[0:00] Don't reach out to me.

[0:22] [music]

[0:23] » Well, good evening. Uh, I will call to

[0:25] order the special meeting of the Federal

[0:27] Way City Council for Wednesday, November

[0:29] 5th, 2025. Would you all please rise for

[0:31] the pledge of allegiance?

[0:33] [clears throat]

[0:35] I

[0:35] » Pledge allegiance to the flag of the

[0:38] United States of America and to the

[0:40] republic for which it stands, one nation

[0:43] under God, indivisible, with liberty and

[0:46] justice for all.

[0:51] » All right, everybody. Oh. Uh, before we

[0:53] before I say anything else, uh, Council

[0:54] Member Tran uh will be absent today, but

[0:57] uh, he had, uh, something going on with

[0:59] his family, an illness of his family. He

[1:01] is excused. I'll say this again, uh,

[1:03] for, uh, for the regular, uh, city

[1:05] council meeting, uh, but for for the

[1:07] special, uh, meeting uh, right now, he

[1:09] is excused. With that, I will turn it

[1:11] over. We're have going to have a brief

[1:12] city briefing uh, with regard to city

[1:14] center access uh, um, and council

[1:17] update. Desire Winkler will get us

[1:19] started. She is the deputy public works

[1:20] director for those watching at home.

[1:23] » Uh good evening, mayor, members of the

[1:24] council. Um I'll give a brief

[1:26] introduction and then I'm going to turn

[1:27] it over to u one of my staff members.

[1:33] So um it's been about a year. Is this

[1:37] the new forward thing?

[1:39] It's been about a year I think since

[1:41] we've given you an update, but a lot of

[1:42] work has been going on and continues to

[1:44] progress on our city center access

[1:46] project. So, in order to make sure we're

[1:49] all on the same page, we'll start out

[1:50] with a project overview, we'll talk

[1:53] about recent project activities, uh

[1:56] discuss the coordination that is ongoing

[1:58] with sound transit and their projects

[2:01] and then also uh additional on the wash

[2:04] coordination. So, with that, I am going

[2:06] to turn it over to Rick Perez, city

[2:08] traffic engineer.

[2:10] [cough and clears throat]

[2:13] » Thank you and good evening. So, um,

[2:17] yeah, we're, um, just going to talk a

[2:20] little bit about, um, starting off with

[2:22] the background. So, um, we actually

[2:26] recognize the need to address access to

[2:28] and from and within City Center back

[2:31] around 2002.

[2:33] And, um, that we got a formal, um,

[2:38] project put together for an access study

[2:41] in 2006.

[2:44] um that resulted in uh the selection of

[2:47] two potential alternatives that involved

[2:50] modifying access on I-5 at 312th or

[2:54] 324th.

[2:55] In uh 2009, the council chose to shove

[2:59] the project rather than select a

[3:02] preferred alternative.

[3:04] And um that project was reinitiated back

[3:07] in 2017. Um so we redid the traffic

[3:12] analysis. We conducted extensive public

[3:15] outreach um particularly focused on

[3:17] adjacent neighborhoods and businesses

[3:19] and um had a preliminary review of the

[3:23] environmental impacts and uh we got down

[3:26] into 2019 to having uh the city council

[3:31] select a preferred alternative which we

[3:33] will describe.

[3:35] Um so overview of the uh where we've

[3:40] been and where we're heading. Um and uh

[3:43] a couple of key points. Um November of

[3:46] 2022.

[3:48] Um anytime you're modifying access on an

[3:50] interstate highway, Federal Highway

[3:52] Administration requires an access

[3:55] revision report

[3:57] um that can conclude that there safe

[4:00] that um the interchange would function

[4:03] safely. Um and with adequate operations

[4:06] and engineering acceptability

[4:09] um that was a major milestone for us. Um

[4:13] we then went on to continue that work

[4:16] and received um phase one funding of uh

[4:22] design and writeway

[4:24] in March of 2023. That was a uh $50

[4:28] million allocation through our lobbying

[4:31] efforts. um and uh proceeded into the

[4:36] environmental process

[4:39] and uh we are in that right now. But um

[4:42] the other major milestone was in 2025

[4:46] the um the environmental document was

[4:50] approved by federal highway

[4:51] administration at WASHDOT um in

[4:54] September under the National

[4:56] Environmental Policy Act. That's NEPA.

