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Beautification Project Welcome 1 Project Overview Project Outcomes On April 2, 2012, the Moscow City Council Adopted the Council’s goals for the 2013 fiscal year which included a proposal to, “Develop improvement plans for the beautification of public right-of-way at city entrances by 2014.” This goal was further refined by the City Council to consider the City not only as discrete locations, but rather as continuous corridors beginning at the City and continuing to the City’s downtown area. The aesthetic quality of any road corridor is comprised of many elements including the condition of the roadway, roadway edge, public and private landscaping, public and private signage, and adjacent private development. The Beautification Project is intended to examine the aesthetic condition of Moscow’s principal arterial corridors and identify improvement opportunities that could positively impact the community’s appearance and character. Welcome, and thank you for coming to tonight’s open house! Tonight is the second public meeting held for the City of Moscow Beautification Project and is intended to provide an opportunity for you to learn about the project and provide your thoughts and ideas. Tonight’s meeting is an open house format, so we invite you to review the display stations at your leisure. The stations are numbered in the suggested viewing order, and City staff and project Steering Committee members are available to answer questions, take your comments and provide additional information. It is anticipated the final outcome of this project will include identification of actions the City could take to improve the appearance of City This includes both the examination of improvements that may occur within the public rights-of-way, such as landscaping and roadway enhancements, as well as potential amendments to private development standards for the City Council’s consideration. The final project report will also include the identification of priority projects as identified by the community and the Steering Committee, including concept designs and cost estimates. North East South West ---PAGE BREAK--- Beautification Project 2 Project Steering Committee September Open House Meeting Input Project Schedule and Next Steps The first public open house meeting on the City of Moscow Beautification Project was held on September 18th of last year when the project was introduced and participants were asked to provide their thoughts and ideas regarding the appearance of Moscow’s and commercial corridors and the locations they think should be considered for potential improvement. The Steering Committee considered this input in the development of their recommendations including the specific improvement site locations. The Steering Committee’s recommendations were presented to the City Council on October 21st at which time the City Council directed the Committee to pursue the development of concept designs for the eight recommended improvement locations. This project is being guided by a nine-member Steering Committee with representation from a variety of community stakeholder groups including corridor business and property owners, Moscow City Council, Moscow Chamber of Commerce, University of Idaho, Idaho Department of Transportation, Latah County and the City’s Planning and Arts Commissions. Tonight’s open house meeting is intended to provide an opportunity for the community to review the Steering Committee’s recommendations and the preliminary concept designs for the eight improvement locations. Input collected will be considered by the Steering Committee in the development of the final improvement designs for presentation to the City Council in August or September of this year. City Beautification Project Steering Committee Walter Steed, Moscow City Council, Chair Melanie Zimmer, University Inn, Vice Chair Michelle Fuson, Latah County Ken Helm, Idaho Transportation Department Gina Taruscio, Moscow Chamber of Commerce Iris Mayes, Moscow Arts Commission Jim Miller, Primeland Cooperative/PAWS Ray Pankopf, University of Idaho Nels Reese, Planning and Zoning Commission Project Start August 20, 2013 September 18, 2013 Sept.-Oct. 2013 October 21, 2013 Nov 2013 - March 2014 May 29, 2014 August 2014 Public Open House Identification of Improvement Locations City Council Project Report Concept Design Public Open House #2 Final City Council Report June-July 2014 Final Design/ Cost Est. ---PAGE BREAK--- Beautification Project Objective #1 Objective #2 Review landscaping and sign clutter near the City welcome signs at the West, North and East Entrances - The City welcome signs that were installed approximately 14 years ago continue to be attractive, in good condition and are well maintained. The landscaping near these signs could be enhanced and refreshed. The western entry sign is surrounded by state and city regulatory signage that creates clutter and detracts from the welcome sign. The following implementation actions are recommended to address this objective: • Welcome Sign Landscaping Enhancements – It is recommended that the City review the welcome sign landscape condition, composition and area to increase the appearance, scale and presence. • Welcome Sign Visual Clutter Assessment – It is recommended that the City review the placement of regulatory and other signage near the welcome signs to reduce visual clutter that may detract from the welcome signs’ appearance. Improve the appearance of existing developed private properties through increased property maintenance, street tree and landscaping installation - The City Beautification (CEB) Steering Committee identified the general lack of property maintenance, lack of trees or landscaping within older commercial developments, and the presence of weed growth upon public and private property as a significant detriment to the physical appearances of the community. This condition is present within all study corridors and in a variety of locations. The following implementation actions are recommended to address