Sandpoint council hears design kickoff for downtown revitalization phase 3

The Sandpoint City Council on March 5 received a design update for downtown Revitalization Phase 3, a streetscape, utilities and traffic project that will pick up at First Avenue north of Bridge Street and extend as far south as available urban renewal funding allows.

City project manager and city forester Eric Busch said the city will issue a request for proposals to hire a design and engineering team and that the design phase will likely run about a year to 18 months. “This is just a starting point for us,” Busch said, describing intersection improvements at Bridge/First and First/Superior, corridor pedestrian and utility work and related stormwater and parking analyses.

The project team will use multiple prior planning documents as a starting point, including the 2012 Downtown Streets Plan and Design Guide, the city’s Multimodal Transportation Plan and a recent downtown design competition. Busch said the city has not completed new designs for Phase 3 and will vet concepts with traffic modeling and public outreach before settling on final plans.

Public works director Holly Ellis and Busch described two broad priorities: intersection traffic improvements (notably how traffic leaves City Beach on Bridge Street) and corridor work (sidewalks, stormwater treatment, street trees and water/sewer replacement under First Avenue). Busch said utility funds and Sandpoint’s Urban Renewal Agency (SARA) are the principal funding sources; the city will pursue additional grant opportunities where feasible.

Council members pressed staff on specific elements. Councilor Kyle Schreiber asked whether angled parking would reduce spaces; Busch said final counts depend on design but a shift to angled stalls can increase efficiency. Councilor Justin (last name redacted) and others sought clarification on a long‑term concept that would close a segment of First Avenue to vehicles and create a pedestrian plaza; Busch emphasized that concept was a longer‑term idea, not part of Phase 3 construction, and would be deferred for future study.

Councilors also raised safety and cost concerns for intersections. Councilor Rick Howarth said the Bridge/First intersection is “very complex” and urged detailed design and cost control. Several council members asked that newly reinstated committees be engaged early in the outreach process; Council President Deb Rule asked that committee roles be incorporated into staff outreach plans.

Busch said the city will return to council with a professional services agreement after selecting a design team and will present a public outreach plan to the council. He identified the likely work program: a traffic study to inform intersection options, utility reconstruction under First Avenue, pedestrian and streetscape design, and a public engagement campaign throughout design and construction.

Why this matters: Phase 3 is one of a small number of major capital projects the city expects to fund in coming years within the urban renewal footprint, and it will shape downtown vehicle circulation, pedestrian access and utility infrastructure.

What’s next: staff will issue an RFP for design services, then bring a professional services agreement to council for approval and present the public outreach plan for council input.