EnviroIssues has completed an initial round of interviews with SE Pioneer Way businesses. Preliminary results are as follows:
Business interview objectives•Establish relationships with businesses along the corridor between City Beach and Midway Streets, who will be directly impacted by project results and construction.
•Provide information on project benefits, current design plans and contact information.
•Gather contact information for each business and identify best way to communicate with each business during design and construction.
•Gather input about existing business marketing endeavors to inform construction economic development techniques/marketing strategies.
•Identify specific construction concerns and special needs for each business.
•Inform the businesses of the design process and of future opportunities to learn more and provide input.
Fast facts found on SE Pioneer Way businessesGenerally, the following information will be key to understand about construction planning:
• The most common day businesses are closed is Monday.
• The most frequent hours of operation for businesses (hours open) are from 10 – 6 pm.
• Most businesses said the majority of their customers are local and that their busiest months are during the summer and the holiday season.
• Types and frequencies of deliveries to businesses along SE Pioneer Way vary, but most deliveries occur Monday – Friday, between 9 – 11 am, and the majority of deliveries are by UPS and FedEx. Other deliveries include refrigeration trucks to restaurants.
• Utility interruptions are something businesses want to know about in advance if at all possible. Interruptions, whether electrical or water-shutoffs, often mean stores cannot conduct business and must temporarily close until services are restored.
Overarching themesA number of themes emerged from conversations with the business owners. The following general topics were frequently expressed by business owners during interviews:
• Business owners were expecting our visit and request to talk with them, and were willing to answer our questions and provide necessary information. Business owners openly shared information about their business operations, marketing techniques and existing challenges and were also honest about the concerns that they had regarding construction.
• Most business owners expressed some level of concern that the construction work would have a negative effect on their business. Primarily, business owners feared that construction on SE Pioneer Way would mean customers would not want to shop in the area. They also were concerned about access to store entrances with sidewalk work and general construction impacts like noise, dust and traffic back-ups.
• There was a varying level of understanding about the project. Many businesses were extremely involved and had opinions of the design plans and others said they had heard about it, but didn’t feel strongly one way or the other, had not formed an opinionand/or were just trying to meet their sales goals each month.
• Safety for pedestrians, drivers and bicyclists is of concern. Businesses regularly talked about how fast cars drive through the area today. Many mentioned that kids skateboard through town and feared wider sidewalks would only draw more skateboarders.
• Business owners repeatedly mentioned the importance of being kept informed during construction. Many business owners talked about the water main work completed along SE Pioneer Way, and specifically praised city employee Rhonda for her ability to keep the stores apprised of the construction activities and impacts.
• There are rumors and/or specific announcements of businesses relocating as a result of the project design and/or impending construction. A number of interviewees volunteered information about lease timing without being asked.
• A number of businesses place regular ads in Whidbey Marketplace and News and Whidbey News-Times. Many businesses also said they send out mailers to their customers and frequently email their patrons to let them know about special events and sales opportunities.
Access and visibility
Business owners expressed concern about access to SE Pioneer Way post-construction, and access and visibility of individual storefronts while construction is underway:
• Access was a top concern of most business owners. Business owners are worried that reduced accessibility will lead to less revenue or increased frustration for their customers.
• Business owners are also concerned about visibility of their store front during construction. Many suggested that the City provide signage to help attract business during construction and identify possible parking options for customers and visitors to the downtown shopping district.
• Many business owners had opinions about parking in the downtown area. Most appreciated that the current design plans accommodated additional parking spots. Business owners were interested in the project area map showing 30% design and identifying the tentative location of diagonal parking outside/near their storefront.
• Business owners repeatedly talked about the number of seniors who shop at their stores. ADA access will be important during construction as many of the downtown shoppers have trouble walking up or down stairs or steep grade and would not utilize back entrances to stores. A few business owners also commented on the lack of handicapped parking spots available on/near SE Pioneer Way.
Concerns about the one-way
Business owners who were not in support of the one-way decision had the following concerns about the design plans for the SE Pioneer Way Improvements Project:
• Of the business owners who were against the one-way, many felt the configuration would hurt their sales because customers would not visit their store if they drove past and could not find parking. They felt customers would not travel around the block to backtrack for an available parking spot.
• Many business owners asked what the City’s back-up plan is if the one-way does not work. They offered that if the plan is not a success for the City, the road will be too narrow to go back to a two-way configuration.
