For years King County and the cities of Auburn and Kent have struggled with issues coordinating maintenance responsibilities, permitting requirements, and development review on the South 277 Street project because parts of it are within parts of varying jurisdictions.

And for years, the two cities have dealt with the headaches together.

Now, at long last, comes a solution that should make everyone’s lives a bit easier.

On Monday the Auburn City Council passed a resolution, which, coupled with a pending sister resolution from the City of Kent, will bring the South 277th Street corridor project and the South 277th Street corridor wholly into Auburn’s jurisdiction.

“This is something that’s been in the works for quite a while,” said City Councilman Wayne Osborne … “This will bring the whole roadway within the city of Auburn so they can do all the work on the project.”

On Sept. 2, 2014, the Auburn City Council passed a resolution authorizing Mayor Nancy Backus to execute an agreement with the City of Kent.

Not only was that agreement to define where the future jurisdictional boundaries and maintenance responsibilities of the two Cities along S. 277th Street would be, it was to define the future intent for the L Street Northeast signal and coordination of the corridor project.

“I think that our citizens will be excited to see that we’re moving forward with this project,” said Councilwoman Largo Wales. “We need to have more complete access roads up on Lea Hill., and this is an alternative to Lea Hill Road. This will make the project doable, after we get the funding.”