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Sandpoint public works outlines downtown parking-lot repavement, preservation of cedar grove
Summary
Public Works Director Holly Ellis told the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency on April 1 that the downtown parking-lot repavement is out to bid, will preserve six existing trees and add two, and includes conduit for future kiosks, cameras and EV charging; bid opening is this week and the contractor would begin mid-April if awarded.
Holly Ellis, Sandpoint public works director, told the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency Board of Commissioners on April 1 that the downtown parking-lot repavement project is out to bid and the public bid opening is scheduled for April 3.
The project design consolidates vehicle access to a single entrance off Third Avenue, removes the existing north and south access points, installs new base and asphalt, reconstructs curb and sidewalk on Church Street, upgrades lighting and adds conduit for future features such as informational kiosks, security cameras and electric-vehicle charging. “This project is out to bid. It went out to bid last Thursday. The public bid opening is this Thursday, April 3,” Ellis said.
Why it matters: the downtown lot is a central asset for Sandpoint’s core business district and the design changes are intended to improve stormwater treatment and safety without removing a stand of mature trees. Ellis said a cedar grove on the south side of the lot will be preserved; in total six trees will be retained and two new trees planted.
Ellis described stormwater improvements intended to reduce runoff that currently sheds onto adjacent property, saying the redesigned lot will provide roughly 30% more treatment. The project will place conduit to accommodate future installations rather than installing kiosks, cameras or charging stations immediately. “We’re also looking at an opportunity with our Arts Commission to bring them in and have some wayfinding,” Ellis said.
On parking capacity, Ellis reported the design yields 128 stalls and provided a breakdown on types: “85 standard stalls and 29 compact stalls,” she said. Other numeric references in the presentation were unclear in the record; Ellis confirmed that because many current spaces are substandard the new layout should produce a similar total number of usable spaces but with standardized stall dimensions.
The design also provides for future gates or a license-plate-reader system for parking management; terminals for paid parking are not part of the immediate construction but conduit locations are included. Regarding electric vehicles, Ellis said the project will not install chargers now but will install conduit to allow chargers to be added later without tearing up new pavement.
The agency was told the contractor notice to proceed would follow a council award on April 9, with a contractor start date around April 16 and a required completion date in early May. Ellis said May 15 is the anticipated full reopening target, pending the bid-award timeline.
The repavement project is currently a staff-led procurement; no formal action by the Urban Renewal Agency was taken at the April 1 meeting.
Ending: Public works staff said they will return with the awarded contract and a final construction schedule after the city’s April award process. Commissioners asked staff to follow up on details including serpentine vs. one-way lane configurations, final stall counts and specific terminal/kiosk locations.
