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Show News & Views By GARY R. BLODGETT BOUNTIFUL Hopefully, spring is just around the corner and it's time for Bountiful Redevelopment Redevelop-ment Agency CRDA) to kick into high gear and begin construction of a proposed renovation and landscaping land-scaping project for the downtown area . For the past four years there has been a lot of talk and little action to get something started. The RDA board of directors knows this and they are anxious to begin construction. I can't say that I am entirely pleased with the proposed project, but the proposal to redesign Main Street from 500 South to 400 North and to landscape land-scape both sides of Main to a limited degree is a beginning. Listening to the talk around town, it's obvious that downtown merchants and property owners are anxious to have some type of improvement project pro-ject started. It's like newly elected Council woman Barbara Holt said at her first council meeting last week: "The merchants want something done quickly quick-ly and fairly." The RDA's plan is to do both but to what extent is still questionable . The focus of the project is in the three-block area of downtown Bountiful, between 200 South and 100 North, on both sides of Main. What is being done for merchants outside that perimeter? First, the RDA studied a proposal for curb, gutter and sidewalk improvements but didn't say much about landscaping improvements. At last week's council meeting, however, there appeared to be feelings that more should be done for those merchants mer-chants south of 200 South and north of 1 00 North. More landscaping is being recommended, but whether this landscaping will be implemented and maintained by the city or the merchants is still under study. In the three-block "target area" of downtown Bountiful, landscaping is being implemented and maintained by the city. New sidewalks, street barriers, bar-riers, drinking fountains, benches, etc., also will be installed and maintained by the city. Is this fair to other merchants of Main Street? Whether it appears to be fair or not, the city has only so much money to spend on the Main Street project and is already exceeding the $1 .5 million bond approved and sold for this purpose. The line must be drawn somewhere. The RDA has "cut back" on downtown improvements and has "put on hold" for the time being improvements on the east side of Main in front of the LDS Tabernacle. Taber-nacle. It would be nice to have the entire stretch of Main . from 500 South to 400 North uniform in landscaping. But what would the cost be? Does all of Main Street lend to the same type and extent of landscaping? It is proposed to narrow the width of Main Street within the three-block area of downtown from about ab-out 60 to approximately 40 feet to allow for increased in-creased landscaping. Should the same be done in the remaining six-block area? Personally, I don't think the narrowing of Main in the three-block area is going to meet with approval of the majority of residents. It's going to create a "cramped" feeling for some motorists and there will be a few motorists who will not want to drive in that area and will choose, instead, to "circle" the area and use off-street parking. This is why I would support left turn lanes on 200 South and 200 North off Main Street and to keep open 100 South on both sides of Main instead of -making them one-way streets as proposed. Also, the traffic light at Main and Center (a landmark land-mark in the community) should be left intact, but traffic lights proposed at 200 South and 200 North should be eliminated, at least for the time being. If traffic flow in the downtown area increases in the future perhaps when the new post office is built a new study could be made to determine the need for any additional traffic lights on Main. These and other aspects to the proposed downtown down-town development will be discussed in tonight's city council meeting C7 p.m. in City Hall) and all merchants, mer-chants, downtown property owners, as well as the interested public should attend before final approv al is given to the downtown concept. Keep in mind that this will be conceptual approval and there are a lot of problems and details to be worked out before the project can begin. And Spring is just around the corner. |