A temporary effort to alter the streetscape of Monterey Road on
a trial basis might be a better immediate option than using limited
resources to permanently tear up the downtown thoroughfare,
according to planning commissioners.
A temporary effort to alter the streetscape of Monterey Road on a trial basis might be a better immediate option than using limited resources to permanently tear up the downtown thoroughfare, according to planning commissioners.
The planning commission heard a presentation Tuesday on the different options for a new streetscape that have circulated among the community for more than a year.
Based on a series of community meetings, surveys, council input and other public outreach efforts, urban design consultant Callander Associates presented the pros and cons of three different options for a new street that will invite visitors and improve safety for pedestrians and motorists.
One option would polish and improve the street’s existing four lanes, 22-foot median, 10- to 12-foot sidewalk widths and add “sharrow” markings to one lane on each side indicating it can also be used by bicyclists.
Another would be four lanes with “sharrow” markings, a 16-foot median in some places and a 22-foot median in others, and sidewalks varying from 10 to 20 feet wide.
And the third choice narrow Monterey Road down to two lanes all the way from Dunne to Main avenue, widen the sidewalks to 20 feet and leave the median at its current width.
All three designs would alter the street from Dunne to Main avenue.
The estimated costs for the options range from $5.4 million to $8 million, and commissioner Joe Mueller said that’s a lot of money to spend in the current economic climate without knowing how business owners and downtown patrons would receive concepts such as expanded outdoor dining facilities, angled instead of parallel street parking, or a lack of street parking altogether.
Instead, the city should consider using temporary barriers such as decorative planters to close off a lane or a parking strip in certain areas so that pedestrians can try out wider sidewalks, and restaurants and retail businesses can experiment with the extra business space.
“We thought it would be better to put in some temporary changes to test out what will work for the community,” Mueller said.
The Morgan Hill Downtown Association proposed a similar trial period several months ago, and presented the idea again at Tuesday’s commission meeting.
MHDA president Eric Wallace suggested that the city use temporary barriers to close off one lane in each direction on Monterey Road from First through Fifth streets, to see how such a configuration would affect or improve traffic flow, safety, visibility and access to businesses.
The streetscape study was commissioned by the city council, acting as the redevelopment agency board of directors, more than a year ago. It’s part of the agency’s efforts to redevelop downtown Morgan Hill as an attraction for visitors, new residents and new businesses, with a viable mix of dining, retail and entertainment venues.
Any work on the street, to be determined by eventual council action, would be funded by redevelopment funds.
The agency paid Callander Associates $245,000 to conduct the study.
The city council will next consider the streetscape options at its Oct. 19 meeting.
