Downtown Bonners Ferry design

     The Downtown Design Program addresses a wide variety of physical improvements through fifteen actions. These actions will create an integrated system of entries, buildings, parking, circulation, signing, streetscapes, public spaces and land use.

    Downtowns are intended to serve as the focal points of community activity. Downtown Bonners Ferry has served in this role historically and continues to do so today. With renewed attention to its physical environment, Downtown will thrive as the economic, social, cultural, and civic heart of Bonners Ferry and Boundary County. The Downtown Design Strategy for Bonners Ferry is based on making efficient use of already urbanized space, utilizing existing infrastructure, and "Making a Great Place."

    In pursuit of economic development, many towns and cities focus on new construction and expanding outward. In so doing, often as many problems are created as are solved. Those communities with the most stable long-term economies are those that continuously focus inward and strive to sustain and use their existing land base more efficiently. This is particularly true for Bonners Ferry, where the community so clearly values its heritage and rural quality of life. The Downtown Design Strategy (illustrated in Figure 4.6) provides a set of improvements that address these priorities while complementing the community's economic development objectives.

    As the Downtown Design Strategy is employed, the most noticeable difference in five years will be the increased intensity of pedestrian-oriented activity occurring in Downtown Bonners Ferry - which will greatly contribute to local economic development.

Establish Downtown Entries That Welcome

    Entries, or gateways, are important to contributing to a positive Bonners Ferry identity and signaling definitive entrances to the Downtown from heavily traversed Highway 95. Entry elements generally include enhanced landscaping, monuments, and signs. Of the four possible entries to Downtown from Highway 95, two primary and one secondary entries to Downtown Bonners Ferry should be enhanced by the community.

Primary Gateways

* Main Street/Riverside Street Entrance from Highway 95 - The Main Street exit on Highway 95 presents a great opportunity to draw southbound travelers from Canada and other northern areas into Downtown Bonners Ferry. Like the gateway at Kootenai Street and Highway 95, this area should be developed as a major gateway to include a noteworthy entry monument at the end of Main Street.
* Kootenai Street Entrance from Highway 95 - Already considered the main entry to Downtown Bonners Ferry, this gateway should be enhanced to include the existing wooden carved sign, archway (constructed of local materials by local builders at a minimum height of 14 feet to accommodate large vehicles), increased landscaping and colored plantings.

Secondary Gateway

* Ash Street Entrance from Highway 95 - Vehicles traveling northbound on Highway 95 have an opportunity to see Downtown while traveling on the downward grade that begins around Madison Street on South Hill (see Map inside front cover); they have a first (and easiest) opportunity to exit to the Downtown at Ash Street. Plus, the old commercial sales principle to maximize opportunities for customers to turn right into a place of business should be seized
* in this instance. To enhance this entry, signage should be the primary focus. Signage should be located around Madison Street indicating "Downtown - Next Three Exits." Between this sign and Ash Street, a sign should be located indicating "Downtown - Next Right Exit/Ash Street."

Use Streetscape as the Bonding Thread of Downtown

    While entries are important for attracting people into Downtown, streetscape is important to create an image of a unified business district. While shopping malls are unified through a large indoor-oriented structure, downtowns are unified through a cohesive streetscape environment.

    One of the most important Downtown objectives expressed by the Bonners Ferry community was to improve the area for both pedestrians and vehicles. Incorporating streetscape improvements into all road- and sidewalk-related projects can help to achieve this objective. To complement this figure, specific streetscape components for Downtown are recommended on the next page, including manufacturer name, item name, estimated cost, and contact information.

    Pedestrian-scale acorn lights should be installed on all streets in the Downtown core at a distance of 80-100 feet between each. Light shields should be installed within the acorn globes to minimize light spillover and light pollution (thereby protecting the dark skies of Northern Idaho). Street trees are not recommended throughout Downtown; however, the location of two (2) Ornamental Pear trees mid-block on Main Street (between Kootenai and Bonners) is strongly recommended as a traffic calming device and to signal a pedestrian crossing area. Additionally, landscaping through the use of climbing vines and greenery should be encouraged to beautify the sound wall that separates Downtown from the railroad.

