Edmond council hears draft downtown streetscape design standards; concerns raised about sidewalks, trees and parking

Ken Bridal, Edmond director of planning, introduced a draft of downtown streetscape design standards to the Edmond City Council at a special meeting, presenting recommendations for sidewalks, furnishing zones, street trees and parking configurations that would guide future redevelopment and city‑led projects.

The draft, presented by Darren Scott, project manager with Kimley‑Horn, covers the core downtown (from University to Fifth and Thatcher) and reflects more than a year of work that included three stakeholder meetings and a public open house. "Glad to be here to share a little bit about what we've been working on with the downtown streetscape standards," Scott said as he opened the consultant presentation.

The document maps existing conditions and proposes typical street sections keyed to right‑of‑way widths. Consultants said many downtown sidewalks are narrower than preferred: much of the core has sidewalks under 6 feet, while a conventional downtown section would aim for 10–15 feet to accommodate walking, seating and…