Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Downtown Revival topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Downtown revitalization report highlights Taboo Street parking, sidewalks and rising foot traffic
Summary
Staff presented an audit of the 2017 downtown streetscape plan, reporting completed projects (Taboo Street parking, new sidewalks, ADA ramps, landscaping), conceptual work on wayfinding and public art, and a foot‑traffic analysis showing busiest days and peak hours; staff urged continued coordination and identified funding and right‑of‑way constraints for remaining work.
Town staff presented an audit of the 2017 downtown master streetscape plan and a recent foot‑traffic analysis, saying public and private investments since 2017 have produced measurable improvements but that several projects still require funding or property coordination.
Lindy, who led the presentation, walked the board through 19 original streetscape recommendations and color‑coded their status: fully complete, active/funded, concept phase or constrained by rights‑of‑way. Completed and active accomplishments cited included the Taboo Street public parking project and resurfacing, roughly a dozen new sidewalks and upgraded ADA ramps on the west side of the tracks, landscaping and street‑tree plantings, and facade improvements throughout downtown.
Lindy described a downtown foot‑traffic analysis (provided by the Department of Commerce via PlacerAI), noting typical peak days (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) and busiest hours (roughly 10 a.m.–7 p.m.). She said staff uses that data to inform business outreach on operating hours and to time retail events; "we're getting people downtown now," she said, characterizing the recent growth in visits.
The presentation also highlighted items that remain unfinished or require additional planning and funding: burying overhead utilities where feasible, decorative lighting and Popular Street gateway improvements, a proposed pedestrian pathway across the tracks (previously constrained by proximity to CSX right‑of‑way), and development of a modest public‑art program and pedestrian‑centric wayfinding.
Next steps include further coordination with the downtown board, Main Street program partners, and utilities to refine cost estimates and to prioritize projects for the town’s five‑year planning horizon. Staff said it will return with updates and any budget requests tied to these priorities.
