Downtown Camas infrastructure analysis complete

Camas City Council members this week discussed the recent results of a downtown Camas infrastructure analysis recently completed by the consulting group, MacKay Sposito.

Camas Public Works Director Steve Wall told the Council at their Aug. 17 workshop that the analysis was intended to be a “high-level planning tool to inform the city’s overall Capital Improvement Plan, specifically regarding improvements and revitalization projects in the downtown area.”

MacKay Sposito staff reviewed the historic downtown Camas area located between Northeast Adams and Northeast Garfield Street and Northeast Third and Northeast Seventh avenues, and identified a list of recommended upgrade projects in downtown Camas.

Using a weighted list of criteria, the firm came up with seven infrastructure priorities in downtown Camas.

The top two priorities were public safety projects (removing hazardous trees, improving streets where higher traffic volumes endanger pedestrians, removing “tripping and slipping” hazards and reviewing the intersection at Northeast Sixth Avenue and Northeast Dallas Street) and property damage projects (completing smoke testing to determine if connections between downspouts and floor drains into sanitary sewer lines are causing flooded basements in several areas of downtown Camas, and gaining a better understanding of tree root intrusions into sewer lines to prevent ponding issues).

Other priorities included identifying obstructions or damaged sidewalks that disrupt ADA-accessible routes in the downtown area; removing hazardous street trees that degrade pavements and contribute to public safety issues; replacing curb and sidewalk ramps to meet needs identified in the city’s ADA Transition Plan; and utility replacements.

The report also noted the need for pavement reconstruction, particularly on streets identified as “poor or very poor” with severe cracking, including Adams Street from Sixth to Seventh avenues; Franklin Street from Fourth to Fifth avenues and Sixth to Seventh avenues; and Birch Street from Sixth to Seventh avenues.