Arlington's refi enables fire station upgrade
Published on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 by Sarah Arney - Special To The OutlookRead More Local News
Hallelujah and amen.
Arlington City Councilmembers Sally Lien and Linda Byrnes celebrated a unanimous vote Aug. 2 in favor of an ordinance to refinance a 2001 bond and a county loan at "the best rate in 46 years," the city's finance director, Jim Chase, told the council.
The ordinance bundled three projects:
• Refinance of old debt at a lower interest rate
• Remodel of Fire Station 46
• Purchase of six acres for an airport runway protection zone
The refi will enable the city to move forward on the remodel of the historic Fire Station 46 in downtown Arlington, a project that has been on the city's priority list for several years.
The upgrade will expand living quarters for on-duty firefighters, add meeting rooms and pay for seismic upgrades to enable the historic station, completed in 1961, to continue serving the community into the future. The $1.7 million project could begin in late September. The authorization to go to bid will be on the Aug. 16 council agenda, according to assistant administrator Kristin Banfield.
The $1.272 million purchase of six acres of land owned by Cal Cornehl, south of 172nd Street and the airport and west of 59th Avenue, will be largely refunded by the Federal Aviation Administration, Banfield said. The city's municipal airport will be reimbursed 95 percent of the purchase price in the form of AIP grants over the next three years.
"We're not buying the whole property," Banfield said.
There will be no construction in the area that will result in large numbers of people congregating there, she said.
"It could be used for parking and that's about it," Banfield explained.
Six-year transportation plan
The council also approved its six-year transportation improvement plan (TIP), which is required by state law. The TIP includes basic maintenance such as annual striping, sign replacement and pavement surfacing, as well as major projects--some funded, some not.
The TIP includes the state Department of Transportation's plan to build a roundabout at SR 9 and 531 at an estimated cost of $15,600,000. The roundabout project is fully funded by the state nickel tax and scheduled for construction in 2011.
State projects in the plan also include design work on 172nd Street (SR 531) from 43rd to 67th Avenue (total cost estimate, $57 million), and to SR9, estimated at $50 million, which are in planning and design stages.
Airport Boulevard, an arterial from 172nd to 188th street across the airport, is designed and the city is seeking funding.
City officials are also working on a design for the rehabilitation of 67th Avenue from downtown to Cemetery Road (204th Street), and an upgrade with low-impact design on Arlington Valley Road, also known as 204th, east of 67th to SR 9.
Procurement of right-of-way and construction of 173rd Street is a $1.93 million project tied to new development.
Plans are also in the works for Smokey Point Boulevard north through West Arlington to SR 530, a traffic signal on SR 9 at Burke Street, and a study of the potential realignment of 211th to SR 530 via 59th Avenue. In collaboration with Snohomish County, the city also plans to address two roads east of SR 9, 186th Street and McElroy Road, that will serve the receiving area of the Transfer of Development Rights program to preserve agriculture in the Stillaguamish River Valley.
Other unanimous city actions
• City council approved the purchase of a much needed ambulance unit for the fire department, proposed by Chief Jim Rankin, at a cost of less than $150,000. Rankin found a good deal on a demo model, which would normally have cost more than double that amount. The new expenditure is in this year's budget.
• City council approved a petition for the Thompson Annexation, located at the northeast corner of the intersection of 172nd Street and SR 9, zoned general commercial. Since there is only one property owner involved and the land is in the city's Urban Growth Area, the annexation is a shoe-in.
Next meeting
• At the Aug. 9 workshop, topics included a continuing discussion of the city contract with Waste Management; Gifford sidewalks; a storm water grant of $115,000, the SR 9 coalition, and more.
• A call for bids on the fire station project will be on the Aug. 16 agenda.
Arlington City Councilmembers Sally Lien and Linda Byrnes celebrated a unanimous vote Aug. 2 in favor of an ordinance to refinance a 2001 bond and a county loan at "the best rate in 46 years," the city's finance director, Jim Chase, told the council.
The ordinance bundled three projects:
• Refinance of old debt at a lower interest rate
• Remodel of Fire Station 46
• Purchase of six acres for an airport runway protection zone
The refi will enable the city to move forward on the remodel of the historic Fire Station 46 in downtown Arlington, a project that has been on the city's priority list for several years.
The upgrade will expand living quarters for on-duty firefighters, add meeting rooms and pay for seismic upgrades to enable the historic station, completed in 1961, to continue serving the community into the future. The $1.7 million project could begin in late September. The authorization to go to bid will be on the Aug. 16 council agenda, according to assistant administrator Kristin Banfield.
The $1.272 million purchase of six acres of land owned by Cal Cornehl, south of 172nd Street and the airport and west of 59th Avenue, will be largely refunded by the Federal Aviation Administration, Banfield said. The city's municipal airport will be reimbursed 95 percent of the purchase price in the form of AIP grants over the next three years.
"We're not buying the whole property," Banfield said.
There will be no construction in the area that will result in large numbers of people congregating there, she said.
"It could be used for parking and that's about it," Banfield explained.
Six-year transportation plan
The council also approved its six-year transportation improvement plan (TIP), which is required by state law. The TIP includes basic maintenance such as annual striping, sign replacement and pavement surfacing, as well as major projects--some funded, some not.
The TIP includes the state Department of Transportation's plan to build a roundabout at SR 9 and 531 at an estimated cost of $15,600,000. The roundabout project is fully funded by the state nickel tax and scheduled for construction in 2011.
State projects in the plan also include design work on 172nd Street (SR 531) from 43rd to 67th Avenue (total cost estimate, $57 million), and to SR9, estimated at $50 million, which are in planning and design stages.
Airport Boulevard, an arterial from 172nd to 188th street across the airport, is designed and the city is seeking funding.
City officials are also working on a design for the rehabilitation of 67th Avenue from downtown to Cemetery Road (204th Street), and an upgrade with low-impact design on Arlington Valley Road, also known as 204th, east of 67th to SR 9.
Procurement of right-of-way and construction of 173rd Street is a $1.93 million project tied to new development.
Plans are also in the works for Smokey Point Boulevard north through West Arlington to SR 530, a traffic signal on SR 9 at Burke Street, and a study of the potential realignment of 211th to SR 530 via 59th Avenue. In collaboration with Snohomish County, the city also plans to address two roads east of SR 9, 186th Street and McElroy Road, that will serve the receiving area of the Transfer of Development Rights program to preserve agriculture in the Stillaguamish River Valley.
Other unanimous city actions
• City council approved the purchase of a much needed ambulance unit for the fire department, proposed by Chief Jim Rankin, at a cost of less than $150,000. Rankin found a good deal on a demo model, which would normally have cost more than double that amount. The new expenditure is in this year's budget.
• City council approved a petition for the Thompson Annexation, located at the northeast corner of the intersection of 172nd Street and SR 9, zoned general commercial. Since there is only one property owner involved and the land is in the city's Urban Growth Area, the annexation is a shoe-in.
Next meeting
• At the Aug. 9 workshop, topics included a continuing discussion of the city contract with Waste Management; Gifford sidewalks; a storm water grant of $115,000, the SR 9 coalition, and more.
• A call for bids on the fire station project will be on the Aug. 16 agenda.
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