February 14, 2022: Summary of the Week
Happy Valentine’s Day, Lakewood.
City Council has formed an ad hoc Tree Advisory Committee to recommend popular revisions to Lakewood’s tree preservation code.
The JBLM North Access Project is humming along – Gravelly Lake has reopened between Nyanza & Veterans, and a new phase of work has begun along Washington Boulevard between 83rd & Gravelly Lake Drive.
The sewer main repair beneath Steilacoom Boulevard is nearly complete. Pierce County intends to reopen the roadway near Lakewood Drive on Friday.
Mark your calendars for spring events: Parks Appreciation Day is April 23, a youth fishing event is scheduled for May 14, and the first of four “Saturday Street Festivals” is scheduled for May 21.
City Council Forms Ad Hoc Tree Advisory Committee
The Lakewood City Council appointed 11 resident applicants to an ad hoc Tree Advisory Committee. The committee will meet regularly in March, April, and May to produce suggested revisions to Lakewood Municipal Code regarding tree preservation.
Property rights and environmental concerns will be fairly considered. The committee will present suggested code revisions in May. The committee’s suggestions will be public and there will be several public hearings on this topic.
New Detours Begin in Lake City Neighborhood
Gravelly Lake Drive reopened on Friday between Nyanza Road and Veterans Drive, and residents were able to test-drive the new Veterans & Gravelly Lake Roundabout.
On Monday morning, Washington Boulevard closed between Lake City Boulevard and Gravelly Lake Drive. This phase of work is expected to be completed by early summer.
Residents will notice a beautiful new roadway with nice, wide sidewalks on Gravelly Lake Drive. Similar improvements are planned for the entire stretch of Gravelly Lake Drive and Washington Boulevard.
YELLOW = LOCAL ACCESS
GREEN = DETOUR ROUTES
Steilacoom Boulevard Expected to Reopen on Friday
Pierce County Public Works is nearly finished with a difficult sewer main repair:
Steilacoom Boulevard is expected to reopen on Friday, Feb. 18, as Pierce County’s sewer main repair project in Lakewood wraps up. The contractor completed the paving work last week and will be placing temporary striping on Thursday. We will provide more details as we get closer to the reopening date. Permanent striping work is expected to take place in March, along with some final utility work. Both temporary and permanent pavement striping work are weather-dependent. We appreciate the community’s patience and understanding during construction.
Pierce County Public Works
Review the project and recent updates at https://www.piercecountywa.gov/LakewoodSewerMain.
Events
Mayor’s Community Coffeehouse
Thursday, March 24, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Fort Steilacoom Park Pavilion
Chat with Mayor Whalen about important community issues.
Parks Appreciation Day
Saturday, April 23, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Fort Steilacoom Park
Help us beautify local parks by helping pull weeds and picking up junk.
Youth Fishing Event
Saturday, May 14, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
American Lake Park
Learn to fish and keep your pole! This event is free, but registration is required.
Dancing in the Streets
Saturday, May 21, 4:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Fort Steilacoom Park
Bring your dancing shoes and cut a rug at Colonial Plaza downtown.
Roads
- Gravelly Lake & Nyanza: Gravelly Lake Drive is now open between Nyanza Road and Veterans Drive. Washington Boulevard is now closed between Lake City Boulevard and Gravelly Lake Drive.
- Steilacoom & Lakewood: Steilacoom Boulevard is closed between Lakewood Drive and Gravelly Lake Drive – reopening is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 18.
- Steilacoom & Custer: Sidewalk work is ongoing along the north side of Steilacoom Boulevard. The northern lane (right lane as you drive west) will remain closed for just a little while longer.
City Council
Monday, Feb. 7 Regular Meeting
The meeting of Feb. 7, 2022 began with a proclamation to acknowledge a 20-year Sister Cities relationship between the City of Lakewood, Washington, and Okinawa City, Japan. Connie Coleman-Lacadie accepted the proclamation and shared a video of an Eisa performance by an Okinawan performing arts group. Eisa is a traditional Okinawan folk dance.
The City Council also issued a proclamation to declare February, 2022 as Black History Month. A video about prominent community organizer JoEthel Smith was shared with the council. In the video, Smith reflected on her memories of local Black leaders.
The Association of Washington Cities shared an update about their Retro Refund Program, through which the City of Lakewood has recovered $111,994 in insurance costs due to strong safety practices. Hank Jones shared an update about the Lakewood Youth Council – their efforts have focused on brainstorming solutions to address youth mental health and equity.
Notable in the consent agenda were the appointments of Emily Feleen to the Lakewood Arts Commission and Linda Smith to the Greater Tacoma Convention Center Public Facilities District Board. Additionally, an agreement was executed with BRCA for design and construction management for pending improvements to Wards Lake Park.
The Lakewood City Council appointed 11 resident applicants to an ad hoc Tree Advisory Committee. The committee will meet regularly in March, April, and May to produce suggested revisions to Lakewood Municipal Code regarding tree preservation.
Next Meetings:
Until Next Week…
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