Downtown Development Authority Meeting - 2026-08-12

Detailed briefing

Downtown Development Authority Meeting — August 12, 2026 • The DDA amended its agenda to take up the lamppost matter before the streetscape presentation because quorum could be lost later in the meeting. It also approved the consent agenda after correcting a July attendance entry for one board member. • The board voted to recommend to City Council that Main Street globe lampposts be painted Harbor Blue and Third Street hook lights be painted black. The lamppost survey presenter reported 252 responses and said Harbor Blue was the leading choice across multiple ways of reviewing the data. The transcript does not provide a dependable vote count. • The lamp survey drew criticism during public comment. Commenters and a board member said the forced-ranking format could have confused respondents, questioned a mid-survey change that randomized color order, and argued that comments and weighted rankings should be interpreted differently. The board said it had completed the public-input work City Council requested and would present its recommendation to Council. • Beckett & Raeder gave an interim update on the downtown streetscape master plan survey. The consultant said the survey was still live, with 115 logins but fewer completed responses to individual items. Interim results showed strong opposition to curb extensions in the waterfront, central downtown, and Third Street areas. Themes included preserving parking, keeping downtown simple and traditional, and prioritizing deteriorated sidewalks. • The consultant said striped no-parking areas near crosswalks could provide sight-distance and pedestrian-safety benefits without physical curb extensions. Public speakers discussed visibility problems near Third and Spring streets, concerns about winter plowing around bump-outs, bike racks, tree roots affecting sidewalks, and the potential value and cost of undergrounding Third Street utilities. • Promotions and enhancement reports said a fall merchant workshop is planned; Santa’s workshop and a Scala tour remain on track; sidewalk sales appeared well attended based on anecdotal feedback; and the Cobalt 360 presentation was moved to the next meeting. Residents also raised concerns about icy sidewalks, snowbanks blocking access from parked cars, and hazardous winter conditions behind the New York parking area. Worth watching: • City Council’s response to the DDA’s Harbor Blue/black lamppost recommendation. • Final streetscape survey results and whether the plan shifts away from curb extensions. • Follow-through on winter snow and ice removal concerns downtown. Upcoming: The streetscape survey closes August 17; the final streetscape plan presentation is scheduled for September 9, with DDA consideration of adoption planned for October. Why it matters: The decisions will shape downtown lighting, sidewalk and safety priorities, parking, utilities, and winter accessibility.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.