Well, it is safe to say that construction has started! Strider Construction’s crews were in full evidence this past week as Pioneer Way between Dock and City Beach Streets has now been stripped away to dirt. We understand that this level of disturbance is very disruptive so we have been especially grateful to those who have offered useful suggestions or initiated creative solutions on their own. Keep those ideas coming in! And, in case anyone needs reminding, Pioneer Way is open for business (day and evening!) and parking is available!
Scheduled Events
AM TUESDAY COFFEES Every Tuesday morning – 9:00 to 10:00 am
Pioneer Way Information and Construction Office
Have a cup, hear what’s on the schedule for that week
MERCHANT MEETINGS Wednesday, March 16, 2011 – 6:00 pm
Paint Your World
Thursday, March 17, 2011 – 8:00 am
Pioneer Way Information and Construction Office
Downtown Parking Map Available
Based on a number of suggestions from downtown merchants, the City has produced a map of downtown that shows available public parking, along with private parking that has been made available during construction (thanks Jill Schacht and the Collantes!).
We intend to maintain a stock of paper copies in the construction office so please feel free to drop by to pick some up. Finally, we are working on a revised version that will display the business names and address associated with each building number – available next week!
Recent News
● Paving and sidewalks were removed between City Beach and Dock Streets and one-way traffic was established through the construction zone.
● Barriers were installed on both sides of the street to separate foot traffic from vehicle traffic and to secure a safe path to the front doors of businesses.
● Street trees were heavily pruned between Dock Street and Midway Boulevard to get the branches out of the utility wires. Trees in the main construction have been removed.
● City staff welcomed a number of Pioneer Way business operators at our first weekly Tuesday morning coffee but we had leftover baked treats – please drop by to help us make sure that doesn’t happen again!
● There is no longer a traffic signal at the corner of Pioneer Way and Dock Street, the end of the line for what was one of the first, if not the first, signal location on Whidbey Island.
● Supplemental A-board signs were placed along Bayshore, Barrington and Fidalgo to direct drivers to shops and parking. These signs are portable and will likely be shifted around as the project needs dictate.
Looking Ahead
● Demolition of paving and sidewalks will continue during the first part of the week between City Beach and Ely Streets.
● Most of the major work next week will be concentrated in the block between Ely and Dock Streets. This block is scheduled to have its 10-inch sewer line replaced, with new side sewers to serve individual buildings. Because the sewer line is located in the middle of street, there will likely be closures of this block during weekdays – one-way traffic will be restored during evenings and the weekend. When closed, traffic will be detoured left on Ely Street, right on Fidalgo Street and then right on Dock Street back to Pioneer. This work will likely start on Monday and continue throughout the week.
● Unfortunately, temporary sewer service interruptions will occur with the sewer line replacement. Business owners between Dock and Ely will be contacted as soon as we know when these interruptions will happen. Every effort will be made to coordinate these interruptions according to the type of business.
● Looking ahead to the week of March 21, water service lines will be replaced between Ely and Dock Streets, along with replacement drainage pipes and structures between City Beach and Dock Streets. Again, any service interruptions to water services will be coordinated with individual properties and businesses.
● We have received good feedback on ways to supplement the directional signs to get people into and around downtown. Efforts are underway to find creative ways to build customer traffic during construction.
Update from Lesley McConnell, Communications Specialist
As construction swings into full gear, I have been out on the street meeting with merchants and business owners to identify immediate, short term and longer term interventions to help retain business activity. This week’s work involved the following:
· Liaising with media partners to identify their products, rates and promotions and ways that they can partner with the downtown to keep business strong
· Distributing flyers to invite merchants to meetings (below) and to provide contact details and a face-to-face introduction
· Updating a contact list of all merchants (ongoing) and to ensure emails are current for frequent email updates
· Planning additional signage and parking logistics
· Preparing interim maps and enhanced maps for future use
Information meetings for all local businesses are planned for 6pm, on the 16th of March, at Paint Your World on Pioneer Way, and 8am on 17th March at the City’s downtown office. Please join us to hear about options for the proposed communications and marketing program.
Lesley can be reached at the City’s downtown office, 720-1 Pioneer Way, throughout the project. Her official contact details are Cellphone: 360-914-7035, email: lmcconnell@oakharbor.org.
Key City Contact People
These are your go-to City staff for issues connected to the construction project:
Larry Cort Joe Stowell Lesley McConnell
Project Manager Project Engineer Communication Specialist
360 914 7107 360 279-4520 360 914-7035
lcort@oakharbor.org jstowell@oakharbor.org lmcconnell@oakbarbor.org
Other Places for Information
Pioneer Way Web Page - http://www.oakharbor.org/page.cfm?pageId=379
Pioneer Way Project Blog - http://pioneerway.blogspot.com/
Pioneer Way Art Project Blog - http://cohpioneerwayart.blogspot.com/
Will there be a bicycle lane through Pioneer after the project is done? I am an avid cyclist and hope to show off my flourescent bike shorts this summer.
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