Improvements enhance safety
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
A CROSSWALK that ran between Wintergreen Arts Center on State Street and the Riverside parking lot in Presque Isle has undergone a facelift. Citing pedestrian safety, city officials authorized moving the crosswalk — which ran at an angle and crossed the widest section of street — so that it now allows pedestrians to cross in the shortest amount of time using a shorter route. Here, curb cuts are made and new sections of curb are installed near the art center.
PRESQUE ISLE — A downtown parking lot that once served as a shortcut to drivers but proved hazardous to pedestrians has undergone the first phase of an upgrade which city officials hope will bring new life to the vacant space.
“We’re redeveloping a parking lot that had fallen into disrepair,” said Jamie Francomano, city planner.
Francomano said Ed Pelletier and Sons worked on the project, which got under way in May and was completed in July, “with the exception of some light fixtures.”
Funding for the improvements came, in part, from a Community Development Block Grant.
“We received a CDBG award in 2009 which served as the primary source of funds — $250,000. In addition, the city matched with $129,000, which came from special sources — the sale of the Red Cross building and the matching funds account created years ago by an Urban Development Action Grant,” said Francomano, noting the only “local money” used was money obtained through the sale of the Red Cross facility.
“That was about $30,000,” he said.
City officials agreed that something needed to be done to protect both drivers and pedestrians.
“Through public hearings and reviews with Naldo (Chief Gagnon of the Presque Isle Police Department) and Gerry James (director of Public Works), all sources said it was good to cut off the shortcut to prevent ‘off-roading’ downtown, reducing risks to pedestrians and the danger of motor vehicle accidents from drivers traveling too fast and not yielding to others as they traveled through the lot,” said Francomano.
He said the goal was to not just “clean up the parking area but linkages to businesses on Main Street.”
“Both track crossings have been redone, including land development and replacing railroad tie, replacing stairs behind Gary’s (a downtown furniture store),” he said, noting additional crosswalk work was also being done in back of Country Collectibles.
Crosswalk work was also done on State Street at the same time to improve pedestrian safety.
“The crosswalk was relocated on State Street — moved about 50 feet to the east because the existing crosswalk design was at an angle at the widest spot (in the street). It was changed to ensure pedestrians the shortest trip and best visibility when crossing the street,” explained Francomano.
“The city wanted to improve pedestrian linkages inside and outside of the block, with the main feature being a wide pedestrian alley form Riverside Inn to Riverside Park. This was done by bisecting the parking area, creating two smaller ones,” Francomano explained.
Using curbing, crews created two separate parking areas, with a wide pedestrian walkway located between the two lots.
Francomano said a lot of planning took place before any work began.
“Not only did we work out in advance the elimination of the ‘shortcut’ with Naldo and Gerry but we also worked out snow removal, making necessary changes to allow Gerry’s crew to continue to push snow downhill back there,” he said.
He said city and state officials have had discussions on how to work out an agreement for shared access to the parking areas.
“The courthouse is adjacent to one lot. We’re discussing access with the state to come up with a plan for use of the parking spaces,” said Francomano.
According to the city planner, the upgrade will actually improve parking.
“Before, it was just open space. Now there’s some uniformity to it, with a better layout and more defined parking areas,” said Francomano.
In addition to better parking and improved safety, he said there’s also the potential for financial benefits to the city.
“In terms of financial return, the most important part of the project was defining parcels for new development. By reorganizing, we gained more parking spots than we had before,” said Francomano.
City officials are now looking to the future and the next phase of improvements at Riverside.
“Our long-term goal is to secure funding for a roof over the walkway. We would then make it available for things like antique car shows, vendors. Exhibitors could back up and unload because the sides would be open, then set up under the roof,” said Francomano. “There’s a lot of potential in that area. It’s just a matter of coming up with the funds and finding the right project to suit the community and meet the needs of its citizens.”
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
WORK BEGAN IN MAY on the parking lot adjacent to Riverside Drive in Presque Isle and was completed in July. Here, a crew from Pelletier and Sons move curbing into place to create one side of a walkway that now runs between Riverside Inn and Riverside Drive. City officials cited safety as the primary reason dividing the once large parking area into two separate lots, with plans to use the wide walkway separating them for future events, such as car shows and vendors.
