Lease may prove roadblock to Barker Road Bridge

Spokane Valley plans to solicit bids soon for a new Barker Road Bridge that is designed to last 50 years, but a state lease says it must be abandoned or demolished in 30 years.

Steve Worley, the city’s senior engineer for capital projects, told City Council Tuesday that the proposed agreement for use of the Spokane River is a boilerplate lease intended more for commercial enterprises than municipal governments.

In other business Tuesday, the council continued to work on a strategy and a draft ordinance for creating a “transportation benefit district” to collect a vehicle registration fee to pay for street maintenance.

Council members agreed they need to have more public discussions to gain support.

With regard to the $10 million Barker Road Bridge project, Worley said city and state Department of Natural Resources officials have an oral understanding that the city will be allowed to renew the lease in 30 years. But he said state officials felt they couldn’t grant a longer lease because of a restrictive law.

Mayor Rich Munson called for a letter of understanding, but Worley said state officials contended they couldn’t do that either.

“Murphy’s Law says we’re going to have to abandon or destroy it in 30 years if we don’t have this in writing,” Munson said.

“It’s hard to believe that this is the first time this has come up,” Councilman Dick Denenny grumbled.

Worley said city and state officials intend to keep notes of their discussions, and he expects logic to prevail when the lease expires.

Even so, Deputy City Manager Mike Jackson suggested the council may want to ask the Legislature to allow a longer lease.

Councilman Bill Gothmann marveled at the amount of red tape required to build a bridge.

“Could the Bridge on the River Kwai have been built?” Councilman Steve Taylor asked. “The war would have been over.”