /\, - ; STE LOCATON SEE DETAL BELOW r------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------, ~-",.. / 1/ ~ PETTON EXSTNG 35 MPH CHANGE TO 25 MPH APPROXMATE LOCATON OF rproposed RADAR SPEED SGN ~. l'l ~l' ~.l h tf \. ~""---... -----1 l 1! L---------------------------1--L
WHATCOM COUNTY PUBLC WORKS DEPARTMENT Jon Hutchings Director Joseph P. Rutan, P.E. County Engineer/Assistant Director 322 N. Commercial Street, Ste 301 Bellingham, WA 98225-4042 Phone: (360) 778-6210 Fax: (360) 778-6211 Memorandum To: The Honorable Jack Louws, County Executive, and Honorable Members of the Whatcom County Council Through: Jon Hutchings, Directo.;4t. From: Joseph P. Rutan, P.E., County Engineer/Assistant Directoj., Date: October 24, 2017 Re: Ordinance Regarding Reduction of Speed Limit for a portion of Lake Whatcom Boulevard Requested Actions: Adoption of an ordinance to lower the speed limit on Lake Whatcom Boulevard from 35 mph to 25 mph between Cherry Lane and the western intersection of Strawberry Point Road. (See attached map). Background and Purpose: Lake Whatcom Boulevard residents have submitted a petition to "... extend the current speed limit of 25 mph on Lake Whatcom Boulevard to the west entrance of Strawberry Point Road." (See attached petition). n order to increase safety in the existing 25mph zone the Public Works Department intends to install a "Your Speed s" radar sign to alert westbound travelers they are entering a 25mph zone. The Public Works Department supports this request as it will provide an area for the installation of the "Your Speed s" radar sign.
lake WHATCOM BlVD/STRAWBERRY SHORES NEGHBORHOOD ROAD SAFETY & SPEED limt REDUCTON PETTON Whatcom County Council 311 Grand Ave Suite 105 Bellingham, WA 98225 Chair: Barry Buchanan Barbara Brenner Rud Browne Todd Donovan Satpal Sidhu Carl Weiner Dear Chairman Barry Buchanan and Members of County Council, The residents along Lake Whatcom Boulevard west of Strawberry Point are Petitioning the Whatcom County Council to extend the current speed limit of 25 mph on Lake Whatcom Boulevard to the west entrance of Strawberry Point. We have reported numerous road safety concerns to the Whatcom County Public Works and Whatcom County Sherriff Dept. A neighborhood meeting was held on July 13, 2017 with RodneyVandersypen and Joe Rutan from Whatcom County Public Works; and 12 residents along lake Whatcom Blvd living in the area of concern. Cars often, well exceed the posted 35 mph speed beyond safe driving on this section of a narrow road which has curves, sloping curves, hills, and dips providing very limited visibility through the multiple blind spots. Due to these road conditions there is not adequate reaction time to avoid people, cars, and animals in this area when drivers exceed the speed limit of 35 mph. There are school bus stops and WTA designated stops in th'is section of Lake Whatcom Blvd. Many portions of this stretch also have no or minimal shoulders for pedestrians and bikers. The entire stretch of Lake Whatcom Blvd from Sudden Valley has seen a significant increase of homes and road traffic within the last 10 years. When Sudden Valley was permitted, Lake Louise Road was to be used as the primary traffic pattern due to the narrow, winding and hilly road of Lake Whatcom. Blvd, as well intended to protect the watershed of Lake Whatcom. Winter months add to additional hazards as this section of road does not get direct sunlight keeping the road icy for
long periods of time. The US Post Office requires residents along the lakeside (north side)of the boulevard to have the mailboxes on the south side of the road, making an extreme and often harrowing experience to collect mail. Over the past 10 years, the residents in the 2600 block of Lake Whatcom Boulevard have written numerous communications and contacted (by phone and in person) the Whatcom County Public Works and the Whatcom County Sheriffs' Office for help and input of the safety concerns. We have notes and various communications available for additional information supporting the road safety concerns. Several properties and vehicles have had damage occur along the area we are requesting extending the 25m ph speed limit. We call upon the County Council to approve to extend the 25 mph speed limit reduction and have signs posting the speed limit through this hazardous stretch of road. This is a real and serious safety concern for the citizens living along Lake Whatcom Boulevard. Thank you for considering our petition. Please feel free to contact any of the residents in this area of concern. ry1w\~ht i4&0 0 COWlLOSt net \ ' \' ; i 7? cyuztf_o) c~ ii) ;lith{c) ' 1(5)~ ~uz.-t:1 ~\1\.Ct\f.! \e_.. ta) C.A L.Ap.!fl u~\) t!} Q;)<..l?f-.re) : c~:lle~~qj~~~(~; 1 ~ J(t~ ;!o4~w~
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