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Paddock advances South Alley cleanup and Quiet Zone planning, explores bollards and parklets
Summary
Board and staff discussed converting South Alley into a cleaner, safer back-of-building area — proposing permanent dumpster locations, wrought-iron fencing along the railroad corridor as part of a Quiet Zone strategy, concrete overlay, and removable bollards for events; staff said grant applications (Quiet Zone/Chrissy and RAISE) are in progress.
Paddock members and staff spent substantial time discussing a multipronged plan to clean up South Alley, improve rear access for downtown businesses, and advance Quiet Zone-related work along the railroad.
Raelynn said the plan draws on work already completed for a Quiet Zone application: permanent dumpster locations on each block, asphalt or concrete overlay for a cleaner alley surface, permanent wrought‑iron fencing near the railroad right-of-way for aesthetics and safety, and painted fire lanes to keep vehicles clear of building backs. She said staff expects to pull individual cost line items from the Quiet Zone design package to implement pieces now rather than wait for the whole project.
Staff emphasized funding and timeline constraints: the overall local participation estimate for the Quiet Zone project is about $4,000,000 (city share), which staff has previously set aside for potential future borrowing. Raelynn said the next Quiet Zone application is due in June and awards are expected in October; the application will be submitted under the grant name the transcript identifies as the “Chrissy Grant” and also as a Railroad Elimination grant. She said Union Pacific had approved the general design and that fencing location and design would follow Union Pacific’s safety requirements.
Events and pedestrian safety: Board members and staff discussed removable bollards to secure festival blocks and protect vendors and pedestrians. Staff said bollards with locked sleeves (sleeve installed in the street; bollard inserted and locked for events) are a removable solution and estimated about $300 per bollard plus installation; staff also mentioned heavier temporary wrought‑iron barricades as an alternative for some event configurations.
Why it matters: South Alley improvements and Quiet Zone infrastructure are tied to downtown safety, aesthetics and long‑term development plans. Permanent dumpster locations and alley paving are intended to improve functionality for tenants and emergency access while aesthetics and fencing will better frame downtown from the railroad corridor.
Next steps: Staff will extract individual cost estimates from the Quiet Zone design package (fence, dumpster enclosures, paving, awnings) and return line-item pricing for board consideration; the city will submit Quiet Zone/Chrissy Grant applications in June.
Note on terminology: The transcript refers to the railroad grant as the “Chrissy Grant” and to the federal roadway grant as the RAISE grant; reporting here follows the transcript wording for those program names.
