Dispatch has a Q
&
amp;A session with city engineer to address concerns
Gilroy – Downtown business owners are brimming with questions about construction work outside their storefronts, and bristling with a few complaints about the project.
The city has tried to soften the blow of the seven-month Streetscape project through a marketing campaign, signs directing traffic to parking areas, and a weekly meeting intended to brief businesses on the status of construction.
Yet information remains patchy and complaints persist. Many business owners don’t have on site Internet access, so they don’t get e-mail updates and cannot access a Web site that serves as a clearinghouse for downtown information (www.downtowngilroy.com).
Some owners feel that reminders about Wednesday morning construction briefings deserve more prominence on a weekly flyer sent to local businesses. And nearly all businesses continue to fret about the potential for long-term parking headaches, as the area transforms into a modern, mixed community of businesses and new homes.
The downtown Streetscape project between Sixth and Fourth streets is expected to last through the end of October. The city has already started the most disruptive phase, involving closure of the road along a two-block stretch. The second phase involving sidewalk repairs is expected to commence this summer, after the road has re-opened to motorists.
Downtown businesses that survive the disruption will face out onto a street with angled parking, as well as wider sidewalks with new street lamps and trees.
Until then, questions and concerns will continue to flourish.
In the following question & answer section, City Transportation Engineer Don Dey tries to address a few of the more pressing concerns raised by downtown business owners. No doubt his answers will serve as a starting point for more questions. As construction continues, owners and residents are encouraged to pass on additional concerns to the Dispatch by calling 847-7109.
Lighting
Dispatch: Many residents avoid the downtown at night because of the dark side streets and alleys. How soon will the city make good on promises to improve lighting along side streets, and in parking lots and alleys?
DD: The lighting has been improved on the side streets and the alleys. I’m talking with my street light maintenance contractor and we’re trying to get more lighting on Lewis Street. We started on the west side (of Monterey Street) and we’re moving to the east side now. There are only a couple of street lights on Lewis Street, which is one of the problems. We are taking a look at how we can get more lighting there. We’re also looking at trying to get more lighting in the Garlic Festival lot (behind the chamber of commerce) by using stronger bulbs.
Parking concerns
Dispatch: The city was supposed to have parking in place along the railroad tracks. How soon will that parking be striped and ready to go?
DD: The parking is in place along the railroad tracks. It has been since the beginning of the project. If you head north from Lewis Street, up the alley, it’s on your right hand side. There are no plans right now to install signs directing people to that site.
Dispatch: The city eventually hopes to build a parking garage to serve the downtown area. By then, there will be many more residents and more businesses. How does the city plan to offset the loss of parking behind the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce while it is constructing the parking lot?
DD: We’re looking at the need for the garage in a five- to seven-year period. It’s something that will clearly be looked at in the future as we move forward with our decision to build a parking structure.
Project Delays
Dispatch: The city discovered wet earth along the entire stretch of Monterey, between Sixth and Fourth streets, after tearing up the pavement in April. Wet soil can lead to early road deterioration, and a number of possible solutions are now under consideration. What is being done to resolve the wet soil issue and how much of a delay will it cause?
DD: In doing construction management, there’s a critical path for which jobs have to be finished and in which order. Right now, the water mains are on the critical path to construction. There are certain things the contractor cannot do until the water main is finished. The overall delay we expect is minimal. As soon as the contractor is finished with the mains, we’ll get in there and start laying the road subgrade. Depending on the current soil conditions, we might be able to patch problem areas instead of redoing the whole roadway. I think that we’ll have a preliminary indication by next week.
Signs, Signs, Signs
Dispatch: Some business owners are complaining that customers get confused by the road blocks and fencing, and many shoppers aren’t aware about the crossing point at Fifth and Monterey streets. What is the city doing to help people navigate the area?
DD: We are having some signs constructed so that we can put those up on the alleyways and along the fencing area so we can direct people where to walk. We were thinking of smaller signs with an arrow that say “Walk.” When you get to the Fifth Street area, which seems to be the most confusing, there would be “Walk” signs directing people to the crossing. The signs should be up within the next week or two.
Dispatch: The city promised to have large signs strategically placed throughout Gilroy, such as off Santa Teresa Boulevard and First and 10th streets, promoting the downtown area. What’s the status of those signs?
DD: They have gone up on First Street and Santa Teresa, as promised. We’re trying to make some smaller signs that would go up on Leavesley and 10th streets. The ones on First and Santa Teresa – you can’t miss them. They’re yellow, white and blue signs with the Gilroy logo, the downtown Web site, and big lettering that says, “Open.”
