The Bellevue Environmental Services Commission is seeking public comments on the proposed 2009-2015 water, sewer and storm and surface water utility Capital Investment Program (CIP).
An open house is set for 5-6:15 p.m., Thursday, July 10, at City Hall, in Conference Room 1E-112. A public comment session will follow at 6:30.
The budget for the current seven-year Utilities CIP is approximately $79 million. New projects being considered are listed below, with costs shown in 2008 dollars:
Replace the Coal Creek culvert under Coal Creek Parkway located south of the Coal Creek Pkwy/Forest Drive intersection. The preferred replacement alternative is a 40-foot bridge, estimated to cost $5.5 million.
Replace a portion of the sewer line in Meydenbauer Bay with a new line on city-owned property and an ongoing program to evaluate other sewer lakelines along the shores of Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish. The estimated seven-year cost is approximately $2.6 million.
Replace Bellevue’s analog-tone wastewater telemetry system with modern electronic technology. This will allow two-way communication and system operation rather than just monitoring. This project will cost approximately $350,000.
Add on-site generation to three sewer pump stations, to bring the total pump stations with on-site generators to 18 out of 38. The cost of this project is approximately $1 million.
Increase the wastewater system capacity for planned re-development within the Wilburton area. The cost is estimated at $4.6 million and would be recovered from benefiting properties.
Increase the wastewater sewer trunkline capacity to allow planned development in the west portion of downtown Bellevue. Upgrades would occur from Bellevue Way Southeast and Southeast Third Street to 102nd Avenue Southeast and Southeast Sixth Street, with the optimal alignment to be determined. The cost of this project is approximately $3.3 million.
Relocate several water and wastewater pipes ahead of the state Department of Transportation’s State Route 520 expansion and I-405/SR 520 Braids projects. The estimated cost of the water projects is $1.5 million, and the estimated cost of the wastewater projects is $2.6 million.
Expand water reservoir storage volume to serve downtown Bellevue. The estimated cost, not including site acquisition (if needed), is $5 million and would be recovered from benefiting properties.
Expand the inlet supply capacity and associated piping from the regional drinking water supply line to areas west of I-405. This project will cost approximately $4 million.
Utilities is also considering a change to one project in the currently adopted CIP:
Accelerate the Small Diameter Watermain Replacement Program (CIP #W-16) over a 10-year period. The result would increase water pipeline replacement from the current rate of 1.5 miles per year to five miles per year, focusing on Asbestos Cement (AC) pipe.
The proposals are under consideration only; there is no assurance they will be included in the final CIP recommended to the City Council.
More information about the open house is available from Pamela Maloney at 425-452-4625.
Citizen comments may be submitted in writing during or following the open house, or citizens are welcome to speak to the Environmental Services Commission immediately following the open house. Staff and the ESC will consider citizen input before making CIP recommendations to the City Council later this year.
After public hearings in the fall, a final list of projects will be adopted by the City Council before the end of the year.
For those who cannot attend the meeting, written comments will be accepted through 5 p.m., July 21, and should be sent to the Environmental Services Commission, c/o Utilities Department, City of Bellevue, P.O. Box 90012, Bellevue, WA 98009-9012.
