By Dennis Box

The Courier-Herald

To U-turn or not to U-turn? That was the question raised at the Oct. 10 Bonney Lake City Council meeting.

Ken Freed, owner of Windermere Real Estate Lake Tapps at 18008 state Route 410, and other downtown business owners spoke during the council session in favor of allowing a U-turn when traveling eastbound on state Route 410 at the busy intersection with Sumner Buckley Highway.

Council members had decided at a Sept. 19 workshop to drop the U-turn option from the SR 410/Sumner Buckley Highway intersection improvement project.

The Transpo Group, a Bellevue consulting firm, presented the 30 percent design plan to the council, which included a U-turn for motorists traveling eastbound on SR 410 at the Sumner Buckley Highway intersection. Despite offering the U-turn as a possibility, Transpo later recommended against such a move.

&#8220It's an issue of safety,” Councilman Mark Hamilton said. &#8220In the long term, Transpo said it was not wise. No matter what forces people bring to bear I won't go for it when I'm told it is not good engineering.”

Freed said the eliminating the U-turn at the intersections would hurt many area businesses, including Windermere. According to Freed, 67 realtors work out of the Windermere office.

&#8220I have a lot to lose,” Freed said. &#8220I run a lot of people through my office. I don't think they see the severity I do. People will drive up 410, take a left on 184th (Avenue East) then come down and take a left on Sumner-Buckley (Highway). It will be worse than a U-turn.”

Freed said not only do other states allow U-turns, it is currently allowed at the intersection, though seldom used since drivers can turn left onto 182nd Avenue East.

The project would change 182nd Avenue East to a right-in-and-right-out at the Sumner-Buckley intersection.

&#8220We understand folks are concerned,” Deputy Mayor Dan Swatman said. &#8220But we have thought about this for a long period of time. Maybe the U-turn would work during low (traffic volume) times, but during peak times we would not want to contemplate doing that.”

Hamilton said he plans to introduce the option of adding a U-turn at Sumner-Buckley Highway at 184th Avenue East as a possible solution to the problem.

&#8220I don't know if it is feasible,” Hamilton said. &#8220But I want to suggest Transpo look into it.”

The proposal would allow traffic turning onto Sumner-Buckley from SR 410 to make a U-turn at 184th providing access to 182nd Avenue East, Bonney Lake Auto Parts, Windermere and the ARCO station.

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.