JACKSON, Wyo. — Yesterday afternoon, March 8, The Jackson Town Council approved the conceptual plans for the downtown improvement plan.
According to the report, the downtown improvement plan aims to improve the pedestrian experience and safety, by providing accessibility compliances in the downtown area surrounding the town Square. Intersections included in the improvement plan are, Cache Steet and Deloney Ave., Broadway Ave. and Center Street, Deloney Ave. and Center Street, and Gill Ave. and Center Street.
The plan sets to permanently create a one-way street down the two-block corridor of Center Street, from Broadway Ave. to Gill Ave. The one-way street will make the “flex space” created in 2020 a permanent fixture on the east side of the Town Square. The plan includes an extension of the boardwalk and the intent to again place tables and chairs in the area for public use.
During public comment, business owners located on Center Street voiced their concerns, Caroline Hines, owner of Hines Goldsmith described how she was, “extremely disappointed in the fact that you guys insist on pushing forward with Center street being one-way. We have a lot of input as far as how difficult it was to get around town,” adding, “I just think that you need to talk to those of us downtown maybe a little bit more— before you go making huge master plans.”
Jamie Lavenstein owner of Hideout Leathers also shared concerns about Center Street becoming a permanent one-way. “We have to make places for handicapped but the two-way street has always worked. I hate to see that being changed and there are no restaurants on Center Street between Wyoming Outfitters and Knife Works; why does there have to be tables there?”
The plan also proposes mobility access improvements, including a constructed sidewalk on the west side of Center Street, between Deloney and Gill Ave., that will offer a continuous linage from the Home Ranch Parking Lot to the Town Square. Mobility access will also be added on the southeast corner of Deloney Ave. and Center Street. Currently, there is no mobility access that allows entrance onto the covered boardwalk by New West Knife Works, that area only has stairs.
Vice Mayor Arne Jorgensen reiterated the importance of accessibility in the Town Square area. He said, “this is about accessibility and mobility, this is about people. It’s not just about someone who might happen to be in a wheelchair, it’s about someone who has a cane, someone who had knee surgery. It’s us, it’s all of us,” adding, “I just have a reaction to ADA as an odd acronym referring to a 1990 federal law, This is about people and I just wanted to remind us about that.”
13 bulb-outs or curb extensions will also be constructed at the intersections outlined in the project. The curb extensions will extend the sidewalk into the parking lane, making pedestrians more visible to drivers and reducing crossing distances. Currently, the Public Works Department paints the implied bulb-out shape onto the roadway surfaces every summer. This project proposes constructing bulb-outs with curb, gutter, and mobility ramps to improve the overall pedestrian experience for all users.
Councilmember Jim Rooks reminded the council of the impending opening of the Cloudveil Hotel on Center Street. “The parking impacts of the new hotel and restaurant on Center Street, I think thats something thats just happening but I think that that will have a monumental impact on this area and I think thats important to keep on the front of the radar,” said Rooks. The Cloudveil is slated to open in May of this year.
The Council moved a motion to approve the conceptual plan of the project with an amendment for staff to bring back additional concepts for review prior to the final design approval meeting. Construction is anticipated to begin in the next two years.
“This is exciting to look at ways to make this a lot more accessible for all people. Having pushed a double chariot around the Town Square yesterday, I can say some parts were easier than others,” said Mayor Hailey Morton Levinson.
