The Snohomish County Public Works Right-of-Way group garnered the 2017 Project of the Year award from the Puget Sound Chapter of the International Right of Way Association on Wednesday, Feb. 14 for the Seattle Hill road improvement project near Mill Creek, which resulted in population growth.

“This project involved 49 parcel acquisitions and seven additional temporary construction easements,” Snohomish County Public Works director Steve Thomsen said in a press release. “It was in two separate jurisdictions with different land uses and it took 23 months to complete negotiations. This was a huge effort to get to the construction phase and the Right-of-Way group helped make it happen.”

The group recognized includes supervisor Michael McVey, senior coordinator M. Jane Anderson, specialist Jean Greagor and review appraiser Steven Juntila, along with consultants Tom Stowe and Jerry Sidwell of Stowe Appraisal, Inc. The group was able to complete the right-of-way process for $2.3 million.

“We did run into some issues with contacting property owners, but our team was extremely diligent and professional,” McVey said in a press release. “We even had a major utility relocation. The project covered commercial and residential property, along with residential developments. It was pretty complex.”

The group was tasked with acquiring the land in order to widen the road to three lanes, along with adding bike lanes, curbs and sidewalks. It performed appraisal reviews, negotiated the purchases, and in some cases helped relocate personal property within the acquisition area.

The Seattle Hill Road Project will change the profile of the road in order to improve sight distance and safety. The design team had to deal with wetlands and creek issues, and coordinate with four major on-going residential developments.