If there’s one hot-button issue in Woodland this month, it’s the controversy surrounding the narrowing of Schurman Way – a freight-heavy industrial road – by six feet across.
As the project moves forward, this is one experience that frustrated business owners hope the city of Woodland doesn’t forget.
At issue, according to a number of businesses that operate along Schurman Way, is a decision by the Woodland City Council to give the narrowing project the green light without communicating with area residents and businesses first.
“I was driving down the road when the construction started
and saw they were starting to put in new curbs and it was like, ‘wait a minute what’s going on there?’” recalled Nelson Holmberg, executive director at the Port of Woodland, which has 50 acres
of property located along Schurman Way.
According to the city council, reducing the width of the road (due, in part, to pavement deterioration) represented an opportunity to cut costs. However, local business owners fear the project will ultimately hurt their business.
“Narrowing the lanes makes it more difficult for trucks to exit or enter a business and not go into the oncoming traffic lane. That was one of the reasons for the 14-foot lanes when Schurman Way was constructed,” wrote Lloyd Kegney, general manager of Woodland-based PDM Steel in a letter to the city council.
“I’m not sure they [the Woodland City Council] had all the information when they made the decision,” added Holmberg. “Yes, there was a cost-savings as it appeared systematically, but consider that we [the Port of Woodland] have 25 acres of green-field property along Schurman Way that we’re currently advertising. I think there’s a cost in the longer that property sits without a tenant on it because of transportation issues.”
Despite business owners’ objections, the Schurman Way narrowing project remains on schedule. In a meeting with the public earlier this month, the city council said it would simply be too costly to turn back now.
So what does that mean for local businesses?
“Going forward we’re all just going to deal with it as best we can,” said Holmberg. “We at the port will continue to market our proximity to Interstate 5 because all of our properties are just barely over a mile from it using Schurman Way. We’re still going to talk about that. Going forward, maybe some better communication would be the lesson learned. That was really the thing that angered everyone.”
Steve Branz, Woodland’s public works director, said he wanted to wait until the Schurman project is completed before passing final judgment. However, he admitted the city learned a thing or two through this experience.
“There’s definitely something that the staff has taken away from all of this,” said Branz. “And it’s that we’re going to communicate more with businesses and residents about the projects we undertake.”
