Downtown improvement vision shared

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April 23, 2010 - 12:00 AM

Iolans were shown a number of proposed improvements to the city’s downtown business district Thursday evening, including crosswalks designed to be safer for pedestrians, storefront benches, trees that would serve as ideal gathering points and sidewalk pavers that would create a durable, attractive walking surface.
The proposals are part of the Vision Iola process, sponsored by the city and Thrive Allen County. Vision Iola also is looking at ways to improve the city’s signage and identity and parks and trails, including sidewalks.
Giving the presentation were Carisa McMullen and Dale Stafford of Landworks Studio of Olathe, hired to assist with Vision Iola.
Among their ideas for downtown:
Bulb-outs, or sidewalk extensions, that would be placed at each corner of the square, as well as halfway down each block and near the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
The rounded bulb-outs extend into each street, but not so far that they impede the flow of traffic. Bulb-outs are designed to make it significantly easier for pedestrians to cross the street. Stafford noted, for example, that the existing crosswalk that spans Madison Avenue at Jefferson Avenue is 80 feet long. The bulb-outs proposed at Thursday’s meeting would create a 44-foot-long crosswalk. In addition, the new crosswalks would adhere to accessibility codes. In many instances, the existing crosswalks do not comply, McMullen said.
The one drawback is that the city may lose as many as four parking spaces on each side of the square, although those losses would be mitigated, again, by the bulb-outs, she said, because they are designed to attract shoppers to park on either side of the street.
“Right now, people only want to park directly in front of the store,” she said.
A strip of pavers, or colored blocks, would create a highly durable and attractive walking surface along the sidewalk, while park benches and trees would be situated strategically along each block. Greenery in the bulb-outs would be designed to ensure vision of both pedestrians and motorists is not limited.
Safety remains the highest priority, McMullen and Stafford stressed.
McMullen noted that community surveys regarding downtown frequently mentioned keeping plans conservative because of costs. She said a cost estimate would be available soon. Ideally, Kansas Department of Transportation funds would pay for 80 percent of the project. The remaining 20 percent would be funded by the city.

MCMULLEN and Stafford also plan to visit with downtown business owners, at the request of Ken Rowe, owner of American Family Insurance.
Rowe asked about the wisdom of planting trees in front of downtown businesses because they could block the view of the storefronts by passing motorists.
Toland and McMullen said such issues would be covered at length during the meeting with the business owners. A date and time for that meeting has not been set.
Vision Iola’s next step is a May 6 meeting to discuss city parks and trails.
McMullen said topics would include ideas for land vacated because of flood damage three years ago, connectivity issues with different parts of town and sidewalk improvements.
Stafford said a survey on the city’s parks and trails would be ready soon at www.visioniola.com.

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