State Street Workshop Summary September 26, 2012 SITE A. - INTERSECTION OF STATE AND HOLLY TOTAL ATTENDEES = ~29

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1 State Street Workshop Summary September 26, 2012 TOTAL ATTENDEES = ~29 SITE A. - INTERSECTION OF STATE AND HOLLY What do you like best about this place? YMCA building / facade Crosswalk design Landscaping Pretty with structures maintained Lighter, quicker, cheaper? Pedestrian signage / wayfinding / kiosks Bike parking Tree seat Sign at YMCA Food carts Flower beds could use some work, more small planters Additional seating Long-term? Eliminate 1-way traffic Retail on lower floors of banks, taller NW corner, sharrows on Holly Sidewalk bulb-outs, narrow streets Ask someone what they like or dislike or would do to improve Bike corral SW corner Kiosk

2 Local partnerships? YMCA Street vendors Group A Highlights Area is loud; transit route Awnings (add) Food vendors Pedestrian wayfinding / kiosk Bike parking / corral Taller, mixed use building on Columbia Bank site (challenges with banks as primary uses) Like brick on all sides Lots of people - -- nothing to do Incorporate art at banks Holly Street - add sharrow, separated bike lane on State Street Saturna Capital plaza is used - - could expand public uses? Activity at YMCA could increase in evenings and take place under the awnings

3 B. - KEY BANK TO BELLA FLORA What do you like best about this place? Interesting storefronts; historic presence Active - busy businesses; good visual of historic Bellingham Landscaping; ease of walking Variety of small businesses; entertainment activity Historic architecture; colorful business signage, busy/visible/high traffic, open/spacious All-hours activity, diversity of building type/sizes that offer places to shop, eat, dance, exercise. Could use more places to meet. Rustic overall feel of the Daylight Building Lighter, quicker, cheaper? Angle parking on one side and remove from the other; add bike lane to this side and bulb-outs for mid block crossing. Create loading zones on the bulb-outs. Break up parking to reduce tunnel vision of cars Plants Slow traffic by pinching down street and changing part of the street surface; get an investor to buy and build on the parking lot Seating, artwork, mural, mid-block crosswalk, graffiti art, parking lot usage, food vending park Encourage people to use the sidewalk after dark with pedestrian scale lighting Install interesting bicycle parking in conjunction with nicer gathering spaces Long term? Slow speed down; enforce noise regs on motorcycles. Mid-block crossing. Angled parking on one side; crosswalks; slow cars down More restaurants, less homeless hanging out Different use than bank; build on parking lot; brick the street for all or part; neck down the street by expanding sidewalks Wider sidewalks / green space / art / vending spaces, parklets,rooftop access (west views), outdoor climbing wall Improve the flow of pedestrian traffic across the street while reducing traffic speeds

4 Infill parking lot with an attractive, durable mixed-use building which includes nice green space similar to Key Bank; encourage alley-friendly business, keep the alley potential vibrant and vital; bike and pedestrian crosswalks in a few places through the block Ask someone what they like or dislike? More people stopping by Benches at the bank YMCA pick-up Palomino horse sculpture, decoration, transform up & up and or colorpot parking lot Buildings with stores on bottom and apartments on top, We like all the mom and pop shops; more of these. Slow down traffic and install a mid-block crossing Local partnerships? Look at other city example that have done this before Local business meetings? YMCA Daylight Properties; Bank - - convert parking area to people-area Shakedown - street performances / busking Shakedown, Up and Up and the Royal with Saturna to host an outdoor music and dance in the amphitheater-like parking lot Sweet bike rack designed and built by the Hub; gathering spaces designed and built by Chuckanut Builders, Artility Designs and Plantas Nativas (Parklet Team) Group B Highlights Activate the empty parking lot - - partnership opportunities with surrounding businesses for an event here? Mid-block crossing; connect bars across the street Need bike parking Add interesting seating / increase seating at Key Bank Lots of traffic - maybe more pedestrian activity at night Angled parking on 1 side; expand sidewalk on the other Stop vehicular traffic from cutting through parking lot

