Council weighs in on Lincoln project

Members of the Manito/Cannon Hill Neighborhood Council have taken a stand on the need to preserve trees and enhance sidewalk amenities when Lincoln Street is rebuilt next year.

In a letter earlier this month to Mayor Mary Verner, the chairman of the neighborhood council outlined the position of residents living along the arterial route.

Last year, former Mayor Dennis Hession postponed from 2008 to 2009 rehabilitation of Lincoln from 17th to 29th avenues. The project is being funded by a 10-year, $117 million bond issue approved by voters in 2004. Work under the bond issue has been limited to street repair only, and not to amenities, although Verner has said she supports finding other funds to pay for sidewalk and pedestrian improvements.

Last fall, the neighborhood council undertook a study of South Lincoln, and Hession asked his public works staff to assist the neighborhood.

“The Manito/Cannon Hill Neighborhood Council appointed a subcommittee of interested citizens to explore options; distill the ideas and concerns expressed by residents; and develop a ‘conceptual model’ of what types of features we want incorporated into the redesign of the streetscape,” Dennis Anderson wrote in the letter.

The neighborhood council subsequently approved the following recommendations:

“Use traffic calming techniques such as curb extensions and bump outs.

“Actively promote the planting of large canopy trees along those sections of Lincoln that currently lack a large canopy.

“Preserve and protect those sections that have an existing street canopy.

“Adopt a framework that promotes a pedestrian-friendly environment while retaining on-street parking on both sides of the street.

“Maintain Lincoln as a safe, efficient minor arterial.

“The Manito/Cannon Hill Neighborhood Council looks forward to working with the city to identify funding mechanisms that can take this ‘conceptual model’ and make it a reality,” Anderson wrote.

The neighborhood council and city officials hope to avoid the fight that occurred two years ago when Bernard Street was repaved, and a series of mature trees were removed.

At the start of her term as mayor this year, Verner said she supports efforts by neighborhoods to include street amenities in street bond projects.

Public Works Director Dave Mandyke has said his engineers are willing to work the neighborhood.

City spokeswoman Marlene Feist last week acknowledged receiving the neighborhood council letter but said the mayor had not yet responded to it.

“I don’t think there were a lot of surprises in the letter,” she said, because the city has been working with the neighborhood council.

She said the number of amenities that can be included in the Lincoln project will hinge on finding funds for them.