Will Downtown Be Getting a Facelift?
Gerald Higgins
Downtown is old, but how old is it really? Deteriorating facades and crooked roads abound, it's time for something to change.
Brian Sanfield, President of the Central California Chamber of Commerce, said that part of the grand plan was to tackle some of the inconveniences that downtown has, and to make it safe, clean and pleasant for everyone.
Sanfield cited the visibility of lights, sidewalk improvements, overall cleaning and city property restoration as ways of making downtown a more appealing place. He said a future part of the city plan is to highlight some of the buildings.
“We’ve got some brown old windows that we are going to take some pride in and give them some elbow grease,” said Sanfield.
When pressed about funding for the plans, he said the plans are flexible and only require the funding of the areas of need.
"We are not going to spend a lot of money on all the things you guys are telling me."
Charles Marconi, community development director, said, "We are not going to spend a lot of money on all the things you guys are telling me." He explained that most of the money is being spent on the downtown areas, and that maintenance is important. "But as far as improving downtown, the master plan only calls for that and we will go from there.”
He continued, "We're not going to get you that shiny new building and we're not going to get you some new bike lanes. We're going to do it in small portions. We have a lot of engineering work to do.”
What is certain is that downtown will be getting a facelift.
“There’s going to be a lot of people down here fixing up their property,” said Marconi, mentioning the plans for downtown during his presentation of the Community Vision for Downtown.
He also said some of the buildings downtown will be staying the same, and a few others may be getting new facades and a makeover.
"We've already identified spots"
Most of the infrastructural improvements will be done on Main Street, so no immediate road changes are expected. "There are going to be some beautification improvements and things like that, but there's not much right now that we have to do," said Marconi.
Some of the projects on the drawing board include bike lanes, sidewalk repairs, and beautification. "We've already identified spots," he said.
Bike lanes and sidewalks are on the drawing board, but not for immediate implementation.
The proposed plan will require the purchase of all right-of-way downtown in 2024 for street improvements, to be included in the 2023/24 budget for the City. "There's no money available right now," said Marconi, although funding will be identified in the future.
He encouraged residents to provide their feedback in the form of a comment card and attend community meetings where more information will be provided.
"The only way to have it ready for 2024 is to go through a process. We're not even done with the NID and environmental approvals.
We're not even done with demolition. We're still going to have a lot of work to do with design," said Marconi.
It has taken over ten years to get where they are today
The Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP) was developed to address neighborhoods that need improvement to bring them up to code. There are four main areas NIP looks at: architecture, safety, sanitation and transportation. It has taken over ten years to get where they are today.
The only projects that can be started now, according to Marconi, are: Downtown streets, Public Property and Art in Public Places (APIP).
He said that the repair of Main Street is the biggest project. NIP funds are now available through Park Commission.