For the past seven months the Washington Street Working Group has been developing a plan thatnot only will improve the traffic flow through Bismarck's Cathedral District but also preserve the area's historic significance.

On Tuesday, the report developed by the group was presented to and received by the Bismarck City Commission. Eric Sakariassen, representing the working group and a resident directly impacted by Washington Street, presented the report, providing a tour of the homes comprising the historic district via a slide show.

"This is just a quick tour of some of the 150 homes, that in my mind, provide us an exercise in learning about the past. History plays an important role in telling us about ourselves today," Sakariassen said. "The first half of the 20th century, when most of these homes were built, is considered the golden age of residential architecture. We've identified some 50 different styles of architecture found in our neighborhood."

The working group focused on three specific areas, Sakariassen said: Context-sensitive design, allowing the district to maintain its own character and sense of place; roadway design issues, primarily dealing with increased traffic speed through widening the street and pedestrian safety; and communitywide issues, concerns on how Bismarck's growth will impact the use of Washington and city consideration of other solutions to north-south traffic flow other than Washington.

Sakariassen praised the city for allowing the neighborhood to be part of the planning process and being able to continue to provide input as the city moves forward on design and engineering. He pointed out that unanswered questions remain on specific issues such as providing traffic-calming devices and giving homeowners an idea of what assessments they might expect.

Chuck Peterson, a local businessman and member of the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce transportation committee, provided a chamber resolution supporting a more effective system for providing adequate traffic capacity on Washington.

"I remember standing in this very room and reciting these same words to the city commission in 1972," Peterson said. "During this time we've gone through many stages of consideration on how to approach the matter, even looking at placing it on the ballot. Thirty-three years have passed, and we're finding more and more citizens becoming impatient with the situation and urge you (the commission) to act and move forward."

Commissioner Sandi Tabor moved that the commission receive the report and direct city staff to begin design and engineering for the section of Washington passing through the Cathedral District. Included in the motion is publication of a request to design a streetscape incorporating context-sensitive features. The motion passed on a 4-1 vote with Dave Jensen voting no. Commissioner Bryce Hill also requested city staff to look at a temporary fix for the section of Washington he termed a "terrible mess." The timeline calls construction in 2008.