PORT ANGELES — Paving Port Angeles’ gravel streets will remain a priority for the city at least for another year.
But whether any progress will be made on the rocky roads remains to be seen.
The City Council on Tuesday night unanimously passed its annually updated Capital Facilities Plan, which for the third straight year put paving the city’s 9.4 miles of gravel roads and alleys near the top of the list of prioritized projects.
But, as Mayor Dan Di Guilio pointed out, just being near the top of the list of 179 projects doesn’t guarantee funding.
It depends on how much money the city has to spend on capital projects, he said.
That amount is expected to be lower than normal for next year’s budget as, unlike the eight prior years, the city was not left with a surplus in 2009.
“It’s going to be a tight budget,” Di Guilio said, adding that it remains undetermined which projects get funded next year.
Glenn Cutler, city public works and utilities director, also said it’s too early to tell what projects will make it into the budget.
Diane Reidel, who lives on the corner of unpaved sections of O and 16th streets, said she expects that the gravel roads will remain an annoyance for her and some of her neighbors.
“It’s just a lot of dust,” she said, adding that some drivers intentionally slide on the dirt surface while rounding corners.
Reidel, 63, said she went to the City Council 20 years ago to try to get the roads paved and doesn’t expect anything to change anytime soon.
But she added that she understands that it was then, as it is now, a financial issue.
“The city just doesn’t have the money,” Reidel said.
Cutler said the city aims to do some gravel road paving every year, but he couldn’t recall the last time any progress was made.
“Our primary focus is the arterials,” he said.
Street overlays, Valley Creek restoration and repairs to the Waterfront Trail and Ediz Hook rip rap are listed as some of the other priorities in the Capital Facilities Plan.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
