Chris Worley, a landscape architect with Wizz Associates, presented a downtown landscape master plan Tuesday that maps improvements from East Boulevard to West Boulevard and Omaha Street to Kansas City Street. The study area includes downtown intersections and pedestrian corridors the consultant described as visually disjointed and lacking cohesive landscaping.

Worley said the firm inventoryed existing conditions, held public engagement (163 online survey responses plus community meetings) and developed designs tailored to each intersection. Typical recommendations include additional street trees, plant beds, strategically placed boulders to prevent shortcutting through planters, and irrigation improvements. Worley said many intersections will require new water service and irrigation, estimating roughly $30,000 per intersection for that infrastructure.

The consultant provided an opinion of probable cost for full build‑out of the two‑street area (11 blocks): about $5.8 million, which the presentation broke down to roughly $250,000 per intersection. Worley said the plan avoids altering already definitive sites such as Main Street Square and the Block 5 development and is intended to provide a cohesive design framework for future projects.

Park & Rec director Jeff said the designs are lower‑maintenance than traditional plantings but will increase the department’s maintenance needs and staff time; he did not provide a firm annual maintenance cost. Council members asked whether parking meters would be removed; Worley said meters were not part of the design intent and that renderings without meters reflected current downtown appearance in some views rather than a proposal to remove them.

After discussion, the council voted to forward the master plan to the full city council without recommendation so staff can further identify funding options; no funding decision was made Tuesday.