[4:58] Um so um we're continuing into final

[5:02] design and um rideway acquisition

[5:06] for phase one of the work and I'll

[5:08] describe that a little bit more. Um

[5:12] we're also looking at how to coordinate

[5:14] this with Sound Transit. Um their

[5:17] extension of the uh light rail guideway

[5:20] down to the operational operations and

[5:24] maintenance facility um down on 336

[5:27] Street.

[5:29] And um and then they will have to um

[5:34] reconstruct

[5:36] where the curve at 324th and 23rd Avenue

[5:39] South um which is proposed to be a

[5:42] roundabout

[5:44] and um then after that we can move into

[5:48] construction depending on whether we can

[5:51] get construction funding um but possibly

[5:54] as soon as 2028.

[5:57] So, this attempts to outline all the

[6:00] different phases. Um, this is too big a

[6:02] project to be able to fund all at once.

[6:06] Um, and uh, so phase one consists of

[6:10] constructing the ramps to and from I5

[6:13] southbound to to connect to South 324th

[6:16] Street and then would con construct

[6:19] 324th between those ramps and um, and

[6:24] 23rd Avenue South. Is there a pointer

[6:26] here? Oops.

[6:28] I guess not. Okay. Anyway, um maybe I

[6:32] can do it here.

[6:34] So, this is the southbound ramps. Then

[6:37] we'd be constructing 324th

[6:40] to connect to 23rd Avenue South,

[6:43] continuing to widen 324th existing to

[6:47] five lanes. And then at the intersection

[6:49] of Highway 99, we'd be constructing um a

[6:53] second left turn lane for northbound and

[6:55] southbound 99 to accommodate the

[6:58] additional volume that would be using

[6:59] 324th.

[7:01] That's phase one and that's what we're

[7:03] working on design. Phase two would

[7:06] eventually extend 324th across I5 to

[7:10] Warehouser Way.

[7:13] Um and then phase 3A

[7:16] would um reconstruct the bridge over I5

[7:20] on 320th

[7:22] and then uh construct HOV lanes

[7:27] um eastward to Military Road. So the

[7:30] outside lanes of 320th, there'd be two

[7:33] general purpose lanes and and um HOV

[7:36] lanes in each direction from Highway 99

[7:39] to Military Road on 320th. Phase 3B

[7:43] would then come back and build the the

[7:45] northbound ramps

[7:48] um to and from I5 at 324th and modify

[7:52] the interchange at 320th um to bring up

[7:56] to current standards.

[8:00] See,

[8:04] so um this is just a brief overview of

[8:08] what phase one consists of. Um some of

[8:11] the um individual parcels we're showing

[8:15] here are surface water detention

[8:18] facilities in addition to the roadway

[8:20] work.

[8:26] So um as I mentioned the environmental

[8:28] documentation

[8:30] um we have received um washed out

[8:32] approval um under the national

[8:35] environmental policy act. Um so we are

[8:38] now in the process of preparing a

[8:41] application for the state environmental

[8:44] policy act which typically will just

[8:46] adopt the national document. Um there's

[8:50] some additional analysis to meet

[8:52] specific requirements in state

[8:54] requirements. And then um a third

[8:57] element is the um hydraulic project

[9:00] approval um which is uh let's see that

[9:05] was what agency submits those I forget.

[9:10] Anyway it's it's another environmental

[9:13] process that we have to do for um

[9:15] surface water. [snorts]

[9:20] Is it fisheries?

