Town, developer focus on safety
Town officials have heard an earful of complaints regarding the 306 Center Street construction area, where a three-story apartment/condo complex is two weeks into site preparation.
The town has installed an abutting fenced traffic safety zone blocking traffic from parts of North Fourth and Center streets around it in response to concerns about voiced by those living near the building site, which include worries over the number of commercial trucks in the area, allegations of trucks turning abruptly or working after work hours, and confusion over detour routes.
“The disruption of routines has been challenging especially for people who live and work in the area. I’m routine-oriented, so I understand,” Town Planner Ajah Eills said. “We’re encouraging people to take photos and videos to send us so we can know exactly what’s happening.”
Both Eills and Town Public Works Director Brian Lease said that Faber Construction and its workers have been responsive.
Lease said a resident’s email to Mayor Marna Hanneman and Town Administrator Scott Thomas citing danger posed by large trucks to those walking on Center Street prompted extension of safety fencing to create a pedestrian only lane. He and Eills said people had been walking past a “Road closed” sign, which also led to the placement of increased signage along the project’s perimeter.
“We just want to keep people safe,” Eills said.
An idea floated earlier that vacant space at Fourth and State streets could be used to lay materials and place equipment didn’t gain traction because it would’ve extended the construction zone another block.
Eills pointed out that 306 Center is a developer project, not a Town of La Connerproject.
“They’re proceeding with their legal property rights,” she said.
The developer is KSA Investments, whose principals are Kate and Dr. Brandon Adkinson. The Adkinsons have said the project’s intent is to provide more housing options in La Conner, particularly for those who, due to age or circumstance, no longer want the upkeep of a single-family home.
Eills and Lease said that, based on state and federal guidelines, the project qualified for a right-of-way permit, allowing Faber to use the two street sections. They also said the company has a traffic safety specialist on scene.
That specialist on Wednesday morning helped La Conner fourth grader Anna Howell safely walk to Center Street from her parents’ restaurant, RETRO Diner, at the corner of Fourth and Morris streets.
We just want to keep people safe.
Ajah Eills
Anna’s mom, Kimberly Howell, said the family is taking a “glass half-filled” approach to the impact of having a major construction project next to their café.
“This project probably affects us the most,” she said. “But everybody has treated us well. The construction guys eat here and so do all the neighbors. We just try to look at it positively and adjust.”
The safety fencing has eliminated about a half block length of space that RETRO Diner patrons formerly used for parking.
“If you’re going to go to a restaurant in La Conner, you’ll find a place to park,” Howell said.
Despite the controversy that has swirled around 306 Center for years, Lease said it isn’t the most challenging project his department has encountered. That was the La Conner Swinomish Library at Sixth and Morris streets.
“From a public safety standpoint, the library was the toughest,” he said. “It was built at a major intersection where there’s a lot of school traffic. It was quite an ordeal. This (306 Center) is on side streets. But the library was a project that had a lot of public support.”
The 306 Center project, by contrast, drew red flags from the get-go. Neighbors worried its size and scope wouldn’t be compatible with the surrounding single-family residential neighborhood and could lead to potential fire safety, traffic and parking congestion problems, among other concerns.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