this objective: • Development of a “Beautify Moscow” Program - The Committee recommends that the City and the Moscow business community partner to develop a “Beautify Moscow” program to promote the improvement of the community’s appearance. The program would encourage business members to become voluntary program participants where the businesses commit to improve or maintain their business and property in a manner that enhances the community. The program could also include an option to support corridor landscaping enhancements where the City might provide labor for asphalt removal, planting bed preparation, and tree installation services with the business or property owner providing the long-term maintenance for the landscaping. • Increase City efforts targeted at weed control and removal within the entry corridors and adjacent public properties - The Committee recommends that the City increase weed control and maintenance activities along the project corridors with both increased enforcement of existing ordinances and increased maintenance activities, including the exploration of the use of Idaho Correctional Industries labor to assist in roadway vegetation control efforts. • Increase street tree installations along City entry corridors - Street trees improve the visual appearance of a community, calm traffic, reduce stormwater runoff, improve air quality, and create a more inviting environment for pedestrians. It is recommended that the City actively pursue the planting of street trees within all of the study corridors where opportunities exist. 3 ---PAGE BREAK--- Beautification Project Design and construct targeted landscape improvements in key visual areas within each Corridor. Several key visual locations within the project corridors present the opportunity for landscaping enhancements that would improve the aesthetic appearance of the community. The Steering Committee identified two locations within each corridor that are recommended for targeted beautification projects: West Corridor • Hatley Way to War Bonnet Landscape Enhancement – This site includes the current grass area located between Hatley Way and Pullman Road just south of the Moscow Wal-Mart store. This area is visually prominent and located adjacent to the first traffic signal as you enter Moscow from the west. The site is approximately a 37,000 square foot area located within the public right-of-way and is currently grass that is not irrigated or particularly well maintained. The site presents a location for landscaping enhancements and a potential public art installation. • West Corridor Street Tree Installation – Several existing developed commercial areas have large paved parking areas without any landscaping or trees near the street frontage to provide visual relief. It is recommended that these areas be considered as part of Objective • Line Street Sidewalk Installation – The east side of Line Street between the Pullman Road and Third Street currently lacks curbing, sidewalks and street trees. It is recommended that this frontage be improved to provide greater pedestrian connectivity and to present an improved and finished street edge to this visible entry into the University of Idaho Campus. • Lieuallen and Third Street Intersection Enhancement – This intersection anchors the east end of the west corridor and includes the unimproved Lieuallen frontage on the north and the center pedestrian refuge island between Third Street and the Pullman Highway. The City has developed preliminary conceptual intersection improvements for this non-standard intersection but it is unknown if such an improvement will be constructed in the near term. There are opportunities to enhance the landscaping in this area as well as the potential installation of public art to add interest at this location. Objective #3 - West Corridor 4 ---PAGE BREAK--- Beautification Project Design and construct targeted landscape improvements in key visual areas within each Corridor. Several key visual locations within the project corridors present the opportunity for landscaping enhancements that would improve the aesthetic appearance of the community. The Steering Committee identified two locations within each corridor that are recommended for targeted beautification projects: North Corridor • North Entry Enhancement – At the City’s northern entrance a pre-existing auto repair, towing and salvage operation on the west side of U.S. 95/North Main includes a number of older structures in poor condition and there is no existing curbing or access control. This area would benefit from the establishment of access control with the construction of curbing and vehicular approaches and intervening landscaping and visual screen structures. • North Corridor Street Tree Installation Rodeo Drive to D Street – Several existing developed commercial areas, such as the Rosauers property, have large paved parking areas without landscaping or trees near the street frontage that would provide visual relief. It is recommended that these areas be considered as part of Objective • North Couplet Enhancement – The north couplet is the northern terminus of the separated one-way couplet configuration of Washington and Jackson and serves as the gateway between the highway-oriented development to the north and the downtown area to the south. There are several traffic islands and a general lack of street trees in this area. This project would enhance the existing landscaping, place landscaping in a current raised asphalt island, install street trees and repair/replace non-compliant sidewalks adjacent to the multi-tenant commercial building at the northeast corner of and Main Streets. This project would also include the installation of street trees south of Street to street on the west side of Main Street where the wider sidewalks could accommodate tree wells and tree installation. This would support another City Council Goal of expanding the perceived downtown area on Main north of Street. Objective #3 - North Corridor 5 ---PAGE BREAK--- Beautification Project Objective #3 - East