[9:22] » Yeah fish and wildlife that's it. So um

[9:25] one of the more challenging aspects of

[9:28] this is trying to make this work with a

[9:30] lot of stuff in the way. Um so Sound

[9:35] Transit when they extend the guideway is

[9:38] which is outlined in red here um has to

[9:41] go over where we're going to build 324th

[9:46] which means they have to raise the the

[9:48] BPA power lines to get under it. Um, and

[9:54] so where BPA originally proposed to

[9:57] place the towers for this relocated and

[10:01] raised lines was too close to the Tacoma

[10:05] water line that um runs through the same

[10:08] easement.

[10:10] So um that required them then to place

[10:14] this particular tower, this is this

[10:16] would be a new tower right in the middle

[10:18] of where 23rd Avenue South is.

[10:22] So, um, working with, uh, BPA and Sound

[10:26] Transit, we developed an alignment that

[10:29] would reign 23rd and 324th. So, the good

[10:35] news with this is um that basically

[10:39] Sound Transit is going to build this

[10:40] roundabout for us.

[10:42] They will also do some rough grading to

[10:45] take care of um this covert that was um

[10:50] that would feed into the Hilabos.

[10:52] Um the downside of that is that between

[10:56] the tower construction and sound transit

[11:00] realigning the roadway,

[11:02] 23rd and 324th will be closed for

[11:05] roughly a year and a half.

[11:08] Um, so we have some mitigation proposed

[11:12] for that with the traffic signal at um,

[11:14] Highway 99 and 320th. Um, it's not going

[11:18] to solve it, but it'll make it better.

[11:27] Come on.

[11:32] Why aren't you advancing? There we go.

[11:35] So, um

[11:37] there's some rightaway acquisition

[11:38] involved in this obviously. Um and um so

[11:43] the green outlines what the city would

[11:45] be acquiring.

[11:47] The orange um is would be easements that

[11:52] would be mostly for surface water uh

[11:54] facilities.

[11:57] And um the existing 320th park and ride

[12:01] um portions of that will be basically

[12:05] looks like given to us by the state as

[12:08] long as it's used for rightway purposes

[12:10] which this would qualify for. Um and um

[12:15] so and then the other property that is

[12:18] not already publicly owned um would be

[12:21] acquired by Sound Transit.

[12:27] One of the other interesting things is

[12:29] uh we have some fish barriers to deal

[12:31] with

[12:33] um for this creek. Um right now um

[12:37] coming off the bog on the east side of

[12:39] the freeway. Um there's an existing

[12:42] culvert

[12:44] and uh at this point here is another

[12:47] fish barrier and then it goes into

[12:49] another culvert and then down comes out

[12:51] into Bmore.

[12:53] Um, so the original design we had, um,

[12:57] and WASHDOT was originally supposed to

[13:00] do this one and they decided to defer

[13:02] it. Um but uh this would be a new covert

[13:07] underneath I5

[13:10] and um then um exposing as much as

[13:14] possible

[13:16] um the um surface drainage um to uh

[13:21] provide adequate habitat

[13:23] for uh migrating salmon. then go through

[13:26] another culvert

[13:28] underneath the um extension of 324th

[13:32] which would be rough graded by Sound

[13:34] Transit to this point. Um little bit of

[13:38] um open drainage here and then

[13:41] underneath another culvert to this um

[13:44] roadway within Belmore and then outfall

[13:47] here. Um, another alternative that would

[13:51] be less expensive and easier to

[13:54] construct would be to have um a shorter

[13:58] cover under I-5. And rather than having

[14:02] walls in a 30-ft deep cut here to um

[14:06] basically grade it so that it's sloped

[14:08] back, it does take up more room. Um and

[14:13] uh but it would be um

[14:16] better environmentally

[14:20] and uh let's see what else.