    Within three months following adoption of the Plan, the community should establish a streetscape demonstration pilot project by contacting the suppliers listed above and arranging for the delivery and set-up of the streetscape furniture. This will allow residents to "try before they buy" their new streetscape amenities.

Possible locations for the demonstration project should include:

* On Main Street at Kootenai Street
* On First Street at Kootenai Street (near Post Office)
* On Kootenai Street, at First Street (in front of Sheriff's Dept.)

Facilitate Movement of Pedestrians

Along with an enhanced set of entries and a unified image, it cannot be stated enough that people need to nurtured and informed - as both pedestrians and drivers - in Downtown for economic development to occur. Downtown streets should be more than vehicular circulation routes -Downtown should encourage pedestrian security and activity and help create a sense of place. The community would like to see streets in Downtown aesthetically improved.

In so doing, people are more apt to spend time - and money - in Downtown. Corridors should be improved through the addition of attractive and cohesive streetscape elements, such as the pedestrian street lighting, benches, trash receptacles and banners shown above. The following recommendations for Downtown Bonners Ferry are focused on pedestrian improvements:

a. Make Sidewalks Safe, Accessible, and Continuous

In addition to streetscape elements, priority should be placed on ensuring that a continuous, safe, and adequately wide (minimum 5' passable at any given point; 10 to 12 feet desirable where possible) sidewalk system and pathway are provided throughout Downtown. Considerations for improving the sidewalk and pathway system include:

* Undertaking a detailed inventory of the sidewalk system to determine deficiencies and incorporate improvements into the City's capital improvement program
* Include ADA accessibility (e.g. sidewalk ramps)
* Accommodate street furniture and street lights
* Consider sidewalk maintenance issues, as well as underground utilities

It is recommended that all sidewalks considered "fair or poor" should be programmed for replacement. There are numerous patterns of colored-stamped concrete that can be used to highlight standard concrete walkways. Colored-stamped concrete costs about three times standard concrete sidewalks on a per square foot basis.

b. "Bulb Out" Main Street

To help define and direct pedestrian circulation, bulb-outs (sections of sidewalk that extend into the street) should be added within Downtown where higher levels of pedestrian crossings occur (see Figure 9). End-of-block bulb outs should be installed at each end of Main Street (at Kootenai, Bonners, and Riverside) and a mid-block bulb-out should be installed on Main Street between Kootenai and Bonners.

These bulb outs can be used to introduce landscaping and other visual elements to enhance the district's image and pedestrian experience. While placing street trees throughout Downtown is not necessary, a small concentration of street trees is recommended to enhance the small plaza created with the mid-block bulb out on Main Street.

c. Help Pedestrians Find Their Way

    It is critical to develop a pedestrian wayfinding program that directs people to destinations. (Note: Signs oriented to automobiles are not adequate to serve the needs of pedestrians.) The pedestrian wayfinding system may include:

* Directory kiosks showing a map of Downtown and promotional information should be located at high-activity areas within Downtown. Primary target sites include:
    Main Street and Kootenai Street intersection;
    Second Street and Kootenai Street intersection (near the Post Office and Court House);
    At the Kootenai River Inn and Casino;
    At the Visitors Information Center;
    At City Hall; and other locations.

    Typically, directory kiosks are located in a highly visible setting and contiguous to a Downtown amenity, activity areas, or point of pride (e.g. historic building).

* Directional signs are critical to helping pedestrians find their way from directory kiosks and other areas to their destinations. Directional signs for pedestrians should be color coded differently than those intended for drivers of vehicles. They should be simple, consistent in design, and may include a logo. A rule of thumb for lettering height is a letter-size minimum of 2 inches, plus one additional inch of letter height for each 25 feet of viewing distance.

* Existing landmarks (such as the fire siren tower on City Hall) should be enhanced and new landmarks created (such as a clock tower at the Safeway corner) to help with pedestrian orientation. (This and other towers could support and hide cellular communications equipment.) Landmarks are physical objects that provide a point of reference or identity to a downtown.

d. Develop Alleyways into New Pedestrian Connections

Creating new pedestrian connections and interesting pathways throughout downtown will greatly enhance revitalization efforts. Capitalizing on its existing alleys, downtown Bonners Ferry has a great opportunity to develop an alternative walkway for pedestrians and provide a direct link to downtown parking lots. Alleys should be enhanced through increased maintenance, lighting, and interesting amenities to encourage pedestrian use. Encouraging secondary rear entrances for businesses with alley access can contribute to increased economic vitality and activity.

