The Ocean Shores City Council has moved unanimously to return grant funding for the recently stalled Pt. Brown Avenue project to add sidewalks, crosswalks and bike lanes to the city’s downtown core.

Public Works Director Nick Bird told council members on Sept. 10 that money to be returned included funds awarded from the Grays Harbor Council of Governments and the Cowlitz/Wahkiakum Council of Governments. Bird included correspondence from both agencies after the council previously decided to halt the project after being unable to settle on a design, and because the potential cost continued to escalate.

“They do need us to let them know that we do not intend to move forward with the project as it sits today,” Bird said of the funding agencies.

The money allocated to Ocean Shores for the Transportation Alternative Program funds amounted to $311,400, and Surface Transportation Program funds of $441,150.

Resident Don Williams asked how the decision would affect the city’s overall six-year transportation plan, which ranked the Pt. Brown project among the top priorities.

Bird explained the Pt. Brown project, ranked No. 2 on the transportation plan list, is “just like every other item” on the plan. “If we don’t have money for it, we are not moving forward on it,” Bird said. “… Nothing’s happening with it if it’s not funded.”

At the same Sept. 10 meeting, the council, acting as the board overseeing the Transportation Benefit District, took formal action to implement the local two-tenths of one percent sales and use tax increase voters narrowly approved in August to fund road maintenance and repairs. The city will start collecting and receiving the funds from the tax increase starting Jan. 1, and it lasts for 10 years. The Council voted 7-0 to enact collection without a second reading.

Council member Diane Solem later asked Bird if by keeping the Pt. Brown project on the transportation list, the city could use those funds in the future to pay for it.

“I think we’re splitting hairs at that point,” Bird said. “My definition of repair and maintenance is not a large capital project like replacing something along these lines.”

Council member Jon Martin added: “Just because something is on the plan doesn’t mean we are actually going to be spending the money. In order to do any of our road repair, it’s going to take more money than is going to be generated by the Transportation Benefit District. So there still is the possibility we take could it out of the (city’s) General Fund and do something with Pt. Brown.”

Martin would like the city to continue looking at options for Pt. Brown “but not with all the hoops we have to go through” under the process that was largely driven by planning and design that would have created ADA accessible shared-use sidewalks on both sides of the roadway, bike lanes, lighted pedestrian crossings, on-street parking, pedestrian and street illumination, storm water collection and treatment, and two roundabouts. The total cost had been estimated to be $15.4 million under that design proposal.

“I think there is something we can do as a city in there,” Martin said of the corridor. “It just seemed like there were too many things where we would be having to check the box to make it. … Pt. Brown is an important project for us, although not right now. There are some other things we need to do.”

Council member Susan Conniry moved to return the funds, and it was seconded by Steve Ensley, followed by a 7-0 vote.