[14:24] So, one of the other aspects of this is

[14:27] um what to do with what would be unused

[14:31] parts of um the park and ride, the

[14:35] existing park and ride. One potential

[14:37] idea

[14:39] um if it's used for rightaway purposes,

[14:42] washdout's willing to give it to us. Any

[14:44] other portion that we would want to use

[14:47] for any purpose, potentially we'd have

[14:50] to pay them for it. Um but that might be

[14:54] an opportunity for some other type of

[14:56] open space to be used in the city

[14:59] center. Um and so the only downside with

[15:02] that is if we're using that

[15:05] um it becomes a type of property that

[15:08] once it becomes park it has to stay

[15:10] park.

[15:12] So there will need to be some

[15:14] discussions in the future about do we

[15:17] want to use that property and if so what

[15:19] for.

[15:24] Oops.

[15:29] So, um, as I mentioned, one of the

[15:31] options here, um, would be the, um, not

[15:35] having a bunch of walls, but rather

[15:37] just, um, sloped property. It'd be a

[15:40] little bit more open and probably more

[15:42] pleasant to look at, um, from aesthetic

[15:46] purpose.

[15:48] And

[15:52] So this is what the schedule looks like.

[15:56] So um one of the aspects that we're

[16:00] working on right now. So we had the

[16:02] access revision report approved that is

[16:05] for the entire project all phases. Um

[16:09] but now we have to update that to be

[16:12] specific for phase one. And so that work

[16:15] will continue through most of 2026.

[16:18] Um and uh obviously we have to

[16:21] coordinate that with Washington State

[16:23] DOT.

[16:24] Um we'll be in preliminary design um

[16:28] through the first quarter of 26.

[16:32] Um we will um there's also a

[16:35] channelization plan approval that

[16:37] WASHDOT needs to approve um for any

[16:40] changes in how the roadway functions

[16:43] both I5 and Highway 99.

[16:46] um value engineering then rightaway

[16:49] acquisition would start after that first

[16:52] quarter and into and through 2027.

[16:57] Um, one of the interesting things with

[17:00] the environmental process is um, we

[17:02] started off assuming a higher level of

[17:05] analysis would be required and that

[17:07] downgraded um, last year and uh, so it

[17:12] required less but it also required us to

[17:14] pivot on what we had to include in that

[17:16] environmental documentation.

[17:18] Um so um but that part is now done and

[17:23] uh so sea is the remaining portion that

[17:27] we need to work on on environmental

[17:30] and uh coordination with sound transit

[17:33] and BPA is ongoing and um the proposed

[17:38] closure would start in early 2027

[17:42] for um 23rd and 324th

[17:45] and um and as soon as um BPA's work is

[17:49] done then sound transit would start in

[17:52] mid 2027 and take about a year for that.

[17:58] So so

[18:01] that concludes the presentation and I'm

[18:03] happy to answer any [clears throat]

[18:04] questions.

[18:06] » McDaniel.

[18:06] » Yeah. Um going back to the closing down

[18:08] you said it's going to be about a year

[18:09] and a half.

[18:10] » Yes.

[18:10] » Is it the how much of that road are we

[18:13] looking at shutting down since there's a

[18:15] lot I mean how do you get to Belmont if

[18:16] you shut that down? Right. So, Belmore

[18:18] would still have access. We would

[18:20] preserve that, but basically it'll be

[18:22] down to one lane

[18:24] » Um each direction from Belmore's

[18:26] driveway to the west.

[18:28] » Gotcha.

[18:28] » And then we'll also be providing um

[18:31] temporary pedestrian access across that

[18:34] so that they can go to the mall.

[18:36] » And then what about the up towards close

[18:37] to the specific high road? We have those

[18:39] buildings and those rest

[18:40] » Those will still have full access.

[18:42] » Okay. So, what at what point does it go

[18:43] down to that one one strip to get down

[18:45] there? That driveway that's um about

[18:48] halfway between Belmore and 17th Avenue

[18:52] » Is the one for the mall.

[18:53] » Yes.

[18:54] » Okay. That one. Gotcha.

[18:55] » Yeah. That's where it'll narrow down.

