Consideration and Approval of Grant Agreement:  Route 66 Flagstaff Urban Trails System rest stop interpretive signage.

Approve the Grant Agreement with the National Park Service in the amount $8,750.00.

Grant monies are used to leverage local funds to deliver community projects.  This project is jointly proposed by the two citizen commissions and matching funds are proposed to be provided from the Bed, Board, and Booze - Beautification funds.

Subsidiary Decisions Points:  None

The total cost of the project is estimated to be $20,000.  The NPS grant will provide $8,750 in cost-share funds, the City will provide $11,250 in non-federal cash and in-kind contributions for the project.

This project has been budgeted as a part of the Bed, Board & Beverage (BBB) - Beautification Five-year Plan (Division 74), at $20,000.  Current estimates for the work suggest that the final cost will be less than the budgeted amount with the grant further reducing expenditures.

Diversity of arts, culture and educational opportunities:  This signage will celebrate the history of Route 66 in Flagstaff, a cultural icon of the community, educating residents and visitors alike about the road and its role in the development of the community.  Such historic markers contribute to the economic vitality of Flagstaff, improve neighborhoods, and enhances a cultural amenity.

No.

Option 1 - Accept the Funds and proceed with the project
Option 2 - Do Not Accept the Funds and use BBB dollars solely

In 2006 the City of Flagstaff worked with the Arizona Department of Transportation to preserve a 770 foot segment of U.S. Route 66 during the realignment of existing U.S. Highway 89. The initial effort isolated this segment of historic Route 66 pavement from daily automobile traffic, arresting any further deterioration that would have otherwise occurred.  This is the 1947 alignment of Route 66 that brought travelers west from Winona, Arizona to Walnut Canyon National Monument and into Flagstaff, Arizona.  It was part of a post-World War II era rebuilding and re-alignment project to repair damages caused by military convoys of the war years and to shorten and make Route 66 safer for greater traffic volumes and higher speeds.  This piece of U.S. Route 66 was constructed of reinforced Portland concrete during the summer of 1947.  This alignment shifted Route 66 away from the older Camp Townsend-Winona Road/U.S. Highway 89 alignment that brought the highway to Flagstaff from just north and east of of the site.  This piece of highway carried all east and west bound Route 66 traffic until 1967, when I-40 was built south of Flagstaff as a bypass.

The preserved segment was incorporated into the Flagstaff Urban Trails System (FUTS), a city-wide network of non-motorized, shared-use pathways that are used by bicyclists, walkers, hikers, runners, and other users for both recreation and transportation.  The roadway became the centerpiece of the FUTS rest area, created as a reminder of Route 66’s former glory and contributions to Flagstaff's commerce.  The rest area includes a ramada structure with table, designed to emulate the spirit of classic 1950s gas station canopy architecture, designated areas for community artwork (to be added at a future date), and provisions for interpretive signage envisioned to highlight Route 66 and its role in the community. 

Recently, the Northern Arizona Centennial Fandango, represented by Ron Brewster, donated seven trees that were installed along with other new trees, boulders, and mulch.  The modifications to the irrigation system and planting were performed by Parks staff.

As the FUTS Rest Stop was originally envisioned by the Beautification and Public Art Commission (BPAC), it included three public art installations and interpretive signage.  The task of developing the signage was taken on by the Heritage Preservation Commission in conjunction with BPAC, the Arizona Route 66 Association, Sean Evans (NAU Cline Library), and the City of Flagstaff Historic Preservation Officer.  The work to be accomplished is the design, construction, and installation of interpretive signage for the Route 66 FUTS rest area.  Plans have been developed that outline the use of four types of interpretive signage, located throughout the rest area at strategic places (See Attachement 1).

Receipt of this grant award indicates that the project captures national and international interest and attention.  The available funds are quite limited and the National Park Service recognized the quality and appropriateness of this project in tourism, economic development, and heritage preservation.  Route 66 tourists, now frequently from Europe and Asia, seek opportunities to embrace Route 66 and this facility acts as a welcome to international visitors and others to the Flagstaff destination.  The addition of interpretive signage gives us an opportunity to share the Flagstaff story of Route 66.

The citizens of Flagstaff have been represented by the Heritage Preservation Commission and the Beautification and Public Art Commission, as well as through the involvement of key groups and individuals.  These have included the Arizona Route 66 Association, Sean Evans (NAU Cline Library), and via their financial and resource contribution, the Northern Arizona Centennial Fandango Board and membership.

None.