HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025.11.17 Council Handout from J Seetj-
November 17, 2025
Councilmember Perales:
My name is Joseph Seet. My credentials are as follows:
- Over 30 years of combined experience as Traffic Engineer, City Engineer, Public Works
Director and Traffic Engineering Consultant
- My educational background includes BSCE and MSCE in Traffic Studies
- WA License Professional Engineer
- Property Owner (City of Pasco)
- Developer and Business Owner
I urge Council to support at this time a narrower public right of way with adjacent permanent
public utility, irrigation and sidewalk easement (PUISE) for local and residential streets in new
short plats and subdivisions. The following are solely my professional opinions and comments.
Pasco's local and residential streets' 60' Right of Way (ROW) Width does not justify local street
needs that could otherwise be addressed with a narrower public right of way with adjacent
permanent. I would like to point out that the PUISE does not negatively affect the present or
future functionality of local streets, nor should it deny Pasco any rights, except for legal
ownership of PUISE, to enter onto PUISE to perform maintenance or any other work including
installing or replacing new utilities.
Typically, a new development has to meet all of the City's design guidelines and gain City
approval after City review. Public works industry standards normally place sanitary sewers,
water mains and storm drains within and not outside of the paved roadway. Therefore, staff's
concerns of "cramming" sanitary sewer, water mains and storm drains into the paved roadway
does not make sense as it is contrary to City design guidelines for new development and
industry standards
Staff reasoning that the ROW and roadway centerline does not coincide in a new short plat or
subdivision does not make sense either as new developments designed with new alignments on
vacant undeveloped land with no defined roadways yet.
Staff concern that additional public right of way may be needed for roadway widening is
unfounded as there should never be any reason(s) for local streets traffic volumes to increase to
such a level that roadway widening for additional lanes is required. Local and residential streets
are meant to serve local neighborhood and community traffic. And since these are new short
plat or subdivisions, there should not be any "retrofitting" of the roadways or infrastructure after
completion.
Joseph Seet
1226 N Morain Loop
Kennewick, WA 99336