Sandpoint committee reviews early concepts for downtown Phase 3 redesign

City staff presented early concept drawings and a status update on “Phase 3” of Sandpoint’s downtown revitalization project during the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting on March 13, 2025.

The most immediate items shown to the committee were two conceptual designs for the First Avenue/Bridge intersection and the blocks extending toward Pine Street. City engineer Brandon Steggen said one concept came from the multimodal transportation master plan and another from a recent downtown design competition. Stenggen said the concepts were presented to solicit early public input before a design and engineering firm is hired.

The nut of the discussion was timing and scope. Mayor Jeremy Grimm told the committee staff and council are preparing a request for proposals for a design team that will do outreach and produce the detailed plans. Grimm said project funding will come from a limited pool and that the city expects the Phase 3 work to be the last large, publicly funded project in downtown for the next two to three years.

Steggen and the mayor said utilities and stormwater replacement will be part of the project regardless of the final surface treatment. Committee members asked how the Phase 3 proposals compare with earlier downtown work — bulb-outs, stormwater planters, and narrower vehicle lanes — and were shown examples from previous phases. Staff emphasized that the two shown concepts are not final and that the design firm will produce alternatives based on community outreach.

Committee members discussed the possibility of temporary, short-term trials — including seasonal or weekend closures that would block vehicle traffic between Bridge and Church streets — to test whether pedestrian plazas or partial street closures could work. Mayor Grimm and staff noted a temporary trial could be used to gather evidence but said the plaza concept is not currently included in Phase 3 scope; it remains a longer-term idea.

Funding sources referenced during the discussion included urban renewal for some downtown projects and other capital funds for utilities. Steggen said the design procurement is imminent and that the consultant will be asked to conduct public engagement, including community meetings and surveys.

Committee members asked for an opportunity to review the design consultant’s scope and to be included early in outreach. The mayor indicated the committee is likely to be asked to provide formal recommendations once the consultant work begins.

The committee did not take any formal votes on Phase 3 at the March 13 meeting; staff asked members to familiarize themselves with the concepts and to prepare priorities and comments for future meetings.