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Selma BID board focuses on parking, pedestrian lighting and signage for downtown revitalization
Summary
Board discussion prioritized short‑term parking fixes (including potential reuse of land behind the old police station), pedestrian-safety lighting and distinctive downtown signage; members asked staff to research lot ownership, grants and phased approaches.
Selma Business Improvement District commissioners spent much of the meeting mapping downtown infrastructure needs, with parking identified as the immediate priority and pedestrian lighting and distinct downtown signage flagged as complementary investments.
Board member Rosa Gonzalez introduced the discussion and asked members to list infrastructure needs for next fiscal-year planning. Multiple members urged short-term, achievable fixes such as reconfiguring the First and High Street parking lot behind Foster Freeze and converting grassy parcels at the police station triangle into park-and-ride parking. Ramsea Corey suggested prioritizing the Foster Freeze lot to "make up for a lot of people to park there and shop," noting it could add 40–50 spaces if the old police building is removed.
Safety and access were recurring themes. Several commissioners recommended additional pedestrian crossing lights and brighter nighttime lighting on side streets; one member described ground-mounted pedestrian poles like nearby downtowns use. Concerns were raised about railroad‑adjacent parcels: speakers noted 200 feet within the track often belongs to the railroad, complicating redevelopment and requiring negotiation or purchase.
Speakers also discussed grant timing and staged approaches. A public commenter and a staff speaker noted a park‑and‑ride project behind the police station has funding targeted for 2028; staff recommended the BID create short‑, medium‑ and long‑term lists so council and grant writers can prioritize immediate funding needs versus longer-term redevelopment.
Board members debated creative solutions — shuttle/trolley pickups from peripheral lots, roundabouts to improve pedestrian safety and using underutilized city lots for overflow parking — while emphasizing cost constraints. No formal budget approval for infrastructure projects was made. Staff will research lot ownership, grant opportunities and quick-turn beautification options and return with a prioritized list for council consideration.
Closing note: the board asked staff to coordinate with public works on lighting prototypes and to explore storage and reuse options for seasonal decor that the BID purchases.
