Tillicum Residents Rally, Attack Proposed Camp Murray Gate Relocation

Dozens of Tillicum residents rallied at Lakewood City Hall on Monday night, attacking the city’s and military's proposal to relocate the Camp Murray main gate.

Nearly 80 residents crowded into the Council chambers, most of whom opposed the .

"I think we can be quite confident this kind of representation will make an impact," said David Anderson, president, who organized the demonstration through his e-mail newsletter. "Such (that) they will forestall moving the gate and resend this back to the drawing board.”

Camp Murray generates about 4,400 vehicle trips per day, and there are about 1,200 employees on site.

But the intersection where the main gate is located wasn't designed for so much traffic. It is heavily used by service members, Tillicum residents and commercial vehicles.

Camp Murray and the city of Lakewood have proposed moving the gate from Union Avenue farther north on Berkeley Street to Portland Avenue to smooth traffic flow. Camp Murray has offered to make $1.2 million in road and infrastructure improvements along Portland Avenue.

Lakewood Mayor Douglas Richardson said Monday night’s demonstration contained the most organized oppostion on an issue that he can remember. Even he wondered after the meeting if the current plan is the best solution.

"I have some questions that need to be answered, too," Richardson said. "We should go back and see what else can be done."

City and military officials contend that the best-case scenario is moving the gate farther into the neighborhood. Rick Patterson, director of public affairs for the Washington Military Department, said status quo isn't the right answer.

Patterson said moving the traffic farther into the community will help diminish peak traffic. Transpogroup, a private consulting firm hired by the military, said moving the gate to Portland Avenue would add about 900 vehicles a day on that street.

Jan Merriman—who lives in a large gated community in Tillicum—denounced the idea, saying that their neighborhood streets were never meant to be a major thoroughfare.

"Moving the gate to Portland Avenue makes no sense and presents a safety issue," she said. "Eagle Point residents only have one way in or out of their homes."

The city must approve street-opening permit before the project moves forward. However, the city would lose significant funding if it doesn’t issue the permit by Sept. 30, the fiscal deadline set by the federal government.

The lack of federal money might kill the project, Neiditz said.