American Institute of Architects: Suggestions for Port Angeles
The gist of the AIA report is that Port Angeles hasn’t been capitalizing on the traffic that passes through on the way to Victoria or Olympic National Park. Travelers are not given enough reason to stay in town. (More details here and here.)
The report is available at the city’s website here. There’ll be a public forum on the report; no date has been set yet.
Last summer’s Painting Downtown was one of the Architects’ recommendations.
Other recommendations include creating a waterfront promenade that would encompass the Waterfront Trail and the ferry terminal. They also recommend increasing activities at Gateway, which should bring more people downtown.
They recommend changing the intersection of First Street, Front Street and Golf Course Road to a roundabout. This way you wouldn’t have to make that 150 degree left turn from First Street to Front Street and then try to merge into the traffic that’s barreling down on you.
First and Front Streets would both become two-way streets, but they’d remain one-way downtown (between Lincoln and Valley Streets). This change is a few years away and would require additional funding from the Transportation Dept.
They also recommend re-routing the Truck Route away from downtown. This also is a long way off.
The report is available at the city’s website here. There’ll be a public forum on the report; no date has been set yet.
Last summer’s Painting Downtown was one of the Architects’ recommendations.
Other recommendations include creating a waterfront promenade that would encompass the Waterfront Trail and the ferry terminal. They also recommend increasing activities at Gateway, which should bring more people downtown.
They recommend changing the intersection of First Street, Front Street and Golf Course Road to a roundabout. This way you wouldn’t have to make that 150 degree left turn from First Street to Front Street and then try to merge into the traffic that’s barreling down on you.
First and Front Streets would both become two-way streets, but they’d remain one-way downtown (between Lincoln and Valley Streets). This change is a few years away and would require additional funding from the Transportation Dept.
They also recommend re-routing the Truck Route away from downtown. This also is a long way off.
Labels: AIA, American Institute of Architects, Painting Downtown
posted by Tom Harper at 3:38 PM
19 Comments:
I like all these suggestions. Probably because I and many others have made every one of them to the powers that be over the years. Fell on deaf ears, of course. The City of Port Angeles doesn't seem to value any opinions it didn't have to pay for. And the Downtown Association doesn't value any opinions that don't come out of Jan Harbick's mouth.
Maybe things will finally happen. We have huge untapped potential, and that and four dollars will be you something tasty at Starbucks.
"We have huge untapped potential, and that and four dollars will be you something tasty at Starbucks."
Except the local Starbucks shut down, so we can't even do that.
Can you imagine the daily havoc a roundabout at the Golf Course Road intersection would cause?
Yes. I can see how this is going to work!
The city is going to promote more "art", so that the folks that are passing through on their way to Victoria, or to go camping in the National Park will feel compelled to stop and buy art pieces to take with them, right?
As they get on the Coho, they will have "art" to admire, to declare to the border/customs folks, and that will make they want to come to Port Angeles so they can pass on through to Victoria, even more. More than they have been for the last decade or so. Am I getting this right?
And also, with more "art" emphasis in Port Angeles, the folks with their campers, tents, fishing gear, ATVs and such will certainly stop to buy that painting or sculpture to take with them. How brilliant! I just never really understood why my campsite just didn't look right. It has been missing that painting hanging on the side of my tent, and that bronze sculpture by the camp fire. Maybe Swains' will open up an art gallery, too!
Just amazing what a few fresh eyes and folks with college educations can figure out.
I hike in the park all the time. That is why others come here, to get out in nature, generally speaking they have no interest in the town other than how to get into the areas they want to get in.
In short, those that come here are not interested in towns, they are interested in nature. And they are not the type of monkeys that spend much money when they are in towns.
If they want to see an interesting town they head for Port Townsend or Victoria, having done their homework on the internet before coming to this area.
PA needs to just get over it and stop obsessing about tourists.
But roundabouts are cool, got my vote on that.
Ya notice one common theme amongst all the suggestions? They will all cost a lot of money. Where will that money come from? Us, of course.
Additional funding from the Transportation Dept. That is still coming out of our pockets. PORK spending. That is what spending on these suggestions would be. Haven't we had enough PORK already??? Like the Gateway Center?
There are some 4-lane roundabouts in Olympia and Lacey that have replaced stop lights at intersections with more traffic than Front/First/Golf Course Rd.
There are some 4-lane roundabouts in Olympia and Lacey that have replaced stop lights at intersections with more traffic than Front/First/Golf Course Rd.
Wait a minute! It just hit me! Europeans have roundabouts and we know that Europeans are all Socialist Commie types. The AIA is suggesting that we establish a Euro-Socialist transportation system in P.A. It's a Commie plot! The AIA is a Commie front! The Reds are everywhere!
The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
Lincoln said Harbor-Works will conduct an archaeological study -- expanding upon one done by Rayonier in 1997 -- before any redevelopment occurs on the property.
He said that will happen once it is known how the property will be developed.
"Once a redevelopment scheme is considered, then there will be another archaeological assessment of the site," Lincoln said.
