Open house to focus on traffic, businesses on Tumwater road ...

CHELSEA KROTZER | Staff writer ? Published October 19, 2012 Modified October 19, 2012

An open house to discuss traffic issues and attracting businesses on a 1.2 mile-section of Capitol Boulevard in Tumwater is set for the end of the month.

IF YOU GO

What: The third of four open houses about plans for a section of Capitol Boulevard.

When: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 30.

Where: Peter G. Schmidt Elementary School cafeteria, 225 Dennis St. SE., Tumwater.

WHAT?S NEXT

A fourth open house discussing design standards, development and zoning will be held later.

The city hired a consulting firm in February to look at both those issues between Southgate Shopping Center and Israel Road. A good chunk of the consultant?s time has been spent on traffic.

?It?s taking a little bit longer than we had hoped,? said David Ginther, senior planner with the City of Tumwater. ?We knew it would suck up a lot of time, energy and money on this.?

The Trosper Road intersection has been a major area of concern, as well as issues with vehicles coming and going from Interstate 5.

Both those issues are outside the current study?s realm.

?We are doing as much as we can to help the businesses and residents along the corridor, but trying to fix the Trosper Road-Capitol Boulevard intersection, that would taken an entirely different study and be very expensive,? Ginther said.

Most other traffic issues occur at the north end, he said.

Proposed ideas include constructing a parallel road for residents and customers giving them better access to businesses without dealing with the thoroughfare.

?We?d have to be careful with impacts on the neighborhoods there,? Ginther said.

Questions also have come up on what to do with a vacated state Department of Transportation site that is set to be redeveloped.

A row of homes behind the property also is up for discussion.

?It?s up in the air what the community wants to do with these homes,? Ginther said.

Options have included leaving the homes as is, finding funding to buy them out or having a developer try to buy them out.

The consultant also is looking for ways to ease traffic issues for those trying to cross multiple lanes to get to businesses such as Thompson?s Furniture, Starbucks and Arby?s.

Chelsea Krotzer: 360-754-5476
ckrotzer@theolympian.com
theolympian.com/thisjustin
@chelseakrotzer

Source: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/10/19/2291267/open-house-to-focus-on-traffic.html

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