Construction, schedule
Merchants had many questions and comments to share about the sequencing, timing and specific impacts of construction:
• Many business owners asked general questions about construction plans, schedule and sequencing. Businesses are concerned about construction impacts and how the work may hurt their sales.
• Most businesses receive regular deliveries and the most frequent place where these delivery trucks park to unload is along SE Pioneer Way so that deliveries come to the front entrances of businesses. Of the individuals who were able to provide more precise timing, deliveries are most common on the weekdays between 9 – 11 am.
• Many business owners/managers said the construction work should be scheduled for completion prior to the 2011 holiday season.
• In general, business owners said their busiest time of year was during the summer and the holiday season.
• Several business owners suggested scheduling construction at night when businesses are closed and there are fewer visitors to the downtown area. Some also suggested “4-10’s”, meaning only working Monday through Thursday to keep business vibrant for weekend patrons.
• Several business owners are worried about garbage and recycle pick-up both during construction and with the new look-and-feel of SE Pioneer Way. Will they have to take their garbage to a different special location for weekly pick-up?
Marketing efforts during construction
Ideas that emerged for construction mitigation to encourage patrons and traffic along SE Pioneer Way during construction included:
• Develop a direct ad campaign and provide free advertising for businesses before and during construction.
• The City should pay for a trolley/event bus to run from SE Bayshore Drive and SR 20 to the shops on SE Pioneer Way.
• Advertising should be targeted toward members of the military and their families. The City should provide free advertising to help encourage those affiliated with the Naval Air Station (NAS) to shop downtown during construction. A contact should be identified from NAS to ensure information about the project and construction is shared with members of the military.
• The weekly Thursday farmers market that is on SR 20 should be moved to Flintstone Park.
• The City should support and be involved with all local events. Continue with promotions for Holland Happening, Race Week, 4th of July and the gallery exhibits that happen each month on “First Fridays”.
• The City should provide a shuttle service from retirement communities to downtown. If these individuals had a way to easily access downtown during construction, they may continue to shop.
• The City should research and consider The National Trust for Historic Preservation's Main Street Program.
Long-term plan to ensure downtown Oak Harbor is a vibrant shopping district
Ideas that emerged to keep Oak Harbor a vibrant shopping district post-construction included the following:
• Develop a plan for downtown that is pedestrian-friendly. Make parking convenient so people will come downtown to shop.
• Provide signage at entrances to City along SR 20 to help drive traffic to the downtown shopping district.
• Make the downtown more inviting by repainting buildings and remodeling the storefronts.
• Business owners care about the look-and-feel of SE Pioneer Way. Many said they want the new look of downtown to be attractive, inviting and unique. A few people suggested the City design a small park area on Pioneer Way with picnic tables or benches. If there is a place near the shops to install bathrooms, those would be appreciated by the business owners as well.
• Continue using the trolley as a tourist attraction after construction is complete.
Frequently asked questionsThere were a number of questions that were commonly asked by business owners about the project and planned construction work. It will be important to provide answers to these questions as design progresses to keep the affected community informed of project plans and to help businesses prepare for construction.
• When is construction expected to start?
• How long will construction last?
• How long will crews be in front of each business/property?
• Will my customers always have access to my business?
• Will SE Pioneer Way be closed off entirely during construction and all traffic routed to SE Bayshore Drive?
• What kind of impacts can I expect during construction?
• When will I be able to review project plans outside my business?
• Will the project design address the slant of the street westward and fix the pooling of water that collects on the south side of the street when it rains?
• Why is this construction planned for now, during such hard economic times?
• Where will delivery trucks park during construction? Where will delivery trucks park after the streetscape improvements are complete?
• Will the City be responsible for maintaining the landscaping and sidewalks once the work is complete?
• Will my restaurant be allowed to have outdoor seating once the street improvements are complete?
• With a new streetscape, will there be any changes to awning requirements, permits, allowances, etc.?
Next stepsCataloging input: All information collected from business interviews will be compiled into a resource binder and shared with the City and design consultant to help plan for both project design and construction. The binder will be a resource of business-specific information that can be used with project plans. For example, if businesses repeatedly say that construction should be completed as fast as possible and be over by the holiday season, perhaps the team can focus on an approach that would meet that timeline. Or, perhaps the City can use the ideas/suggestions for maintaining foot traffic on SE Pioneer Way in developing a marketing and outreach plan during construction.
The interview results will also be entered into the project database. This database will house contact information and track comments and communications with the community.