[18:56] » Okay.

[18:57] » And then on the north side at at 32nd.

[19:00] So

[19:00] » The south leg of the intersection would

[19:02] be closed.

[19:02] » Gotcha. And then my second question is I

[19:04] believe those are for salmon then those

[19:05] that design you were showing us with

[19:07] either slope to cement walls and stuff.

[19:10] Um, does that have water in it

[19:12] consistently or is that only when we

[19:14] have uh enough uh I I guess water to

[19:18] fill that up? Is that going to be

[19:19] consistently filled or is it only be

[19:21] like seasonal?

[19:22] » I believe that's a seasonal drainage.

[19:25] » Okay, that was my other question. Thank

[19:27] you,

[19:28] » Council President. Coach Mark,

[19:30] » Um Rick, so on the dip, are we still

[19:34] going to do the dip or what about that?

[19:36] Um

[19:37] that's up to the council really. Um

[19:40] we've done the we've done the analysis.

[19:43] Um it's not cheap and uh nothing has

[19:47] been budgeted for it at this point.

[19:49] » We're council president. We're looking

[19:50] at it. We're kind of there there are

[19:52] different I' I've had community

[19:54] development and public works and Brian,

[19:56] we've talked about this. I'm I'm trying

[19:58] to get it uh ready uh for a council

[20:01] discussion, but it's not quite ready. So

[20:04] it would assume I would assume we'd want

[20:06] to do it at the same time as this if if

[20:08] we were going to do it.

[20:10] » Well, I I think we need to figure out

[20:11] with I mean I we can have a you know

[20:14] more of a presentation regard regarding

[20:16] the dip. It's about how you know how

[20:19] comprehensive is this? How much of an

[20:21] appetite do we have? What would be the

[20:22] funding for it? I think that we're

[20:24] trying to figure that out.

[20:26] » It sure

[20:27] » Yeah.

[20:27] » Yeah. It seems like we'd want to do it

[20:30] not at the same time since there will be

[20:32] considerably more traffic on 324th

[20:35] during during this process and so we'd

[20:38] want to make 324th as as clear as

[20:41] possible

[20:42] » During that during that time. So it

[20:44] seems like the dip should either be

[20:46] before or after.

[20:47] » Yeah.

[20:47] » Rather than.

[20:48] » Council member Had.

[20:50] » Thank you. So what is the total cost for

[20:53] the entire project all phases of it? Um,

[20:57] last time we updated the estimate, it

[20:58] was about 550 million.

[21:01] » And what is the length of time that if

[21:05] you got all the money that it would take

[21:07] to to build it?

[21:11] » I [clears throat] can't recall off the

[21:12] top of my head. Um, but we can certainly

[21:15] look

[21:15] » 15 years.

[21:16] » Yeah, it would take a while. I mean,

[21:18] every every phase is going to be three

[21:20] to five years.

[21:22] » Okay. council.

[21:25] » Yeah. Um this project which is very well

[21:29] needed and we also have the highway 18

[21:33] flyways and overpasses and you just

[21:35] threw out 500 to 600 million among

[21:38] friends. What's the impact on the other

[21:41] project that hasn't been done and we're

[21:43] trying to fund also

[21:45] » Cuz

[21:46] » I know they're different projects but

[21:48] you're competing for the same pot of

[21:51] money, right?

[21:52] » Yes. We in both cases our primary

[21:54] funding source would be through the

[21:56] state.

[21:56] » Yeah.

[21:57] » So um yeah it's a matter of

[22:00] council direction to provide which what

[22:02] what the priority needs to be. So

[22:05] » Um you know right now um the triangle

[22:09] project on highway 18 is um not even

[22:12] funded out to 2035.

[22:16] But so together are you talking a

[22:18] billion dollars

[22:19] » Um

[22:20] » Or 800 million or where do you think

[22:22] that all

[22:22] » I think the remaining phases of the

[22:24] triangle are about 250 300 somewhere in

[22:27] there right now.