Facilitate the Movement and Parking of Cars

a. Establish Traditional Grid Street Patterns Downtown

    Reinforcing the grid-pattern street system upon which Downtown Bonners Ferry was originally built is an important strategy to improve the vehicular circulation system. To this end, two new street connections are recommended that also will create better internal circulation and less dependency on Highway 95. These two new segments include:

    * Bonnerport Street, from Bonners Street to Kootenai Street: This segment is presently a drive aisle for the       visitor center parking lot. Establishing the street will allow businesses to have new frontage, make the            adjacent parking lot more disciplined and reinforce an easy-to-use circulation system.

    * Bonnerport Street, from Kootenai Street to Arizona Street: Extending Bonnerport Street to Arizona Street would increase the efficient movement of people and cars between the east and west sides of Highway 95, as well as provide increased access to the Library and place "eyes on the park" (which will increase safety).

b. Introduce New Downtown Parking

Parking goes hand-in-hand with circulation. Presently, parking in Downtown is generally constrained. During peak seasonal times when the number of visitors to Bonners Ferry is higher, parking can become a serious concern. As new development occurs, and as Downtown's revitalization develops, parking will increasingly be an important factor in the community for which creative solutions will be necessary.

c. Never Adopt Suburban Parking Standards!

Most parking standards are based on the International Transportation Engineers (ITE) parking generation rates. To develop these rates, the ITE looks at the parking needed by individual land uses (e.g. family restaurants). Often, however, the rates are based on a small sample (i.e. only a few family restaurants are observed) and are located in contemporary suburban environments. Both of these factors typically lead to overstating the real parking demands that may exist. Consequently, communities such as Bonners Ferry often fall victim to parking requirements that are not tailored to the real needs of their locality. In light of this, the following series of steps should occur in the successful long-term planning, development, and management of parking for Bonners Ferry:

* In-depth inventory of parking spaces to know what exists (already complete)
* Survey of parking patterns and attitudes to understand how parking spaces are used
* Project demand using downtown/small town (rather than suburban) parking generation rates and developing new parking requirements (As a starting point for Bonners Ferry, studies to compare other Idaho cities' parking standards with those of the City's provide great insight into parking demand.)
* Plan and develop new parking facilities as appropriate
* Promote the parking program
* Manage the parking system

d. Pursue Additional Parking-Related Strategies

In addition to providing additional parking, the City should encourage building owners adjacent to parking areas to create secondary storefronts. For example, the buildings fronting Main Street can improve rear entrances both to access parking and to create secondary storefronts. By doing this, building owners provide a new convenience to customers.

e. Explore Shared Parking Opportunities

Shared parking is when two or more users (a store, office, restaurant, dental clinic, bank, etc.) share parking spaces rather than each having their own dedicated parking area (or to supplement their own parking area). Shared parking makes sense in downtown Bonners Ferry because of the district's compact, walkable nature, and because of the variation of business hours and days associated with diverse tenants. Shared parking opportunities can help the community optimize the use of more parking lots during more hours of the day and more days of the week. Safeway and the adjacent bank, for example, provide a key opportunity for shared parking. Additionally, as new uses are established Downtown, the City should consider shared parking when calculating parking requirements.

f. Help Drivers Find Their Way

    In addition to better circulation and parking, good signing is important for to guide visitors. People need to find it easy to navigate around Downtown. Priority should be placed on identifying a common theme for signage directing travelers to public, private, and quasi-public uses. This theme should be consistent throughout the City, not just Downtown.

    Signage should be appropriately located and sized to accommodate drivers' limited window of time to view and understand information while driving in Downtown. The following should be used as guidelines for locating and designing vehicular wayfinding signs in Downtown:

* At 15 miles per hour, drivers have approximately 10 seconds of reaction time to see a sign, read it, and respond to the message by preparing a turn. (Within the 10 second time frame, the driver travels approximately 220 feet.) Letter size should be 4 inches in height. Sign area should be maintain at 8 square feet. This criteria is appropriate along Main Street within the pedestrian core.

