This resolution will declare a public necessity to acquire two parcels of land for the purpose of realigning the Geer Road and Harper Road intersection.

The intersection of Geer Road and Harper Road is confusing for some drivers due to several factors that all get back to geometry.  Because of the intersection’s geometry, which dictates placement location of stop signs, there are several locations where a driver has three stop signs in their direct line of sight.  This can create a hazardous situation.

City Council, recognizing the public necessity for improving the functionality and safety of this intersection, included it in the first 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), which was adopted in September, 2017.  During Council’s planned 2-year review/update of the CIP in the fall of 2019, Council chose to keep this project in the 5 year spending plan.  The importance of this project can be underscored by the fact that it is the most expensive single project called for in the first four years of the plan with an estimated cost of $1.5M.

Anderson Perry & Associates Engineering (AP) spent much of 2018 studying this intersection, which included obtaining traffic counts and reaching out to impacted businesses in the area.  It is clear that there are no good solutions which perfectly solve all issues associated with the intersection.  City staff and AP presented multiple realignment options to Council’s Public Infrastructure Committee at two separate PIC meetings in 2018, where nearby businesses were invited to attend. Figures 1 and 4 are attached to show some of the options which were considered, but not chosen by the PIC.  Figure 5 shows the currently recommended conceptual site plan for realignment based on the following considerations.

-       Traffic Flow:  Peak-hour traffic counts are included in the figures.  It is obvious that the heaviest traffic flow is for vehicles traveling to/from Geer Road and 1^st Place.  Based on anticipated continued housing growth on the north side of the city, this traffic pattern is expected to increase.

-       Vehicle Stacking:  Due to the location of the railroad tracks, there is currently almost no vehicle stacking as the intersection is currently aligned.

-       Angle of entry:  Although there is substantial Railroad Right of Way to the northwest of the current Geer/Harper intersection, any realignment that takes advantage of that area creates a very extreme angle for south-bound vehicles on Geer as they approach the railroad crossing.  Figure 5 creates a safer “square” angle of entry for the railroad crossing.

-       Utility conflicts:  Umatilla Electric Cooperative is in the process of completing their new major power line which parallels Geer Road, and also crosses the railroad at/over this intersection.  The presence of these utility poles adds another level of complexity in realignment.  City and UEC staff worked together in the design process of their work to upgrade a utility pole near the intersection to reduce the presence of guy-wires and associated poles which would have further restricted our realignment options.

-       Move Railroad Crossing and extend Theater Lane:  Given all of the geometric challenges outlined above, we did briefly consider simply abandoning the Harper Road rail crossing altogether and moving it further north by extending Theater Lane to the west.  Unfortunately, that option appears to have even more challenges because it would require building 1,000’ of new roadway and piping 1,000’ of irrigation canal.  Upon crossing the Railroad at a hypothetical extension of Theater Lane, we would still face challenging geometry in entering River Road at the apex of a curve, near the bottom of a hill, and in an area which experiences traffic traveling at much higher speeds than at the current Harper Road crossing.

For all of the reasons stated here, I believe that it is necessary to acquire the land called for in this resolution to facilitate the safest realignment of the Geer/Harper intersection.

Resolution 2142 does not award any contracts for the actual construction of this project, but only declares two parcels of land as being necessary for the project, and directs staff to acquire the parcels.  An appraisal, completed in November, 2019 by Barak & Associates, of the two parcels (0.81 acres combined), places the value of the land at $65,000.

1. Approve Resolution 2142.
2. Table Resolution 2142 with recommendations to staff.
3. Deny Resolution 2142 with recommendations to staff.

Approve Resolution 2142.

Motion to approve Resolution 2142.