A document that the Oak Harbor City Council routinely approves each year got a little extra attention this week from a few people who are opposed to a road extension.

Under law, the city is required to submit to the state each year a Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program — which is a list of transportation projects.

Road projects must be on the list to qualify for federal transportation funds.

“Just because they’re on this list that we’re presenting tonight does not necessarily mean they’ve funded or that we’re moving forward with them at this time or anytime soon,” City Engineer Joe Stowell said.

The proposed extension of Bayshore Drive was included on the list.

The proposal, which has been on the transportation element of the comprehensive plan since 1995, is to extend the road from City Beach Street to Beeksma Drive.

Stowell said the sewage treatment plant project may serve as a catalyst for the project.

The list proposes that federal funds will finance $1 million of the project and the remaining $2.5 million will be funded with local dollars.

Several people, however, said they are not pleased with the Bayshore extension’s inclusion on the list.

Hal Hovey and two other residents argued that improvements to other roads — including Northeast Seventh and Regatta — should be higher priorities, that the Bayshore project is too expensive and that it is unnecessary.

In addition, they said they are concerned about how it might affect Windjammer Park.

The Bayshore extension would run along the northern edge of Windjammer Park and along the southern edge of the sewage treatment plant.

“No matter how you draw the road, it would take land away from Windjammer Park,” Hovey said.

In addition, some residents said they are concerned about the fate of the baseball fields at Windjammer Park.

In the past, planners talked about straightening Bayshore Drive so that it runs through the ballfields; the ballfields would be moved to another location.

On the other hand, resident Shane Hoffmire said he is in favor of the extension of Bayshore because he believes it would make it easier to get around town, especially now that a section of Pioneer Way is a one-way road.

Councilman Bob Severns questioned why Bayshore extension is a priority while other projects aren’t.

“For the life of me I don’t understand why we don’t have Northeast Seventh (on the list),” he said.

He and other council members said they want a master plan for Windjammer Park before any decisions are made about extending Bayshore Drive.

While the council members said they won’t support any net loss of park land, Councilman Jim Campbell argued that there’s no way to get around the fact that the extension would take up some of the park property.

Campbell said he is opposed to the project for that reason.

The council approved the list by a 4-1 vote. Campbell voted against it.

What the Six-Year Plan contains

In addition to the Bayshor project, the City of Oak Harbor’s Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program includes five other proposed street projects, which are:

Improvements on Southwest Heller Street, from Swantown to Whidbey Avenue.

Whidbey Avenue reconstruction, from Heller Street to Regatta Drive.

Traffic signal installation at Midway Boulevard and Northeast Seventh Avenue.

Construction of roundabouts on Highway 20 at the intersections from Swantown to Barrington.

Overlays on Northwest Heller Street from Whidbey to Crosby.