NOVEMBER 26, 2009 ISSUE
Boone Council Adopts Downtown Streetscape Plan
The Downtown Streetscape Plan recommends new benches, signage, streetlights and trash receptacles for the downtown Boone area.In a unanimous vote, the Boone Town Council on November 19 approved a Downtown Streetscape Plan with short- and long-term improvements that will include new benches, trash receptacles, streetlights, sidewalk paver edging, public art, garden spaces and signage as well as de-cluttering of current signage and utility lines.
The Community Appearance Commission, in cooperation with the Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA) and the town’s Public Works Department, developed the plan over the course of the past year.
“I just think you all did an outstanding job,” said Council Member Lynne Mason.
The plan will begin with the purchase and installation of items such as signage, garbage cans and benches at locations throughout downtown.
“[We want] an immediate burst that people will notice right away,” said Adrian Tait, chair of the Community Appearance Commission.
The DBDA has $20,000 set aside for the purchase of downtown site furnishings in its 2009-10 budget. If approved by the DBDA board on December 3, the DBDA will write a check to the Town of Boone for the initial expenditures of the Streetscape Plan.
In its current budget, the Town of Boone has $35,000 allocated for streetlights and $20,000 in a special fund for street amenities that can be used to start implementing the plan, said Blake Brown, Public Works director.
The town and DBDA are also looking at other funding sources, such as donations and contributions from downtown businesses.
After the initial round of purchases and installations, the plan will proceed in phases. Phase 1 will focus on improvements to the intersection of King and Depot streets. An estimated budget for Phase 1 of the project totals $48,761. Phase 1.5 will focus on the area between Appalachian Street and the post office. Phase 2 will expand to an area between the Turchin Center and Water Street, and Phase 3 will cover the entire area between the Hardin Street intersection and Straight Street.
“It really will probably be done more in bits and pieces as time goes on,” Tait said. “[It will be funded using] a piecemeal of existing maintenance funds, new monies from council and different pieces.”
The Streetscape Plan recommends the de-cluttering of existing signage and utility wires in the downtown area—including an abundance of one-hour parking signs on King Street, Tait said. The plan recommends the review of all current signage, including street and wayfinding signage and private business signs.
As for the burial of utility lines, Tait said on Tuesday, “We want to make it clear that where we have the opportunity [to bury lines], we should.”
The plan also recommends the installation of a 14-inch-wide brick paver border on the street side of sidewalks. The paver edging is likely to be installed gradually as town staff do maintenance on streetlights, Tait said.
New site furnishings will include benches, Big Belly trash cans and recycling containers that are capable of holding twice the amount of trash as standard receptacles, bike racks, and downward-facing streetlights with energy-saving LED fixtures. The plan also recommends new wayfinding signage with a map and a complete downtown business directory.
Another recommendation is the creation of a timber-framed roof over the staircase connector between the Queen Street parking lot and King Street.
Brown said an engineer is currently evaluating streetlight needs to comply with highway standards and that he hopes Public Works will be able to install new streetlights by spring.
New wayfinding signage will include a map of downtown and a complete business directory.
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