Commission discusses Village Place pedestrian walkway pilot, weighs parking loss and traffic trade-offs

The commission spent the bulk of its time on a staff-led discussion of conceptual pilot options for Village Place aimed at improving pedestrian separation and downtown circulation. Deputy police leadership presented observational data and four high-level concepts and warned the group that any courtyard-style change would likely require a broader planning effort with commercial stakeholders.

Staff reported Village Place averages roughly 500 vehicles per day, with peak days closer to 700. The deputy said the 85th percentile speed on the street is about 12 miles per hour and the 95th percentile about 14 miles per hour; the posted business-district limit is 20 mph and an alley designation would post 15 mph. “It is used as a circulator through the village center,” the deputy said while summarizing video observations in which pedestrians were seen walking in the roadway on the southern leg because parked cars push them into travel lanes.

Option 1 would remove four 15-minute curbside parking spaces near Blue Mercury to create a more continuous pedestrian walkway; staff proposed recovering those short-term stalls in the Garfield lot. Option 2 would route through-traffic into the Garfield lot and post the Village Place entrance as 'no through traffic' to remove the circulator effect, though staff warned the west leg’s 15-foot right-of-way and sight-line constraints could create safety trade-offs. Option 3 would create a courtyard/dining area on the southern leg but commissioners cautioned that would attract more pedestrians and require comprehensive redesign to preserve service and delivery access for businesses. Option 4 would redirect the north/south circulator pattern to reduce circulation on the southern leg.

Commissioners repeatedly asked staff to engage business owners and document reactions — one commissioner asked staff to include a test 'Option 5' (a full closure similar to Elmhurst) on outreach materials to capture stakeholders’ gut reactions, even if unrealistic. Concerns included shifting traffic to higher-accident collectors (e.g., Garfield and First Street), delivery and service access for restaurants, and the potential to attract more pedestrians if a courtyard were installed. Staff said no decisions were to be made at this meeting and that the next step is outreach and a refined proposal after stakeholder feedback.

Direct quotes in the record reflect staff descriptions of counts and speed percentiles and commissioners' admonitions to consult business owners before piloting any physical changes.