Council delays roundabout decision

SANDPOINT — Council members are holding off on determining a location for a prospective roundabout for the time being.

Originally proposed for the intersection of Cedar Street and Boyer Avenue, a roundabout included in the city’s budget came back under review Wednesday. Council members delayed making a decision until more information, including size, cost and appearance, was available.

“I just have a lot of questions that I’d like to see answered before making a decision on this,” Councilwoman Shannon Williamson said.

According to Public Works Director Kody Van Dyk, time is running short to utilize collected impact fees that will fund construction. Impact fees have a five-year limit for use from the moment of collection, but if council members make the decision within the next two months, the funds should be usable, Van Dyk said.

However, the placement of the roundabout is still in question. The options included the intersection of Pine and Division or its original placement at Cedar and Boyer.

Van Dyk said there are good rationales for a roundabout at both locations. Cedar and Boyer distinguishes itself by being a consistently high-traffic street. While the intersection rarely experiences traffic levels that outsize its capabilities, drivers will still experience delays in clearing the four-way stop intersection during busy times of the day. As an added bonus, a rigorous public involvement process has already occurred for the Cedar and Boyer placement, and neighboring residents seemed amenable to the change, Van Dyk said.

In contrast, the Pine and Division intersection is much less frequently utilized throughout the day. That changes dramatically in the morning and afternoons on weekdays when the school day begins and ends. At that point, the intersection can be tremendously difficult to navigate. There’s also the heightened importance of maintaining student safety, council members noted, especially when many are on foot.

“I’ve watched that intersection a long time, and when cars go, they gun it to get across there,” Councilwoman Deb Fragoso said.

Van Dyk also pointed out that if Fifth Avenue between Cedar and Pine is converted to a two-way street upon return of downtown streets from the state, it will likely take much of the pressure off Boyer Avenue.

The Cedar and Boyer roundabout was originally proposed as a part of the Main Street corridor plan. Adopted by council members in November 2012, the corridor plan proposed reducing vehicle traffic on Main by disconnecting it from its Boyer intersection. However, some council members objected to that approach, saying it would hamper traffic to nearby businesses and organizations like the Sandpoint Senior Center.