Council accepts preliminary downtown parking-lot design after debate over trees, entrances and circulation

Sandpoint city staff presented a preliminary design for rehabilitation of the downtown public parking lot on Feb. 19 that would replace century-old asphalt, upgrade lighting and stormwater treatment, reconfigure spaces to meet city dimensional standards and create a new single vehicle entrance on Third Avenue. The council voted to advance the design to final engineering and bidding, with direction to seek input from the Tree/Forestry Committee on preserving or replacing mature trees.

Why it matters: The downtown lot serves as a gateway parking area near restaurants and businesses; staff and the mayor said the lot’s condition and substandard stall dimensions reduce usability and create safety and maintenance problems. Staff emphasized the lot has not had major repaving since the 1980s and that many spaces do not meet current off-street parking dimensional standards, producing difficult turning maneuvers and cars driving into unpaved areas.

Staff presentation and options: Project manager Eric Bush and City Engineer Brandon Stagland described a preliminary layout that reorganizes aisles, creates new ADA-compliant stalls, updates stormwater treatment, and places tree plantings and lighting to meet current standards. The plan includes an area reserved to support a future controlled parking access system and assumes some new compact spaces along one edge. Stagland noted the design both improves ADA access and reduces pedestrian–vehicle conflict by concentrating vehicle access to a controlled entry point.

Public and council debate: Several public commenters and an ISA-certified arborist urged the council to preserve mature trees and to seek an arborist assessment before removing large specimens. Councilors and staff debated circulation trade-offs: a single Third Avenue entrance would eliminate two conflict points at Oak and Church but would force drivers to circulate within the lot to find spaces; retaining both north and south entrances would ease circulation but leave certain conflict points in place. Councilors pressed for involvement of the tree commission, for additional outreach to downtown businesses, and for review of whether compact parking or other layout changes could allow saving mature trees.

Vote and next steps: Council voted to approve moving the preliminary design to final design and to advertise for bids; the roll call produced a tie that Mayor Grama broke with a vote in favor. Staff said they will bring the design to the Tree/Forestry Committee for recommendations, coordinate outreach to downtown businesses, update cost estimates (the FY25 parking-lot allocation was about $150,000, while preliminary estimates exceed that), and return with any needed adjustments before final construction authorization.

Ending: Staff aims to complete asphalt work before the summer event season if funding and final design permit. The council’s action authorizes final design work and bidding but does not obligate final construction expenditures until the council approves a contract or additional funding.