Economic development manager outlines Main Street master plan and three parking alternatives

Hailey Bowers, the city's economic development manager, reviewed the history and scope of the Main Street revitalization effort and described three design alternatives developed by a landscape architect and later tested by engineers.

Bowers said the work began after stakeholder meetings in November 2022, progressed through a Texas Downtown assessment and a Burdett master plan, and later moved to engineered schematics. "We hired a company called Burdett," Bowers said, describing parallel parking with a shared bike/golf-cart lane, reverse-angled parking and a narrower-lane option as the three alternatives. The engineering firm then tested the traffic impacts of reducing four lanes to two in different segments.

The plan aims to improve safety and mobility (wider sidewalks, improved crosswalks and accessible parking), upgrade storm sewer and drainage, and enhance quality of life through consistent street trees, lighting and street furniture. Bowers noted local business owners remain split: staff said the engineered traffic analysis suggests peak-hour northbound delays at 1st and 3rd could increase by about "30 to 40 seconds" during peak hours, a change the engineering team quantified.

Committee members asked about construction impacts on businesses and funding sources; Bowers said possible funding tools include TIRS, hotel occupancy taxes and other pots but cautioned those sources are limited and would require council direction. The committee agreed to encourage business owners to provide feedback and to use town halls and one-pagers to improve public understanding before the project moves to council for direction.