PRESCOTT - As the final design for the Williamson Valley Road widening project from Sidewinder Road to Pioneer Parkway nears completion, county officials are moving forward with the preliminary designs for the northern section of the project from Pioneer Parkway to Outer Loop Road.
Residents along Williamson Valley Road got a final look at the 95 percent design plans for the southern section during an open house Thursday at Abia Judd Elementary School.
The road-widening project from Sidewinder to Pioneer Parkway is a joint effort by the City of Prescott and Yavapai County.
City and county officials displayed aerial photos of the roadway design that reflected changes based on comments from property owners at the 30 percent design stage.
The City of Prescott section, from Sidewinder Road to Shadow Valley Ranch Road, has two lanes for through traffic in each direction and a center, two-way left-turn lane that ends at Yakashba. The design plan includes bike lanes, curbs and gutters, sidewalks along the east side of the road and walls to minimize impacts as necessary.
The county section, from Shadow Valley Ranch Road through Pioneer Parkway provides two through lanes in each direction and a center two-way, left-turn lane. The design plans include eight-foot shoulders - four-foot paved and four-foot granular - and a raised median near Pioneer Parkway.
Alex and Maureen Vakula live within the city section of the road project.
Alex Vakula said he and his wife "love the sidewalks, love the bike lanes and like the turning lane."
Vakula said he is unsure if people currently obey the posted speed limits, and a "nice, flat, straight road would increase traffic speed."
Vakula said the road widening would change the "whole demographics of Williamson Valley. I don't think people are being listened to, especially in the county area."
Supervisor Carol Springer said, "In regard to this project, most of the comments I'm hearing are favorable. At this phase we are at 95 percent design completion and most people know what is happening. There are no surprises at this point."
Denise and Charles Aldred live in the northern section of the road-widening project.
The Aldreds are concerned that right-of-way acquisitions would create parcels less than the two-acre residential minimum. They are afraid the change would "open the door for strip malls."
Fred Brown lives in the city portion of the southern project.
"I didn't anticipate this much property being needed. They are taking more vegetation, such as old-growth ponderosa trees," Brown said.
He said he is not "anti-growth." However, Brown said the biggest problem in dealing with county and city government is that "they never fully pay for the impacts."
County Public Works Director Phil Bourdon said Kimley-Horn and Associates would submit final design plans to the city and county in July.
The next step, Bourdon said, is right-of-way acquisition, followed by utility relocation.
Bourdon anticipates construction of the southern portion of the widening project to begin in the spring or summer of 2008.
The director said the plans for the widening project of Williamson Valley Road from Pioneer Parkway to Outer Loop Road are moving forward as well.
He said officials plan to unveil the preliminary plans during a July 12
public meeting at Abia Judd.
Bourdon said the design firm, Kimley-Horn, would complete an environmental study, an archeological study, a visual assessment, a trail design, an access management plan and a traffic study.
Bourdon said the plan for the eight-mile stretch of roadway is for two lanes in each direction with "some level of center turn lane.
Williamson Valley Corridor Plan Inc. members continue to oppose what they see as a "five-lane highway."
WVCP President Ken Mino said, "We haven't changed our position and the county hasn't changed its position. We still think there is a less expensive, reasonable alternative that would work, but the county will not consider it."
Mino said he did not know where the county was coming from, and then changed his statement.
"I do know. It is my opinion that the major landowners in this area want a road built at county (taxpayer) expense and county officials are going along with it," Mino said. "I think it is important for people to know that other issues besides transportation are driving this road issue."
Bourdon stopped short of identifying a construction date. He said the design phase could take 15 months, followed by right-of-way acquisition.
In an e-mail statement, Friends of Williamson Valley Secretary Mariann Littell wrote about two different courses of action.
"Unfortunately the courts are the only recourse the citizens of Williamson Valley have, as the county government has been completely unresponsive to the people who elected them and they have acted entirely inappropriately in this matter from the moment the 'two-lane improved road design' was scrapped and five-lane highway became the highest priority under Carol Springer's 'regime,' even before she officially took office.
Contact the reporter at prhoden@prescottaz.com
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Article comment by:
Doug Keareny
Increases in development alway follow road improvements.
