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Home My WebLink About2014-03-20 Downtown Beautification Improvement Ad Hoc Committee Minutes AttachmentPreviously Identified Projects The following downtown beautification/improvement projects have been identified by citizens, staff, the City's Economic Development Strategy (EDS) and the Chamber Downtown Task Force. NOTE: During the City Council discussion about forming this committee, the Council stressed that the committee shall have a "blank slate" to identify downtown improvement projects. The following list is provided as a springboard of ideas. Downtown • Tree Wells (listed in the EDS): In 2012 a permeable aggregate epoxy substance was used around the street trees in front of Wells Fargo Bank. The substance has held up well, eliminated the tripping hazard and has not caused damage to the trees. In addition to improved aesthetics, this treatment addresses a risk management concern of tripping hazards due to the exposed tree wells and loose bricks. Estimated cost: $34,000 ($400 per tree well). • Broken Fountain in front of the Black Swan (listed in the EDS): The fountain was installed after the Downtown Plan was adopted in 1988. It has been repaired and sealed numerous times over the years but has been broken for at least four years and can no longer hold water. It has become an eyesore and a trash receptacle. The fountain is owned by the City and is sited on City property leased to OSF. Proposed improvements including removing the marble basin of the fountain place a smaller basin underground and retain the center section of the vertical marble. This improvement would retain the water feature but eliminate the large marble basin. Estimated cost is $35,000-$40,000. • Pedestrian Lights Upgrade (listed in the EDS): upgrade the 60 gothic style downtown pedestrian lights with the City standard Sternberg style. Estimated cost: $150,000($2,500 per light. • Beautification of the corner of North Main/Winburn Way: this corner includes a large evergreen tree that has been limbed up, topped and pruned many times over the years to accommodate its growth and size. The size is not appropriate for that location and evergreens are not approved street trees. Further the tree is growing in a planter box and the dropping needles make it impossible to plant/grow any other shrubbery or flowers. Remove the tree, repair the planter, add fresh soil, plant an appropriate size street tree and shrubs and plants to match the recently improved planters on East Main. Estimated cost: $2,500 • Remove the asphalt in the park row on Lithia Way between Pioneer and Oak Streets and plant street trees. Estimated cost: $5,000. • Install additional pedestrian scale lighting on the stairway connection to the parking garage between Starbucks and Earthly Goods. Estimated cost: $5,000 • Place free standing planter containers on the Plaza: Estimated cost: $3500 (based on three planters @ $500 each plus $2000 for irrigation) • Place movable tables and chairs on the Plaza: Estimated cost: $450 for a set of two chairs and one table. • Historical markers around downtown: cost to be determined • Grant or revolving loan fund program for sidewalk and facade improvements downtown. • Replace Plaza pavers • ROW at the intersection of Pioneer and Lithia Way (area in front of the Stop and Shop market) • Welcome signs at RR trestle, exit 14 and Siskiyou Blvd. coming into tow from exit 11 • Add steel powder -coated trellises above the three short seat walls on the Plaza to add shade, vertical elements and greenery. • Add denser, pedestrian -unfriendly plantings to the planting area on the east side of the Plaza • Work with OSF to determine what role, if any, the City might play in Black Swan enhancements Non -downtown beautification/improvements • Black powder coat the 25 cobra lights on North Main and hang colorful street pennants. Estimated cost: $20,000 (7,500 for powder coating and $12,500 for street pennants). • Hang colorful street pennants at Exit 14 overpass and Ashland Street to Siskiyou Blvd. Estimated cost $10,000. • Hang small street pennants in Railroad District: $5000 Examples of completed beautification/improvement projects: • Black powder coating of downtown cobra lights (TOT funds) • Plaza renovation (listed in the EDS, TOT funds and department budget) • Planting downtown planters (TOT funds and department budget) • Sidewalk cleaning (department budget) • New Trash Cans (listed in the EDS, department budget) • Remove telephone booths (department budget) • General signage improvements at city parking lots (TOT funds and department budget) • Container planters with new trees in front of the Black Swan (TOT funds) 2 Submitted via email 3 14 2014 Greetings Ann, Cynthia Wolf here, resident and business owner in Ashland. I understand there is a committee for beautifying the downtown Ashland area and that you will be meeting in March. This is exciting and I'm sure will add to the beauty around the plaza area and beyond! I have a request for the committee to please consider: Beautifying the wide city walkway coming from the $1 public parking from Shakespeare area down to the sidewalk on Main Street alongside Earthly Goods and Adelante! Gallery (attached to Starbucks). Specifically, the concrete short ledge that is on walkway and that runs along Earthly Goods could house simple, yet beautiful rectangular planters with perennials or low maintenance plants. I would even be glad to water them, if we can get the water spigot turned on along the walkway. The city owns the walkway and the ledge that adjoins the Earthly Goods Building. Tourists use this walkway coming from the parking area and Shakespeare and, unfortunately, it is not beautiful, but rather dirty and austere looking. (We are getting ready to replant our side). The planters would not only beautify the walkway but would address another issue: the number of'drifters' (often quite a few at a time) with large backpacks, dogs, cats and cigarette smoke that sit on and hang out on the ledge for hours (same people, often continually smoking). While most of the 'drifters' hanging out there are probably harmless, I've observed it concerns some tourists who go out of their way to avoid walking thru the walkway which in turn may make them less inclined to use the public parking ($1 lot) and drives them away from using walkway to access the theaters. Planters similar to the ones at Paddington Station, kind of long and narrow or the long narrow ones in front of the other Paddington store just past the theater would work nicely on the ledge. The planters would need to be very narrow about 1 1/2 feet wide. At the very least, how about several 'Beautifully Painted' NO SMOKING SIGN along the ledge and a power wash all along the walkway. Actually, the entire walkway is legally a NO smoking area since 10 ft from Earthly Goods and 10 ft. from our Adelante! Gallery takes care of the entire space. But there are not any NO Smoking signs posted. We are getting ready to 'beautify' our planter and add colorful plants to our side of the walkway. I've attached a couple of jpgs of the walkway; a day when only a few 'drifters' were there, often 5 to 8 there. And a pie of a planter box at Paddington Station. And a long shot of walkway. I really appreciate and thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Cynthia Wolf 214-587-7686 Adelante! Gallery West 130 E. Main St., Ashland, OR www.adelantegalleiywest.com