THAT's the way ya do it! Spend the money on developing a redevelopment plan FIRST, THEN do the studies to determine IF the site will accomodate your plans.
Port Angeles logic, all the way. Talk about PORK!
Umm, hate to put the fly in the ointment, but there are way less tourists which has caused a huge reduction in ferry traffic. Why? Homeland Security's requirement for passports! That and the economy have caused a 50-60% decrease in tourists coming across from B.C.
All summer you could drive on any ferry you wanted...no long multi ferry passage weights, no arriving at 5:30 to get on the 8am sailing.
All these ideas are well and good, but the AIA only looked at tourism, not how we can get locals to shop downtown. Why? Because Walmart is the single source of the demise of downtown. Before Wally's World, we had a thriving downtown. (Of course, the bonehead "move DSHS" to the Penny's building didn't help matters any.)
We cannot rely on tourist dollars to support our town, if we, the residents don't support our town.
Anonymous 2:33 is certainly right. If Port Angeles citizens don't even come downtown, why should anybody else? Come on, folks, support your local merchants. Let's keep our money here in our town.
There are some 4-lane roundabouts in Olympia and Lacey that have replaced stop lights at intersections with more traffic than Front/First/Golf Course Rd.
Really? That's really interesting, I sure would like to watch one for a while to see how the traffic flow was.
I know that roundabouts are confusing at first but once you get used to them they are great.
But I don't know about a four lane one, I'm thinking of figure 8 races, and demo derbies, ha ha ha.
Come on, folks, support your local merchants. Let's keep our money here in our town.
If downtown was more than just a tourist trap maybe us locals would, but we have no need for tourist trap shops.
Not that there isn't some decent stores to serve us locals down there, but it's generally more handy to find the same things away from that area.
But I like to look at the clock when I go through there. :-)
"The gist of the AIA report is that Port Angeles hasn’t been capitalizing on the traffic that passes through on the way to Victoria or Olympic National Park. Travelers are not given enough reason to stay in town."
As has been pointed out, the foundational problem with the report is its' premise: that Port Angeles is not capitalizing on the traffic passing through. But, as has been noted also, that "traffic" has been steadily declining for years now. It was declining during the recent economic boom. It was declining before the passport requirements.
People are not going to make a special effort to drive long distances with expensive fuel to visit a town with nothing unique to offer.
Port Angeles in not an attractive town. The first thing that visitors see are the rows of non distinct houses and stores coming in on the east side of town. As they get near downtown, the Nippon mill smokestack, spewing out what looks like smoke and fumes dominates the viewshed. On the hill dropping down into downtown, the view turns to logyards and ocean tankers out in the harbour. Really beautiful.
A few folks may be "industrial site tourists", but I assure you, those are not folks that are going to be visiting Port Angeles in numbers large enough to help the local economy.
The local leadership continues to push for "more industry" in Port Angeles, which I've been hearing for years now. And what does the community have to show for their leadership and vision, after all these years? More vacant building than ever.
Port Angeles DOES have something no other community has, and that unique feature CAN turn the local economy around. But, not as long as the local leadership maintains its' "vision" for Port Angeles as it has been.
Get a clue! Do the community a favor.
we need to strengthen our town and get a united vision before we can entice others to venture here. We have no concept,no theme, no unified front. What we have are a whole lot of little fish pretending to be big fish running a bunch of organizations which propose to cater to Downtown, Chamber, Business...blah blah blah, but it's like a bunch of people trying to hit a target by throwing the arrows at the target. The number one, most common thing that any "outsider" hears when trying to get involved in any of these organizations is "oh we tried that once". Or, a lot of hand-wringing, and/or scheming on how they can make a buck off of it.
This town needs to come to the difficult and hard reality that until we can unite and become a community - we're a motley crew of pirates and wishful thinkers.
Port Angeles in not an attractive town.
You are offended by the baby shit browns and other weird colors they have been dressing up the town with?
I'm just wondering.
we need to strengthen our town and get a united vision before we can entice others to venture here.
I don't want others here, unless we can hold them up and take their money and chase them out of town.
What is it with you monkeys and money? Geez, just go camping, you don't need near what you think you do.
bbc,
You need to get some laxative. You are so full of it.
I don't really CARE what you think/want. We need jobs, we need some economy, we need families to be able to support themselves and not depend on welfare. We need an economy that works -- to curtail the drugs, the welfare mentality, the overwhelming number of homeless and kids in foster care.
We can't cater to the fringe minority, such as yourself, because, frankly, you'll be dead in a few years and we have a whole new generation who will need to make an income. We need to make changes now for the future of Port Angeles.
The last few commenters make good points. All you see is these groups such as Chamber, Downtown Assoc., and others all pointing at each other saying "That's the enemy. We're the only ones who know what to do." Fact is, none of them are doing squat. If they'd work together, we'd have a chance, but I guess that just makes too much sense.
And BBC, I'm happy for you that you're a simple soul with simple wants. I also agree that nobody NEEDS as much as they think they do. But most of us want a thriving economy, a decent living, and to be able to have some things we want. That's not too much to ask, and it should be possible if we work together to make some things happen.
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