City moves forward with plans for downtown

In an effort to continue working to improve the downtown district, the Newton City Council approved Monday the hiring of Ames-based Bolton & Menk, Inc. to serve as the consultant for the Downtown Design Guidelines and Streetscape Master Planning project.

The city is looking to establish a streetscape design for the Historic and Main Street Districts that would support the historic context, complement the proposed design guidelines and complement and transition the existing streetscape located just beyond the boundaries.

“I think that there’s a lot of people in the community that have been watching the steps that Main Street and the Historic Preservation has been making and having a visual to go to with that will be really exciting,” Council Member Noreen Otto said.

The overall project has three major components beginning with developing a manual of design guidelines for properties within the Downtown Historic District with community and stakeholder input opportunities. Next, it is planned to train city staff, historic preservation commissioners and Newton Main Street board members for the implementation of guidelines.

Last, is the development of a streetscape master plan for the Newton Main Street district. It is preferred that the master plan be practical to implement and maintain, and address ADA compliance needs, traffic patterns, parking as well as Iowa DOT requirements.

Three firms were considered by the historic preservation commission and the Newton Main Street design committee with Bolton & Menk, Inc. being selected. The groups chose the Ames firm because of the amount of research it did and a strong understanding of the project and local dynamics. The firm also expressed an understanding of the passion of small business challenges of historic downtowns. Last, a detailed scope of work and aggressive project schedule was also attractive to the group.

Bolton & Menk has worked in several communities including the Roosevelt Cultural District in Des Moines and the Grand Avenue Overlay District and Valley Junction Streetscape Improvements in West Des Moines.

The firm calls Newton a vibrant place with a rich and diverse history with historic character that should be celebrated. To start planning, a kick-off meeting with city staff is targeted for April 20. There the firm and staff will work to identify critical success factors for the project the firm will use to evaluate progress.

In phase two, an inventory of existing conditions will be prepared after a thorough review of the Historic and Main Street districts. After collecting an inventory, the firm will analyze the findings to formulate a list of focus areas to serve as the foundation for design guidelines. During the phase, an outline will be developed along with an initial streetscape master plan.

In the last phase, a final plan will be developed of the design guidelines and the streetscape master plan. The plan will include implementation strategies allowing the city to make informed and well-planned decisions regarding prioritization strategies for the future implementation. The final guidelines and plan will be presented to the community at an open house.

Business owner, Ken Smith addressed the council with a concern about the awnings currently in place in front of several businesses. He said that in his opinion the awnings are grandfathered in and are shown as an extension of the buildings.

“I heard through a rumor going around the north side of the square that says that a part of this is to somehow do away with the awnings that been put up and maintained,” Smith said.

Mayor Mike Hansen said it is just the start of discussions about any designs for the downtown. He said that Smith would be able to find out about the designs after work had started.

This project was included within the bond elements in 2014, allocating $50,000 for the work. Bolton & Menk were approved for a budget not to exceed $50,200 for work completed. If any additional services, owner requested re-design and services in excess of the given allowances will be done at the firms allotted hourly rates.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com