Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Space Design topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident proposes Front Street parklet; council asks staff for short-term benches and a detailed plan
Summary
Peter James presented a proposal to convert unused parking on Front Street into a pedestrian parklet with benches, planters and signage. Council members expressed support, asked for a temporary summer seating solution and directed staff to return with budget and implementation details.
Peter James, a local business owner and downtown resident, asked the Leavenworth City Council on May 13 to convert an underused strip of parking on the 600 block of Front Street into a small parkway with trees, planters, benches and visitor information displays.
James said the design would “create a high visual impact by simply replacing the cement … with trees, towers, planters, benches, trash can, and visitor oriented” elements to give visitors places to sit, reduce crowding near the park and draw people uphill to uptown businesses. He described a phased approach that could begin with temporary benches and planters and eventually tie into the city’s longer-term pedestrian plaza work.
Supporters at the meeting, including business owners and members of the downtown steering committee, told council the 600 block now reads as a parking lot and that seating would help keep visitors in town longer. One council member noted examples from other towns and said temporary benches would provide immediate relief for elderly and family visitors who need short rest stops.
Council members directed staff to develop a short-term, low-cost summer option (benches and planters) that could be installed this season if feasible, and to prepare a detailed proposal for the permanent parklet—design, budget, maintenance plan and how elements would integrate into the planned pedestrian plaza—so the council can review it for formal approval. Staff and proponents said benches already approved by the city or purchased from an approved vendor could be used temporarily and later reused elsewhere.
James described materials and planting options—cedar planters, a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees, solar trash compactors and a four-sided seasonal information kiosk with QR-coded maps—saying the plan was developed with input from the chamber, the downtown steering committee and local business groups. The council asked that staff confirm seasonal maintenance responsibilities and whether tree roots could be moved into permanent locations when the larger plaza work is implemented.
Next steps: staff was asked to return with a short-term implementation plan and cost estimate for summer seating within about a month and to prepare a full design and budget for the permanent parklet for future council action.
