The Traffic Safety and Signage Committee voted Jan. 6 to allow temporary closure of the sidewalk and two parking spaces at 110 West Central so contractors can stage a lift to perform tuckpointing on the building facade.

The applicant described the work as exterior tuckpointing that will require a lift, staging area and possibly a dumpster directly in front of the building. "I really need to be placed to stage that mixture and that stuff in the front end if I need a dumpster right there," the applicant said. Committee members raised concerns about pedestrian diversion, liability and overlap with other downtown construction projects, including ongoing work in front of the nearby Walmart Museum.

Committee members discussed conditioning the closure on progress of adjacent projects and on coordination with city event scheduling. Members asked the applicant to coordinate directly with staff to avoid conflicts with planned events such as the half marathon and with other contractors working on the square; staff said the Walmart Museum sidewalk work is expected to be open by the end of the month but that other block work and a parking-deck project could affect downtown access in coming months.

A motion to approve the closure and require coordination with city staff carried on a unanimous voice vote. Committee members said the action will allow the contractor to proceed while the city and the applicant coordinate timing and staging to minimize conflicts.

Next steps: the applicant will stay in contact with transportation and public-works staff to set dates, staging details and contingency plans if adjacent work or events require changes to the closure timeline.