5 C. YMCA TO COLOR POT What do you like best about this place? Central location; enormous ROW; great for opportunities YMCA banners/building, street trees, ivy Diverse businesses, open/spacious Attractive storefronts, eateries outdoor seating, courtyard next to Up & Up Historic architecture, colorful signage, high traffic, attractive outdoor eating, diversity of uses/businesses, transit, centrally located, open and spacious - big ROB lots of opportunities Lighter, quicker, cheaper? Planters, parklets; close off a portion of the street for events Places to sit, crosswalk Benches/chairs, planters Seating, planters with posting site for activities; chess board table tops Parklet, planters, games/activities, central signage, temporary use of parking lots and street lanes for block parties, events Two way bike highway, additional bike parking Long term? Reconfigure the sidewalk - make it wider, bump-outs mid-block for gathering/plantings Narrow streets, widen sidewalks so dining and peds can both use the sidewalk, 2-way strets, cross walk, Slow down vehicle traffic; increase foot traffic and slow it down as well 2-way conversion (slow down traffic, widen sidewalks) 2 way street?, wider sidewalks, narrow the lanes - bump outs; mid block crosswalk with bumpout; improved bike highway with median separation; encouraging good signage through permitting Ask someone what they like or dislike? The lovely YMCA building architecture Likes Old World Deli Signage so people can see the store; it's a place to walk through - I don't stop and look around

6 Local partnerships? Property owners, culminating projects/teams with local high schoolers, eagle scouts Hub-designed bike parking Key Bank - large drive through; make smaller and use some space; restaurants do have some tables - how about business having some tables w a few wares out Local nurseries, lumberyard and builders; retired builder/contractors, high school culminating projects, eagle scouts Group C Highlights Opportunity (historic architecture, central location, high traffic, diverse uses, wide ROW) LQC: Planters, parklet, central signage kiosk (community info, events) 2 way bike highway Community events / block party (on part of street?) Food trucks 2-way conversion Mid block crossings / big bulb-out Bump out portions of sidewalks for useable space Signage competition

7 D. INTERSECTION OF STATE AND CHESTNUT What do you like best about this place? View of Herald into downtown Daylight to Herald Building Historic buildings and character Topography, sunny SE corner Daylight / Herald Building shape corner; good link to downtown for pedestrians (not cars; only moving away from downtown) Close to town - walking feels part of town; historic buildings; bikes Lighter, quicker, cheaper? Wide curbs, bike boxes at intersections, better signs, decorative street lights Clean streets and pedestrian walk, replace missing trees on Chestnut Hill Benches, landscaping, add trees, weed planters Shorter / more frequent sidewalk lights with planters; same crossing patter as on holly; mural on Chameleon, sculpture art, food stand on corner - central for late night crowd Use parklets to narrow intersection; street trees, bike box, narrow lanes on state street, two way on state street Long term? Two-way traffic, wider sidewalks to slow cars, pedestrian median and trees Retail spaces in ground floor of Herald Building Use NYC pedestrian "box" crossing system; all lights red for 30 seconds - people feel safe, no cars Raise intersection, make crossing shorter Reveal historic building façade under Color Pot, street trees, bulb outs, slow traffic, shade, enclosure Angle parking on Chestnut; bulb-out intersection; traffic calming paving; restore Color Pot building Ask someone what they like or dislike?

8 Shipping containers - grow the plaza space Likes idea of town square, dislikes some activities in Market, loud. Dislike too busy, good nightlife, music / outdoor fitness equipment, beer garden, bike Bikers on sidewalk (feel unsafe on road) and some complaint about 1-way street Don't like 1-way streets Local partnerships? Color pot - paint something nice; bella flora outdoor display, activity on the first floor of Herald Building NW Childrens Program for volunteers! Sustainable Connections (parklet?), WWU Arts for street furniture, mural work; chameleon tattoo artist design mural for wall? Color Pot, Daylight Properties, BDAMN Group D Highlights Historic architecture Pedestrian accessibility (alley / bike access) Use parklet to narrow intersections Safer pedestrian crossings (eventually bulb-outs) Return to 2-way street 25 mph - not happening. Need traffic calming Bike boxes at intersections 4-way pedestrian crossing ("all way" WALK) Angle parking up Chestnut Color Pot façade restoration Repave - raised crossing at intersection Foot traffic foot vendors New landscaping on Chestnue

9 OVERALL TRENDS Need pedestrian improvements: wider sidewalks, better crossings, mid-block crossings More landscaping ; work on existing landscaping Good businesses and business partnership opportunities Better bike facilities: bike parking, bike boxes Traffic calming needed - cars go too fast for 25 mph zone Opportunities for art: sculpture, murals, etc. Need better signage: business signage and pedestrian wayfinding OTHER ACTIVITY IDEAS (GROUP BRAINSTORM): Dance parties Food: vendors, walk-up food service windows for bar crowd Tables in the sidewalk - ie. Concrete with games, places to sit and eat Outdoor art - mural, tattoo artists, graffiti art Color Pot - Outdoor demo ("test your color on this wall"?) Larger sidewalk cafes Outdoor childcare area adjacent to YMCA Saturna Capital plaza - picnic space for kids, others