Corridor Design and construct targeted landscape improvements in key visual areas within each Corridor. Several key visual locations within the project corridors present the opportunity for landscaping enhancements that would improve the aesthetic appearance of the community. The Steering Committee identified two locations within each corridor that are recommended for targeted beautification projects: East Corridor • Mountain View and Troy Road Intersection Enhancements – The Mountain View intersection is the first location that presents a visitor from the east with the impression that they have arrived in Moscow. The intersection was reconstructed in 2005 to add turn lanes and prepare the intersection for a future traffic signal installation. However, the intersection is currently bare, with limited landscaping or street trees. It is recommended that this intersection be enhanced with the installation of landscaping and street trees in appropriate locations. • Styner/White and Troy Road Intersection Enhancements – The Styner/White avenue intersection is a visually prominent intersection on the east corridor. Currently the intersection contains a billboard (located on property acquired by the City in 2005) and is flanked by traffic barricades on the south side and an older guardrail structure on the north with limited landscaping. This intersection has also been identified as a potential pedestrian underpass site to improve access to the Paradise Path located on the south side of the State Highway 8. It is recommended that this intersection be enhanced with the installation of landscaping and street trees in appropriate locations and that the City explore the ability to negotiate removal of the billboard located upon the City’s property. • State Highway 8 - Harrison to the South Couplet – This section of Troy Road includes developed properties, many of which contain older buildings that have an industrial character. Within this area there are limited landscape areas and few street trees. It is recommended that these areas be considered as part of Objective 6 ---PAGE BREAK--- Beautification Project Objective #3 - South Corridor Design and construct targeted landscape improvements in key visual areas within each Corridor. Several key visual locations within the project corridors present the opportunity for landscaping enhancements that would improve the aesthetic appearance of the community. The Steering Committee identified two locations within each corridor that are recommended for targeted beautification projects: South Corridor • South Entry South Fork to Palouse River Drive Intersection Enhancements – The Palouse River Drive Intersection is the first traffic signal at the City’s southern entrance and the area between the South Fork of the Palouse River Bridge and the signal serves to mark the transition between the rural areas to the south and more urbanized areas to the north. This area also contains some older buildings along with mini-storage uses on the northwest and southwest corners. The bridge and surrounding guardrails present an opportunity for public art installation. It is recommended that this roadway segment and intersection be enhanced with the installation of landscaping and street trees in appropriate locations, and that the City explore the opportunity to install public art components within the bridge guardrail. • Palouse River Drive to South Couplet – This section of South Main includes both developed and undeveloped properties with opportunities for landscape and street tree installations. It is recommended that these areas be considered as part of Objective • South Couplet Paradise Creek Landscape Enhancement – Near the south couplet on the west side of Main Street is an approximately 7,500 square foot area (combination of public right-of-way and private property) that is bounded by Paradise Creek on the west and Main Street on the east. This parcel is in a very visible location and would benefit from riparian area, landscape and frontage improvements. 7 ---PAGE BREAK--- Beautification Project Objective #4 Objective #6 Objective #5 Evaluate public art installation opportunities within the project corridors to add interest and character - Public art adds interest, distinction and a sense of place to a community. It is recommended that each of the target landscape project areas be evaluated for the inclusion of public art either during initial improvement construction or at a later date. Support the University’s efforts to improve their gateway entrances and the historic rail corridors on the south side of the Pullman Road between Perimeter Drive and Line Street - The University of Idaho has a large presence on the southern side of the Pullman Road between Perimeter Drive and Line Street. The University has identified the need to improve the appearance of the campus from the Pullman Road and these improvements are currently under design with construction anticipated in the summer of 2015. In addition to the roadway entries, there are also two large parcels between these three roadways the University recently acquired that were historic railroad corridors. The University has identified the improvement of these two parcels as a future priority and the Committee encourages the City to support the University’s efforts. Partner with the Idaho Transportation Department to pursue the potential inclusion of landscaping, public art, city welcome sign location and other amenities within the Thorncreek to Moscow U.S. 95 project - The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is currently working on the identification of the future U.S. 95 alignment for the planned Thorncreek to Moscow highway improvements. This project presents the opportunity for the City to partner with ITD to incorporate aesthetic enhancements such as landscaping, public art and a City welcome sign installation to improve the appearances of this important It is recommended that the City participate in the design process with ITD and begin accumulation of funding to support these enhancements. 8