Dissatisfied with portions of the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Russell and Third streets project, Ward 3 Councilors Stacy Rye and Bob Jaffe asked for a peer review, or second opinion. Audience members backed the request and the Public Works Committee approved it on a voice vote.
“We really owe it to people to get as good a record of decision as we can,” said committee Chairman Jason Wiener, of Ward 1.
The committee rolled the requests into one, giving priority to the Russell and Third streets project, which is on the front burner. The draft EIS came out this fall and is open for public comment at least through Oct. 20.
The Russell and Third project has caused heartburn all around. Rebuilding those roads landed on the city’s list of priorities in 1996, but a cumbersome federal review and other challenges mean there’s no new road more than a decade later.
The draft EIS points to a “preferred alternative,” a road plan officials sanction, but that design isn’t “preferred” by many. Wednesday, Rye said she has concerns about parts of the document, as do some of her constituents.
A peer review would entail hiring a consultant to examine specific chapters of the draft EIS. Because the request will be only for portions of the report - and not the entire document - Rye estimated a firm could do the work for $20,000 to $25,000. She would like federal money set aside for the task.
A group of elected officials and staff members will decide what areas to review, Rye said. She said she definitely would like an outsider’s perspective on the structures the draft EIS deems out of bounds. One roundabout design some people like would require taking down or moving houses the federal government says must remain put because of their historic value.
City chief administration officer Bruce Bender said he wasn’t convinced a peer review would help on that front. A federal rule - called 4(f) - governs the decision and the consultant does not, Bender said, though he sympathized.
“I have total frustration with the 4(f) issue also,” Bender said.
Other areas of the draft EIS also may come under scrutiny, such as transit, traffic projections and public involvement. Rye said a group of elected officials and staff will make a list. The committee asked Public Works director Steve King to draft a request for proposals outlining the job to be advertised.
Members of the public approved of the peer review and also an idea to extend the comment period by at least another 45 days, and an extension looks likely.
Jim Sayer, with the Bike-Walk Alliance for Missoula, said he, too, questioned the “preferred alternative.” It looks like a transportation plan straight out of the 1970s, he said. The plan doesn’t account for a decrease in the miles people are driving.
“That’s absolutely shifting pretty dramatically right now,” Sayer said.
John Wolverton, with the Franklin to the Fort neighborhood and BWAM, agreed that a review should give a second opinion on “modeling,” or the way engineers figure people will travel on a road. Wolverton also said he wanted a close look at the public process and asked at what point input from the past becomes stale.
Bob Giordano, from the Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation, supported the review and described the way engineers calculated future traffic as “old, flawed modeling.”
“I think this review could be a great thing to just keep the discussion moving,” Giordano said.
But Public Works director King said he did not want a peer review to stall the project. He said he did not want to delay building the northern portion of Russell Street - the bridge to Third Street. A federal earmark is in place for the bridge. There is no money set aside for the segment south of Third.
At first, Ward 6 Councilwoman Marilyn Marler questioned why the city’s own engineers couldn’t review the draft EIS. Rye, though, said the Public Works Department is too close to the project, and Jaffe said it would be like asking them to critique their own work.
Reporter Keila Szpaller can be reached at 523-5262 or at keila.szpaller@missoulian.com.
Take part
Attend upcoming meetings on the Russell and Third streets project, a $40 million undertaking.
Sept. 17
The Rose Park Neighborhood City Council takes up “3 Plus for Russell,” billed as a “neighborhood-friendly street” and a citizens’ alternative to the official version. That’s 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 202 Brooks St. For more information, go to www.bikewalkmissoula.org or e-mail info@russellstreet.org.
Sept. 24
The City of Missoula invites all citizens to comment on a proposal to reconstruct Russell and Third streets “to address safety and congestion problems and better meet the needs of drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.” At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, Franklin School, 1910 S. 10th St. W. To view the draft Environmental Impact Statement, go to www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/eis_ea.shtml. For more information, contact Gregg Wood at 552-6093.
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John Weber wrote on Sep 11, 2008 5:59 AM: