Few weigh in on widening street

Deirdre Newman

An effort to get feedback on the city’s tentative plans to widen

Newport Boulevard fizzled Tuesday when the a public workshop drew a

sparse turnout and only one written comment.

The city transportation committee wanted to hear the public’s

input before it issued a recommendation on whether to widen the busy

thoroughfare. Committee members, who are divided over the issue, will

be voting on Nov. 18.

Some committee members expressed disappointment at the low turnout

on Tuesday.

“It’s hard to get people involved,” said Randy Garell of the Grant

Boys. “This is your government in action. Government is people. So

when the bulldozers come to plow over the daisies, [people] can’t

complain.”

The proposed plan to widen Newport Boulevard is part of a larger

beautification project of the area between 17th and 19th streets.

The city is considering widening 150 feet of Newport Boulevard

along the east and west sides, directly north of 17th Street;

expanding it 130 feet on the west side, where the right-turn pocket

south of Harbor Boulevard is; and widening it 500 feet on the west

side directly north of 19th Street, City Project Manager Dave Sorge

said.

The council first approved studying the widening of Newport

Boulevard in 2001 and secured $700,000 from the county for the study.

It also formed the Downtown and Eastside Transportation Ad Hoc

Committee to recommend short- and long-term solutions to improve

traffic congestion on and around Newport Boulevard.

A few months later, many residents and business owners spoke out

against the widening project.

In 2002, the study went to the council again for reconfirmation

because of opposition to the idea, transportation director Peter

Naghavi said. The committee proposed postponing the project to pursue

other options and some council members suggested returning the

$700,000. The council ultimately re-authorized the study and kept the

funds.

The council probably won’t consider whether to move forward on the

final design until February. Widening Newport Boulevard is only a

short-term solution for the next eight to 10 years, if it is finally

approved, Naghavi said.

In the last few weeks, some downtown business owners and committee

members began speaking out again in opposition to the widening

because they fear it will only serve to bring more traffic into the

area. They felt the public isn’t well informed of the project,

prompting the open house on Tuesday.

The only public input given in writing favored the widening, Sorge

said.

Committee member Dan Perlmutter attributed the low turnout to a

lack of notice.

“I’ve served on the ad hoc committee for over a year-and-a-half,

and the topic has been brought up numerous times that all the

business owners, all the property owners, as well as the residents in

the downtown and Eastside area, should be notified about what the

city is planning,” said Perlmutter, who owns property on 17th Street.

One of the attendees, Terry Shaw, said he relished the opportunity

to learn more about the project.

“This is my initial exposure to the project in detail, and I find

it informative and helpful,” Shaw said. “I haven’t really formed an

opinion one way or the other. So far, it looks like some positive

things.”

Since the committee is voting in the middle of November, it won’t

have time to host another public workshop, committee member Mark

Reader said.