IMAGES COURTESY OF THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

The proposal for noise walls along north and southbound I-5 have some business owners worried.

Proposed noise walls have some businesses upset

By Meghan Erkkinen

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is considering erecting walls along Interstate 5 to mitigate extra noise caused by added high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.

The walls are controversial – on the one hand, they would create a quieter environment for residents along the freeway, but on the other hand, several businesses would be blocked out in part or in full by the walls.

“Because we’re adding capacity to the highway, we are required through federal mandates that we look at noise abatement to see if we have any clusters of residents that qualify for noise mitigation,” said WSDOT spokesperson Claudia Cornish. “In the case of this project, we have two areas where the residents do in fact qualify, we think at this point, to consider noise mitigation, and both of those areas include apartment complexes.”

The WSDOT proposal is to put two 24-foot-high walls up, one on each side of the freeway. On the northbound side, a 1,600-foot-long wall is being proposed to mitigate noise for residents of the Willow Green and Rainier Pointe apartment complexes. This wall would also entirely block the auto dealership McCann Motors, and would also limit visibility of other businesses, including Bassett Furniture.

On the southbound side, a 1,550-foot-long wall would mitigate noise for residents of the Chateau Rainier Apartments, but would also significantly decrease the visibility of the Fife Business Park complex and Korum RV of Fife.

Several business owners and the Fife Regional Chamber of Commerce have spoken out against the proposed walls.

“As retail businesses along I-5 (primarily auto, RV, boat and furniture), they place a premium on visibility in high traffic areas,” stated Chamber Executive Director P.K. MacLean, in a letter to WSDOT opposing the walls.

“Most of our businesses have recently renovated their storefronts in an effort to attract customers and take great measures to keep their property maintained and aesthetically pleasing to potential customers traveling the I-5 corridor through Milton and Fife,” she wrote.

All affected property owners had a two-week period to comment on the proposed walls. The comment period ended Nov. 20. Now, it is up to WSDOT to balance noise mitigation for residents with the needs of local businesses in order to make a decision as to whether to put up the walls.

Construction on the HOV lane project, which extends from Port of Tacoma Road to the King County line, is set to begin late next year. Construction will continue through 2012.

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