If you’ve noticed that downtown North Bend doesn’t quite look at festive this holiday season, you aren’t imagining it. Recent complaints have popped up on social media about the lack of holiday decorations – most noticeably the lack of lighting.
Downtown Snoqualmie seemed to unleash its inner Clark Griswold again this year, which by comparison has left the streets of North Bend looking a little bit on the ‘grinchy’ side say some on Facebook.
According to city officials, the lack of lights traces to Puget Sound Energy and recent North Bend street projects like the Downtown Plaza project, the North Bend Way sidewalk project and a new turn lane at Park and Bendigo.
Public Works Director Mark Rigos explained that PSE has been backed up for a while, but said the city has been in near constant communication with PSE representatives over the past few months. Rigos said the service delay is disappointing to him and other city officials.
There has been some holiday decorating, though. Many businesses in the area are looking festive – especially the North Bend Chevy windows. The city has wrapped street lamps – and the familiar snowflakes have been attached, but there are about 4-8 street lights on arterials that have been out for several weeks. Rigos said the city is also waiting for PSE to repair those lights, although some have been fixed over the past few days.
These are the newest estimates from the City’s Project Manager regarding PSE and lighting needs in North Bend:
- PSE is planning on completing the lighting on the Bendigo Right Turn Lane project by December 15, 2017. Their work could start as soon as December 12, 2017.
- PSE is planning on completing the lighting on the Downtown Plaza project by December 15, 2017. Their work could start as soon as December 12, 2017.
- PSE is planning on completing the lighting on the North Bend Way sidewalk project (between Downing Avenue and Ballarat Avenue) by December 22, 2017.