[22:29] » So I mean the only reason I'm asking the

[22:31] question shouldn't we try to finish one

[22:32] first before we start the other or do

[22:34] you have two of them half built or I

[22:37] mean they're both important but if we're

[22:40] going to push for something should we

[22:41] push for one we can get done sooner?

[22:44] Well,

[22:46] I I would offer this right now at at

[22:49] Highway 18. The big challenge is the

[22:52] merge with I-5 southbound

[22:55] um from the flyover. And so that's going

[22:59] to be some improvements that um

[23:04] will require coordination with actually

[23:06] the gateway project, the 167 extension.

[23:09] The other one is the northbound

[23:12] um northbound off-ramp from I5 to

[23:14] eastbound 18 um which the trucking

[23:17] industry is pushing really hard in the

[23:19] ports um to get that constructed. And so

[23:23] that's that was in the next phase that

[23:26] was proposed for the triangle project.

[23:29] And um that's about a if I recall

[23:32] correctly an $80 million project.

[23:34] [clears throat]

[23:35] [snorts]

[23:37] So, I mean, you could bounce back and

[23:40] forth is is, you know, fix the worst

[23:42] first and then go do another phase of

[23:45] another project if you had to because

[23:48] yeah, we're not going to get, you know,

[23:51] $750 million all at once.

[23:54] » Okay. Thank you,

[23:56] » Council President. You have another

[23:57] comment?

[23:57] » I I do. I have two more. So when we

[24:00] raise the power lines, uh I assume

[24:02] that's on the vulnerable power and yes,

[24:05] Sound Transit would pay for that. So do

[24:08] we then lose power to the neighboring

[24:09] businesses for a period of time or

[24:12] » Um No. So they that's one of the things

[24:14] that's critical about when they schedule

[24:17] they they're going to do that at a time

[24:19] when power consumption is lowest and

[24:21] they can reroute to other parts of the

[24:23] network of the grid.

[24:24] » So it it wouldn't be a long period of

[24:27] time then. No, it well so the actual

[24:31] construction

[24:33] is will take a few months but the time

[24:36] that they would actually be shutting off

[24:38] the power is only when they're moving

[24:40] the lines to the new towers.

[24:42] [cough]

[24:43] [clears throat]

[24:43] » Also, weren't we talking about a trail

[24:45] system at one point?

[24:47] » Yes, that is a part of the project that

[24:49] I should have mentioned. So, um,

[24:53] you know, we've talked about extending

[24:55] the BPA trail, um, across I5, and this

[24:58] project would include that. So, there'd

[25:00] be a shared use path on 324th.

[25:03] And actually, we've got a separate

[25:05] project that we're going to be starting

[25:07] design on pretty soon to take that from

[25:09] Highway 99 to where the roundabout is or

[25:13] going to be at 23rd and 324th and then

[25:16] up the west side of 23rd to connect to

[25:18] the light rail station.

[25:20] So, um, but then when we construct phase

[25:23] two and get, um, 324th extended across

[25:26] I5,

[25:28] that will get us over to Warehouser Way.

[25:31] And then, um, people would be able to go

[25:33] up 32nd Avenue South. And at some future

[25:36] point, we'll extend a BPA trail east

[25:39] from 32nd out to 51st.

[25:45] » Yeah, it'd be really interesting to see

[25:47] a a diagram of better.

[25:50] Thank you. I just walked all over New

[25:53] York.

[25:55] » My feet are still sore. I'm wondering

[25:57] how that would work with people wanting

[25:59] to walk.

[26:01] » Thanks.

[26:02] » Okay. Council, any other questions for

[26:04] Rick?

[26:06] » All right. Thank you very much.

[26:07] Appreciate it.

[26:08] » Okay. Um, having no other business uh

[26:10] for the special study session, uh, we

[26:13] will be adjourned until our 6:30 regular

[26:15] meeting.

11/05/2025 Federal Way City Council - Special Meeting

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