Business Retention and Development Committee Agenda and Packet 2012 04 02

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Business Retention & Development Committee Meeting Minutes March 5, 2012 Page 2 of 3 PEDESTRIAN ACTION PLAN – WAYFINDING DISCUSSION Sean McCartney, Principal Planner, gave an update on Parking Wayfinding and staff response to the initiatives, 1) observe existing conditions, 2) determine why people can’t find existing off-street parking areas such as the library or the Pine Street parking lot, 3) establish what steps are needed to undertake to solve this parking problem, and 4) direction. There are existing parking wayfinding signs that direct people to the Museum, City Hall, Pine Street Lot, and Library, and for the most part, they are located in the right locations, however, the size of the signs and size of the text is too small. Staff made suggestions on how to improve wayfinding by making signs thematic, eg. establishing a branding for City signs, installing a directory downtown to be used by pedestrians, enlarge current signs and add additional signage, use existing standards, and improve upon the entrance to the Pine Street parking lot by additional signage and landscaping. Concept sketches of proposed signs was presented and coordinate with the new gateway sign on highway 42. The ultimate goal is to develop a large-scale wayfinding program city-wide. Comments made during the presentation: Troy Russ, Planning Director, said that City staff is looking at improving parking on South Street and north end of Front Street. Recommendation would be to make these streets two-way Malcolm Fleming, City Manager, asked to come up with creative solutions to parking and work with everyone and establish a transition period All current miner’s signs would be looked at Emily Jasiak, councilmember, likes the color coding and matching up parking areas at the different locations to a specific color Michael Menaker feels the current gateway sign is too small and can’t be read from the perspective of drivers going by at 45 mph. Councilmember Dalton agreed. City Manager Fleming said the discussion of gateway signs has been going on for two years; someone is always going to be unhappy. There is landscaping planned at the base of the new sign that will help in drawing your attention BRAD members Dana Alford, Shelley Angell and councilmember Dalton encourage improved wayfinding for the entire City to include Centennial Valley and CTC Michael Menaker asked for a map that merchants could use to distribute to customers who ask where is parking, where are the hotels, where is downtown? Emily Jasiak, councilmember, said, “great job, thus far.” “I love where you’re going with this.” Ron Sackett, councilmember, commented that he doesn’t think the elevation sign on the gateway sign is important if it costs extra money to include. UPDATE ON THE HIGHWAY 42 GATEWAY PROJECT – PURPOSE AND NEED AND PROJECT GOALS Gavin McMillan, Planner II, gave a brief update of the current status of The Highway 42 Gateway project. A public kick-off meeting was held in November of last year and Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) workshops were held with stakeholders on the project. A presentation to City th Council will be made at the March 13 Study Session with plans to finalize with project partners the th Purpose and Need statement, project goals, and evaluation criteria by April 18. Following the approval, work will begin on designing alternatives for Highway 42 and the Gateway between downtown and the revitalization district under the railroad tracks. Planning Director Russ said there might be an opportunity to save $1M as Burlington Northern has offered to put in the box and eliminate a shoefly.