Yelm Community Development Director Passes Blame To DOT

It is not know if Yelm’s Community and Government Relations Coordinator Cindy Teixeira, who Mr. Klein wrote a letter to asking for an update has responded to him or if going thru the Nisqually Valley News is the new way for the members of Yelm City Government to answer questions.

Connector waiting on DOT permit
The only thing keeping Wal-Mart from building a connector to 103rd Avenue is a permit from the state Department of Transportation.
Posted Dec 05, 2008.

By Megan Hansen
Nisqually Valley News

The only thing keeping Wal-Mart from building a connector to 103rd Avenue is a permit from the state Department of Transportation.

A stipulation for approving the superstore was that the connector had to be built 18 months after right-of-way was purchased, Yelm Community Development Director Grant Beck said.

The right-of-way acquisition was completed July 2007.

The city was going to negotiate the right-of-way purchase, but the state DOT took the lead, Beck said.

Wal-Mart reimbursed the DOT for the piece of land needed for the connector and issued a letter of credit to the city.

That letter of credit is for just under $1 million.

Money is set aside for the project and officials from Wal-Mart are ready to build, Beck said.

The road will add to the mini loop project, connecting to 103rd Avenue.

Residents will be able to turn out of the superstore and take the mini loop instead of Yelm Avenue.

Once the Yelm Loop is constructed, the connector will be ripped out and replaced to become part of the bypass.

“It’s just a city street for now,” Beck said.

The only thing stopping them is a permit to get onto the property.

Beck said he contacted WSDOT Sept. 4, but still hasn’t heard from them.

“I’m not panicked about it because we have the line of credit,” Beck said. “It’s not like Wal-Mart is going to back out.”

“It will get built.”

The permit is still being processed, but it should be complete within the next two weeks, said Dale Severson, development services engineer for WSDOT.

“It’s just a matter of getting all the pieces together,” Severson said.