Valley likely to fully repave after projects

With most of the money already set aside in this year’s budget to pay for the work, Spokane Valley is likely to fully repave its streets after sewer lines are installed in three neighborhoods this summer.

It will cost an estimated $1.1 million to repave, rather than patch, the streets and add drainage improvements, public works officials told the City Council at its meeting Tuesday night.

“Until we actually get all the plans, we’re kind of guessing at this point,” said Public Works Director Neil Kersten.

There is $825,000 in the street capital projects fund specifically for the three projects, and the city expects an additional $63,000 from a federal block grant.

Unless costs come in much higher than expected, Mayor Diana Wilhite said, it’s likely that the council will approve curb-to-curb paving for the sewer projects this year.

The City Council has debated whether it should spend the extra money to pave the streets every year since voters rejected a property tax increase in 2004 that would specifically pay for the work.

After the tax measure failed, the council indicated roads would be patched in 2005 instead of replaced, but it relented following complaints from residents of a soon-to-be sewered neighborhood.

The city paid for the paving after sewer projects last year, also, but council members have indicated they would have to decide on a year-to-year basis whether funds were available to do the work.

At its Feb. 27 meeting, the council will vote on whether to approve an agreement with the county to pay for full-width paving after this year’s sewer projects.

They include:

•Grandview Acres, south of the Spokane River and north of Fairview Avenue near the intersection of Trent Avenue and Pines Road.

•Trentwood, between Plantes Ferry Park and Evergreen Road north of Trent.

•An area east of Spalding Auto Parts between Indiana Avenue and Interstate 90.