Is increased traffic through this Lacey neighborhood a sign of things to come?

After a natural gas line relocation project inadvertently redirected hundreds of cars through a historic neighborhood in Lacey earlier this month, a resident of that neighborhood is now asking: Is this a sign of things to come?

Joe Panesko, who is no stranger to confrontations with the city of Lacey, now is knocking on the city’s door again, calling on city officials to address the increased traffic now. City officials counter that they have taken steps to curb traffic in the area.

Two years ago, Panesko and other residents of the neighborhood that he calls “one of the jewels in our city,” appealed to the hearing examiner the city’s approval of the Reserve at Lacey, a large senior housing project set to sprout on the former Albertsons site at Carpenter Road and Pacific Avenue. The hearing examiner ruled in favor of the city, and Panesko dropped his appeal.

Now, construction appears imminent: A fence has been erected around the Albertsons’ site, which has sat vacant and unused for years.

Before that happens, though, a separate project emerged: Puget Sound Energy needed to relocate a natural gas line in the same area earlier this month, and Panesko watched as motorists — not wanting to be delayed by the work underway at Carpenter Road and Pacific Avenue — darted down Ulery Street to Seventh Avenue, then continued onto Carpenter Road. His neighborhood became a shortcut between Pacific Avenue and Carpenter Road for many drivers.

“And once the senior Reserve project demolition and construction begins, how many more months of adverse impacts will we have to bear?” Panesko asked the city in an email.

In addition to sending emails, Panesko took his concerns straight to the Lacey City Council on Aug. 9.

He estimated that during construction more than 100 cars had driven down Ulery Street, sometimes hitting speeds of 40 to 50 miles per hour. He said it was scary just to go out to the mailbox.

“If the roads department or police department could provide a little more relief, or more signage, it would be greatly appreciated,” he told the council that night.

Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder said the PSE project was only temporary, but he also acknowledged that he had seen an increase in traffic on Lacey Street. Ryder lives in the same neighborhood.

The city’s historic neighborhood can be found along Bowker, Lacey and Ulery streets, as well as Seventh Avenue. The neighborhood contains older homes on much larger lots, which gives it a rural feel in the heart of the city. The neighborhood also is home to the Lacey Museum.

The streets are long and uninterrupted, which makes it easy for motorists to drive fast, but they also are narrow and don’t have sidewalks, Panesko told the council. Ulery Street also has a “no through traffic” sign that Panesko would like to see the city enforce.

Although construction on the Reserve at Lacey appears imminent, Rick Walk, the city’s community and economic development director, said Thursday that the developer, AVS Communities, is still working on financing for the project. Walk did not have an updated time line for construction.

He also said that he does not expect the eventual construction to delay traffic like the PSE project did.

Ryder said he shares some of Panesko’s concerns about “this normally quiet area of Lacey.”

Ryder wrote to Panesko: “In response to our concerns, the Lacey Police Department will conduct emphasis patrols to deter speeding within and around the Lacey Historical Neighborhood. Additionally, our police installed a radar reader board at Ulery and Seventh Avenue to alert drivers to their vehicle’s speed. I was told a second radar board is in the works as well. I believe that these actions will help alleviate some of the frustrations we are experiencing due to the increased traffic.”

In his reply email, Panesko blasted the mayor’s response, saying he was “unimpressed.”

Digital speed signs are usually ignored, he said.

“We are not an arterial, and the city has a responsibility as the governmental entity in charge of regulating our street usage to prevent arterial-level traffic from cutting through small residential streets unintended for such volumes.”

This story was originally published August 23, 2018 at 6:50 PM.