PORT ANGELES — Property owners on Striped Peak Road have petitioned Clallam County to reconstruct a 2,180-foot segment of private road from the end of county jurisdiction to Ocean Cove Lane.
The road would be paved with 2 inches of asphalt and widened to 24 feet. A turnaround would be added at the end of the road to comply with fire codes.
Property owners within a proposed road improvement district would pay the entire cost, which is estimated to be $664,500. The portion of Striped Peak Road would become a county road.
Talks about the road improvement district at Striped Peak have dated back about 15 years. Twenty-seven of the 49 property owners said they favored a lot method of property tax assessment that would clear the way for the project, said Dave Bibler, the county engineer in charge of road improvement districts.
Take a look
“If a majority want us to take a look at it, we probably should take a look at it,” Commissioner Mike Chapman said in during the Board of Commissioners’ work session on Monday.
Commissioner Mike Doherty, whose 3rd District includes the Striped Peak area, did not attend the work session. His input will come at another work session next Monday.
On Tuesday, the commissioners will call for a June 29 public hearing on the road improvement district, where property owners can voice their opinion.
The three commissioners have the final say on the road improvement district. They can form it without a majority of support from the property owners.
Ross Tyler, county engineer, said it is unlikely the commissioners would approve the road improvement district without a majority of support.
Tyler could not say when the gravel road west of Port Angeles road would be paved.
“It’s too far out in the process to even predict,” he said. “It is such a convoluted process.”
Each property owner must be notified of exactly how much the district would cost him or her.
Road districts are generally paid for with bonds over a 15-year span, Tyler said.
Gas tax revenue
Gas tax revenue isn’t what it used to be, Tyler said, and the additional revenue the county would receive for the half-mile of new road wouldn’t cover the cost of the maintenance.
“I’m not really in favor of adding any more miles to the system than we absolutely have to,” Tyler said.
“However, I have made the statement to the commissioners on previous projects, and they know where I stand. But I am certainly not going to fight them on it.”
He added that Striped Peak Road would be built to a high standard and would require minimal maintenance.
“We’ll be able to handle it,” he said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.
