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Council unanimously directs staff to advance Downtown Revitalization Phase 3 to 30% design
Summary
After extensive public outreach and technical review, the Sandpoint City Council voted 7–0 to accept the basis-of-design memo for Downtown Revitalization Phase 3 and authorized staff to proceed to 30% design, endorsing pedestrian, bicycle, and traffic-calming measures described by consultants.
The Sandpoint City Council voted unanimously April 1 to accept a basis-of-design memo for Downtown Revitalization Phase 3 and direct staff to proceed to 30% design.
Consultants with Welch Comr presented 13 high-level recommendations for the First Avenue corridor, including retaining one travel lane in each direction, narrowing lanes to slow traffic, adding pedestrian-first streetscape features, installing raised or tabletop intersections near Pine–Church, and creating a shared-use path on the east side to connect to existing trails. "We're not looking to change any lane configurations. It's still one lane northbound, one lane southbound," consultant Matt Gillis told council as he described the design approach to slow traffic and reclaim street space for trees and seating.
Project manager Eric Bush said outreach has been robust: a technical advisory group and a recent public open house drew strong participation and showed public preference for walkability, improved bike access, and attention to downtown character. Bush said the City has selected HMH Engineering for related RV-park site engineering and that the Pine Street intersection may need a future traffic signal; staff recommended installing conduit and foundations now to avoid future disruption.
Council members pressed staff on construction impacts and business access; staff said project specifications will require contractors to limit front-door closures and proposed penalty provisions to incentivize rapid sidewalk restorations. Town-center business impacts were a recurring concern during the discussion; staff proposed advance notification and contractor requirements to minimize disruptions.
The motion to accept the basis-of-design memo was made after the presentation and a period of Q&A and passed by roll call. Staff said they will move into a two-month preliminary design phase, reconvene the TAG, reconduct public outreach, bring a 30% design package back to council and the public in June, and target bid advertisement later this summer with construction anticipated after Labor Day.
