The La Center City Council unanimously approved a contract on Wednesday, Jan. 14, to survey La Center Road, marking the first step in a long-term plan to widen the roadway and add bike and pedestrian infrastructure and lighting.
The motion allows the mayor to sign a contract with Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc. for surveying services, with costs not to exceed $50,000. City officials said the survey is required before preliminary design work can move forward and before the city can compete for major construction grants.
Public Works and Community Development Director Tracy Coleman told council members the survey will establish existing right-of-way and provide baseline data needed to prepare the project for future funding opportunities.
“This also will allow us to go for additional grants and be competitive because we want to get our project shovel-ready to go for construction grants,” Coleman said. “So you have to have the survey done because you have to show that you don't need any, any right of way acquisition, so on and so forth, that you have that to be able to submit for these grants.”
According to city documents, the survey will cover approximately 1.5 miles of roadway, from the bridge over East Fork Lewis River toward the Paradise Park Road intersection near the I-5 junction. The work includes mapping pavement limits, establishing a control network, and verifying elevation data.
Proposed improvements to La Center Road aim to improve public access and safety ahead of anticipated growth. The city’s comprehensive plan, a state-mandated document that establishes growth planning for anticipated employment and residential expansion for 2045, includes developable land for residential and commercial purposes south of the La Center Road and Timmen Road intersection. Nearby development is expected to progress near the I-5 junction in east La Center, including a hotel planned for the southeast corner of La Center Road and Paradise Park Road.
