Council approves GN grant applications

SANDPOINT — Two federal grant applications for a Great Northern Corridor Improvements project were approved by the Sandpoint City Council at Wednesday’s meeting.

In his presentation, city construction manager Erik Bush said council still has the option to reject the grants in the future even if one or both are awarded.

“I’m requesting approval to apply for the two grants, I’m not necessarily requesting approval to close Mountain View Drive tonight,” he said. 

Bush also discussed the project’s financial impacts and background information on each of the grants sought by the city. 

He spoke on the project’s history, which began with amendments to include the Great Northern Corridor in its Urban Renewal Plan beginning in 2005 and again in 2010.

In May 2021, a Great Northern Road Corridor Improvements project was added to the city’s Multimodal Transportation Plan. City officials said the  project will improve the corridor, encourage economic growth in northwestern Sandpoint, and provide pedestrian/bicycle connectivity. It also would adjust road and path alignment, and provide stormwater management throughout the corridor and adjacent areas. In July 2021, a feasibility study was completed by J-U-B Engineers, Inc., which looked at high-level design, road layout, cost estimates, utility needs and stormwater needs, Bush said.

In February 2023, the council approved a contract amendment for J-U-B engineers to complete 60% of the design. Bush said the engineering team is nearing 60% completion and he should be receiving that data in early May.  

Internally, the city has three funding sources that can be applied to the project: Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency, Sandpoint Water Utility and Sandpoint Sewer Utility. 

The city is coordinating with the Idaho Transportation Department, Bonner County, BNSF and the Independent Highway District to move forward with the project. 

“We have addressed, kind of the elephant in the room — a potential Mountain View closure, with each of these agencies in various meetings,” Bush said.

The potential closure of a railroad crossing has prompted some concern from the public, with some council members saying that they have been contacted by residents who share that concern among other anticipated traffic complications. 

“If we were to choose not to apply for either of these grants, BNSF could petition the state … and sometime in the future Mountain View could be closed anyway, without us getting anything in return for it,” Bush said. 

He presented two different grant programs that he is requesting to apply for. Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program and Railroad Crossing Elimination. Both grants generally require a 20% funding match. With the city’s existing funding sources, he said he does not expect fund matching to be an issue.  

The total estimated project cost in 2021 was $20,287,500, which Bush said is still an accurate estimate. The city could request up to $16 million. 

Following deliberation from the council, one resident participated in public comment saying they do not support the project, noting her concerns with closing Mountain View Drive and road space. She also said she would appreciate more public outreach with the project. 

While the council voted unanimously to approve the grant applications, both councilors Pam Duquette and Kyle Schreiber said they still have reservations about accepting the grants should they be awarded.

Mayor Jeremy Grimm said he recognizes the impact of the project and plans to incorporate more public outreach moving forward. 

“I know this is a project that has the potential to impact families, people’s property and their current lifestyles, so I don’t take it lightly,” Grimm said.