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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

City buying lots for improvement of Crestline Street

The city of Spokane has started purchasing property for a sewer and street improvement project on Crestline Street between Francis Avenue and Lincoln Road.

It is part of a three-step plan to rebuild Crestline from Lincoln Road to Illinois Avenue over the next several years.

On Monday the City Council will be asked to approve a purchase and sale agreement with owners of property at 7101 N. Crestline St. The owners are Jack and Elaine Summers. That lot would be used for stormwater collection. Two mobile homes would be removed.

The council on Dec. 27 approved a purchase and sale agreement with James Logan for property at 7402 N. Crestline St. City officials said they would use whatever land they need for the project, and then offer the remaining lot for sale after the work is completed. A house on the lot would be kept.

The city is planning to use a combination of funding sources to lay a sewer line in the street north of Francis Avenue in an effort to eliminate septic tanks in that area. As part of the project, the street will be widened to one northbound, one southbound and a center turn lane, plus bicycle lanes on either side of the main travel lanes.

Gary Nelson, the city’s engineer on the project, said a federal grant was obtained by the city to pay for street improvements. Sewer utility funds would pay for about 60 percent of the sewer work, he said.

About 40 percent of the cost of the sewer installation, minus the street paving, would be paid by adjacent property owners through a local improvement district being initiated by the city.

A formation hearing on the LID was held before the city hearing examiner on Tuesday. One of the affected property owners asked for and was granted a two-week extension to submit evidence to the examiner, Nelson said.

City officials had hoped to get the work done this year, but the LID formation and planning may not be completed in time for this construction season, Nelson said.

In addition to the project north of Francis Avenue, Crestline is scheduled for street rehabilitation this year between Francis Avenue and Wellesley Avenue from a council-approved bond issue in 2003. In 2008, money is expected to become available from a 2004 voter-approved bond issue to pave the section of Crestline from Wellesley Avenue to Illinois Avenue at a cost of about $2.5 million.