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KITTITAS COUNTY <br />DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br />PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />STUDY SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />STUDY SESSION DATE: March 11, 2019 <br />TOPIC: Weihl Road Update <br />ACTION REQUESTED: None required. <br />LEAD STAFF: <br />Mark R. Cook <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />Advertise for construction. <br />BRIEFING SUMMARY: <br />• Plans and specifications supporting Weihl Road improvement construction are <br />ready to advertise <br />• Recent attempts to pursue private construction have failed <br />• Public Works (PW) has re-evaluated the project eliminating the Mechanically <br />Stabilized Earth (MSE) wall and cutting into the hillside as an alternative <br />• Significant cost savings appear possible associated with the alternative <br />• 2019 construction is unlikely if PW pursues right of way acquisition <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Recently, the Board of County Commissioners formed RID No. 2018-01 (Weihl Road). <br />The current improvement plan includes construction of a MSE wall avoiding right of way <br />acquisition. A member of the RID is attempting to build the improvements privately but <br />is running into multiple issues. As a result of his efforts, I asked our design consultant <br />(KPG) to re-evaluate the feasibility of eliminating the MSE wall and cutting into the <br />existing bank. <br />DISCUSSION: <br />Eliminating the MSE wall significantly reduces project cost from $797,000 to $624,000. <br />If the Board elects to apply the Board pledged contribution ($273,000) towards a revised <br />project eliminating the MSE wall, RID contributions will reduce from $740 per year (15 <br />years) to approximately $425/lot per year for a 15 year cost recovery period (assumes 65 <br />lots and interest rate of 2.5%). <br />The impacts to two property owners (hillside) are not insignificant (EXHIBIT 1). It <br />appears that as much as sixteen (16) feet of bank loss from the current condition is likely. <br />Providing area residents do not elect to sale the required bank real estate, the Board could <br />consider condemnation — though this avenue appears unlikely. Redesign of the project <br />Page 1 of 3 <br />PUBLIC WORKS BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />