Downtown Bypass for Port Angeles

This idea has been kicking around for about 25 years, but with the nightmare traffic in downtown Port Angeles, the bypass has gotten a lot more appealing. But remember not to call it a bypass; it'll be the Truck Route.

The Port Angeles City Council and the Port Angeles Forward Committee are studying the feasibility. They're hoping for a short-term route that would use existing streets. The long-term route, if it's ever constructed, might connect the Deer Park area with the intersection of Routes 101 and 112.

Larry Williams, who serves on the City Council and Port Angeles Forward, said "we've beat on this issue as far as we can go."

Mayor Gary Braun said "hopefully this study will move the effort forward and it won't just sit on the shelf."

Do you think this is a good idea, or could it jeopardize downtown businesses by siphoning too many people away from downtown Port Angeles?

Growth in Clallam County

As you’ve probably read in the PDN (the articles aren't available online), there's been a showdown over growth between Clallam County and the City of Port Angeles.

Clallam County Commissioner Mike Chapman is in favor of rural growth zones known as Limited Areas of More Intensive Rural Development (LAMIRDs). Some of these rural growth zones include Deer Park Road at Rt. 101; Bell Hill near Sequim; and the Hungry Bear Café in Beaver.

Port Angeles City Planner Nathan West and City Manager Mark Madsen are opposed to any new urban development outside of incorporated cities. Mayor Karen Rogers is in favor of preserving the current LAMIRDs but is against enlarging them (according to what Mike Chapman said.)

To make everything even more complicated, a Seattle-based environmental group called Futurewise is suing Clallam County for failing to comply with Washington’s Growth Management Act.

Where is all this going? What do YOU think?