Published: September 10, 2006 12:14 am            

Shedding light on the plan

• Downtown merchants urge commission action on core commercial

The Stillwater City Commission will be petitioned at Monday’s meeting to provide vintage street and pedestrian lighting downtown.

A group of downtown merchants, property owners and residents have started the petition, hoping action will be initiated as outlined in the city of Stillwater’s Core Commercial Districts Master Plan.

According to Nancy Wood, owner of the Nafohka Galleria, the group collected approximately 1,200 signatures, which exceeded its goal of 500.

Advantages of the addition of vintage street and pedestrian lighting outlined in the petition include traffic safety, security of people and property, visibility of available goods, services, businesses, jobs and sales tax revenue.

According to Winfrey Houston, local attorney, downtown businessman and property owner, the petition is a request to implement the plan as a pilot project to show what can be done downtown.

The core commercial districts plan outlines many changes that would have downtown grow into its own business and living district. The lighting changes presented in the plan have already been implemented in The Strip and Campus Corner commercial districts.

“We want the city to help with infrastructure and bring downtown to the level of other areas,” Houston said.

According to Kent Kinzie of Leonard Jewelry, the pedestrian lighting would be the most visible and easiest place to start with the implementation of recommendations made by Progressive Urban Management Associates, a city consultant. The proposed lighting would allow store owners to extend business hours and make it possible to draw restaurants and after-hours establishments to downtown.

The City Commission approved PUMA’s report in February.

The report indicated that downtown vitality is critical to Stillwater and that all of Stillwater’s core commercial districts are at a crossroads.

According to John Fowler, president and CEO of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, Stillwater’s downtown area needs to be a pedestrian experience with more people working, playing and living in the district.

“I support the lighting concept that has been proposed,” Fowler said.

In August, the Chamber of Commerce adopted a resolution that supports the goals of the core commercial districts master plan.

The resolution supports public investment in sidewalks, street lighting, wayfinding and other immediate improvements to the infrastructure of downtown to stimulate reinvestment.

While many of PUMA’s recommendations will take public investment to implement, Fowler believes lighting and wayfinding projects could be funded from current revenue.

Future downtown projects recommended in the core commercial districts master plan include a permanent public market, festival park, children’s museum, children’s spray park, 350-space parking structure and a new streetscape along Main Street. The larger budget items would take public approval for funding.

According to Houston, incentive needs to be provided to encourage businesses to fill downtown vacancies, such as the void left by the closure of Katz Department Store. According to Fowler, the chamber encourages the city of Stillwater to enable tax increment financing to attract private business and encourage redevelopment.

“The timing is right to consider TIF,” Fowler said.

According to Houston, the city has to demonstrate a willingness to participate and show its confidence in downtown.

“It’s up to the city to do it,” Houston said.

        

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