Lemoore staff pitches temporary, reversible ‘E Street Reimagined’ pedestrian plaza

Public Works staffer Benavides presented a phased concept to the Lemoore City Council on Sept. 16 to temporarily convert a short block of E Street into a pedestrian-focused plaza for events and gatherings.

Benavides said the plan would start with striping and paint to mimic tree wells and planting locations, plus temporary shade and trees in movable planters. "The long term idea would be to shut down a a small section of E Street, make it a pedestrian friendly, spot where we could hold a bunch of events," Benavides said. He described the first phase as “just paint at this point” to allow quick, reversible testing of the concept before committing to hardscape work.

The presentation showed a top-down rendering of the block with diagonal parking removed, painted squares where trees could be placed in boxes for events, and shade veils. Benavides framed the approach as low-cost and iterative: "…we thought we could just do the striping and do some of the preliminary stuff kind of, on the cheap and and reversible if in case we decide, that's not how we wanna go." The plan would follow design motifs used elsewhere downtown, such as string lighting patterns on D Street.

Council members asked about outreach to downtown business owners and the project’s cost and maintenance. Benavides said staff plans a “knock and talk” outreach to merchants before installing striping and emphasized the paint-first approach as reversible if merchants object. In response to a question about maintenance and total project cost, Benavides said the striping would be folded into an existing resurfacing project and that the incremental cost for paint and striping would be minimal; he did not provide a firm dollar estimate for a final plaza build-out. "We don't have to worry about paint because we'll rip everything out and do a plaza," he said when discussing the long-term possibility of replacing temporary elements with hardscape.

Public comment included Tom Reed, who asked for a guesstimate of long-term costs and maintenance. Benavides replied that staff could develop rough numbers and pursue grant opportunities if the concept is advanced.

Council members noted adjacent properties that factor into the plan: a vacant lot between Sky Lounge and the former Boba Island was said to be "potentially in escrow" for use as public parking with electric vehicle chargers; the city also owns 311 East Street, which Benavides said is being held for a future civic use. Benavides described the broader intent as creating an entertainment corridor beginning at Fox Street through the skate park and splash pad, with the arbor and events at E Street acting as a centerpiece.

The council did not take formal action on the study-session item; staff will proceed with outreach, return with more detailed cost estimates if requested and advance the phased trial concept if merchants and neighbors are receptive.

The presentation and council questions established next steps: merchant outreach, incorporation into an existing resurfacing contract for paint/striping work, and development of rough cost estimates and possible grant funding sources for later phases.