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Council hears final downtown streetscapes plan; 5th Street plaza and public restrooms highlighted
Summary
City planners and consultant 1st 40 Feet presented a final Downtown Streetscapes Plan that outlines ~21 projects over a five-year horizon, including curb-extension demonstrations, a proposed 5th Street plaza, parklet standards, a facade grant program and options for public restrooms; council requested committee follow-up and funding exploration.
City planning staff and consultant 1st 40 Feet delivered the final Downtown Streetscapes Plan to the Anacortes City Council, detailing a multi-element action plan intended to strengthen Commercial Avenue’s role as the city’s downtown spine.
Planning Director John Coleman introduced the plan and turned the presentation over to Jason Graff of 1st 40 Feet, who described the project as the culmination of nearly a year of public engagement and workshops. “This is really the final show to really illustrate the schedule, the key projects that some of which have already been initiated, others that are in the queue to be initiated,” Graff said, walking the council through streetscape enhancements, streetscape management, parking strategy, wayfinding, the Downtown Loop, the Crosstown connection and public gathering measures.
Key short-term actions include intersection demonstration projects (curb extensions), downtown lighting work that is already underway, a proposed kit of parts for streetscape furnishings (benches, planters, bike racks), and a facade-grant program that the Downtown Anacortes Alliance (DAA) could administer with city support. Graff and staff identified 5th Street as a promising location for a test street plaza after businesses and truck-movement considerations made 7th Street less suitable.
Public comment during the presentation emphasized restrooms, accessibility and the need for clear parklet management. Graff showed an example of Portland’s “Portland loo” as one costed option for permanent downtown restrooms; “they’re not particularly inexpensive, but once they’re in the ground they tend to perform really well,” he said. Downtown Alliance chair Ward McKenzie called the plan “a culmination of five years of work,” and the council generally endorsed committee-level follow-up to prioritize projects and pursue grant funding.
Council members flagged implementation constraints — limited city funds and staff capacity — and urged partnerships with the DAA, Creative Arts District, Chamber of Commerce and the Port. Several council members suggested a work session or committee-level review to sort priorities and identify grant-writing resources. City staff said projects requiring regulatory changes or spending will return to council for formal approval.
The plan and appendices are available on the city’s project web page; staff said a schedule and proposed funding sources are included in the action-plan matrix. The council took no formal action to adopt the plan at this meeting; members directed staff and partner organizations to pursue implementation steps and follow-up reporting.
