PORT TOWNSEND — After an extended debate, the Port Townsend City Council approved an amended version of the Water Street Overlay Project final design, saying the intent was to keep the project on schedule.

The project, which will repave the road, replace an 80-year-old water main and add sidewalk access ramps, is estimated to cost $2.8 million.

It is scheduled to be open for bidding in September, with construction to begin in January and be completed by June, so as not to interfere with Port Townsend’s tourist season.

After hearing public testimony, City Council members, including Bob Gray and Michelle Sandoval, felt the final design of the project has moved forward with not enough input from the community.

However, the council also was unwilling to delay the project entirely, since it would jeopardize the $690,000 the city was awarded by the state Transportation Improvement Board.

Council members also were warned that by delaying the project further, they would increase costs and possibly roll the project over into next summer, hurting the Water Street businesses that rely on tourist traffic, according to city Public Works Director Ken Clow.

“We would be shirking our responsibility to the community if we pass up the $690,000 by delaying today,” said Councilman David Faber.

Instead of approving the full proposed design, the council approved city staff to move forward with the most basic and crucial parts of it.

That includes the repaving of the road, the water main replacement and the sidewalk access ramps, which the city is required to implement by law. The plan also improves pedestrian access by widening sidewalks.

“Everyone wants wider sidewalks,” said Port Townsend Mayor Deborah Stinson.

“We want to support pedestrians and bikes.”

The council plans to host a public forum to gather input on less crucial design functions of Water Street, including striping for parking and bike lanes and planting trees. The date of that public forum has not been set.

“We need to have a real talk about parking,” Stinson said, “but that’s about uses; this is about curb codes.”

Clow cautioned the council against letting the project get too big.

“These are big topics, and I don’t think you’ll have them figured out in the next few weeks,” Clow said. “Some of these topics you’ll be debating well after this project is done regardless of what it looks like. No matter what we do, it’s a bigger project.”

The council decided to schedule another, different public hearing at a later date to tackle the broader subject of what the community wants for its downtown in the long run.

“Yes, I would like to see a pedestrian-only downtown, but we have a long way to go,” said Councilwoman Catharine Robinson.

“How would people get to downtown? They’re certainly not going to walk from the park-and-ride. So, I’m inclined to go forward with this today. I’m worried about the timeline if we delay.”

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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at cmcfarland@peninsuladailynews.com.