Discussion: Final Direction to Staff re Fourth Street Corridor Master Plan

This report summarizes what was decided at the January 23, 2014 City Council mini-budget retreat and lays out the financing for the next steps.
 
HISTORY:
Staff provided an overview of the Fourth Street Corridor Master Plan, summarized in time line format as follows: 

• 2009:  At the request of the City Council through the FY09 budget process, Community Design and Redevelopment staff initiated a design study of the northern portion of Fourth Street, from Route 66 to Cedar Avenue.  A Consultant team, lead by Otak Inc., was selected and the contract approved by the City Council in April of 2009. 
• 2010:  In response to staff comments, in July additional traffic study work was added to the contract and additional public outreach work was also added due to the extended time frame.  The final report was provided to City staff in November of 2010. 
• 2011-February of 2013:  potential traffic impacts were evaluated by staff, including additional traffic modeling by the consultant, the Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization (FMPO), and by an independent (third) traffic engineer.  NOTE:  So as not to be confused with business improvement district formation efforts on the east side, the report has not been presented to the City Council in the intervening time (since February 2013).

CURRENT CRITICAL PATH-WORK PLAN PROGRAM:
The January 23, 2014 mini budget retreat presentation provided context for certain City Council finance-driven budget discussions with no inquiry to Council for decisions regarding the findings from the study, its conclusions, or its disposition.  Council dialogue in January touched upon several key areas from the findings with direction that will make up a significant work plan to implement:

1. Pedestrian safety, adding pedestrian crossings with options of median refuges.  
2. Those portions of the Master Plan that were agreeable to all:

• The proposed realignments of Cedar Avenue and Lockett Road
• The proposed realignments of Seventh and Sixth Streets
• Road edge improvements for the southern part of Fourth Street (south of Sixth Street to Route 66)
• Enhanced median paving

This discussion included possible funding opportunities which are identified through the following:

• The Beautification and Public Art Commission has recommended an allocation each year and the City Council has adopted budgets such that there is $1.5M of BBB - Beautification funds available ("saved up") for this work.   
• $500,000 in existing Transportation Tax funding available.  These funds would be sufficient to accomplish much of the construction that the City Council felt was appropriate at this time - adding pedestrian crossings, the edge improvements for the southern part of Fourth Street (south of Sixth Street); and the enhanced median paving. 
• For land acquisitions associated with the intersection re-alignments, additional funding would be necessary.

In January, Council provided two items of direction for staff:

This item is before Council to provide one last opportunity for refinements and clarifications of the Plan before implementation begins.  It also allows one more opportunity in a public setting for citizens who are interested and have recently spoken  before Council to understand what activities within the current, specifically-focused elements of our 4th Street Corridor Master Plan are moving forward at this time.