Anyone who has driven through downtown Aberdeen has no doubt noticed the construction projects on West Wishkah and Heron Streets. These are sidewalk improvements that allow for reshaping of the sidewalk and fitting of wheelchair access in accordance with ADA guidelines. The sidewalks are reshaped with what are called “bumpouts”. We have a lot of on street parking on both of those streets. The bumpouts allow pedestrians to stand a little farther out into the street to see around the parked cars. In the long run it will make the downtown a better place for pedestrians and for drivers. Since both Wishkah and Heron are federal highway rights-of-way that are administered by the state, the money for the improvements came from a state grant. The taxpayers of Aberdeen have not had the foot the bill at all. The project however has not been seamless and without fault. Considerable problems have plagued the businesses in that area due to the construction. I have spoken with the businesses affected by the project and it seems apparent that most of the problems stem from a lack of communication. The interruption to the flow of commerce at these local businesses, while minor to a large corporation, can be quite problematic to a local small business. The problems that were encountered could have been avoided with a bit more thought and planning. Therein lies some hope for better city government. It is well within the scope of city administration to make businesses affected by the disruption of city projects aware of the causes and effects of those projects to their businesses. I have been told that there are new projects coming down the line. As Councilman for the fifth Ward I will do whatever I can to make sure that the problems encountered with this present project are not repeated. The solutions exist and they are not that difficult. It takes cooperation on the part of the affected businesses, city officials, and the contractors that do the work. As always, the Aberdeen City Council meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 7 o’clock on the third floor of City Hall. The public is always invited. The city of Aberdeen belongs to all of us. Together let’s do this.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 06:17:58 +0000
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