* Backgrounds of black, brown, green, and blue increase conspicuousness of signs - thus assisting drivers in reading signage (listed in respective order of effectiveness).

Emphasize Local Art, History, and Culture
    To help create an interesting and educational experience for visitors and to increase local pride and ownership, public art should be integrated into downtown when possible. Place sculpture, banners, historical markers, and other unique amenities in the pedestrian environment. Highlight the history and natural environment of the Bonners Ferry region and celebrate its diversity of people and cultures. Involve local arts, culture, and environmental groups, as well as schools in these local image enhancement efforts.

Provide Connection with the Kootenai River
    The Kootenai River and the Downtown need to be visually and functionally connected through a series of streetscape, trails and walkways. This is an important river to the community and should be better linked to it. Emphasis must be placed on creating a highly visible pedestrian connection between Downtown and the Kootenai River at the Main Street and Riverside Street Intersection. Blend creativity and comfort into this linkage to encourage the effectiveness of the connection.

Encourage Adaptive Reuse and Historic Preservation
    Over the years, many of Bonners Ferry's buildings have covered their historic facades or have been removed for new development. The City should encourage the retention of historically significant buildings in Bonners Ferry by working with property owners to seek resources to renovate older buildings for modern uses. Additionally, property owners should be encouraged to rehabilitate storefront facades in a manner consistent with the existing design character of downtown. Explore opportunities to offer incentives and/or assistance for these activities where possible. Utilize materials consistent with materials previously used on the structure. Consult contractors with expertise in historic buildings. Improving the appearance and physical condition of Downtown buildings and spaces is very important to economic revitalization and can heighten the community's sense of pride in Downtown.

Pursue Neighborhood Preservation and Residential Office
    Around Downtown are historic neighborhoods. Some of the structures in these neighborhoods are in disrepair or are being converted to other uses. Downtown benefits greatly from a resident population. Consider creating a set of resources to sustain and improve these neighborhoods for residential use. Improved streetscapes, low-interest loan pool for renovations and design advisory services all would contribute to this objective.

Form a Team to Pursue Opportunities for Affordable Housing
    Currently, Bonners Ferry has no formal entity, such as a Housing Authority, that is involved in housing development. Since housing is basic to future economic development, the City should lead in forming a multi-agency affordable housing solutions team. This new organization should develop a specific plan of action to address both short- and long-term housing needs in Bonners Ferry. In addition to City staff, representatives from the following agencies should serve on the team:

* Boundary County
* Kootenai Tribe
* Idaho Community Reinvestment Corporation
* Idaho Partners for Home Buyer Education, Inc.
* The Housing Company
* Idaho Housing and Finance Association

Fill Up the Second Stories
    Many buildings in Downtown have vacant second floors. This space presents an opportunity to offer additional leasable commercial office space as well as residential units. Having residential units in the downtown will create a more vibrant downtown beyond the 8-hour workday. And, downtowns that have a mix of office, retail, and residential are safer places. Assure zoning clarity in this regard. And, create incentives for new development that includes residential above commercial and office.

Develop a Design System for the Area Surrounding Kootenai River Inn and Casino
    The Kootenai River Inn and Casino area is one dominated by surface parking lots. Acknowledging that this additional parking is needed to accommodate the growing number of casino visitors, a careful and sensitive design framework is essential to counteract the community "voids" that parking lots often create and to protect the character of the adjacent residential district. It is recommended that an expanded network of interconnected streets be established to break up the massive parking lot surface and maintain a pedestrian-friendly and walkable urban form in the area. The addition of new streets will encourage activity and natural surveillance in the district, both of which can also enhance safety of parking lot users. Three major landmarks exist in this area east of the highway - the Kootenai Casino, the junior high school, and the nearby church. These sites should be visually integrated into the overall design framework and their architectural integrity preserved. Comprehensive landscaping of the parking lots is also recommended to soften the effect on the area.

Expand & Relocate the Farmers Market
    More farmers markets are owned by downtown associations than by any other type of nonprofit corporation. This is for good reason. The two are highly complementary. Downtown Bonners Ferry is particularly well suited to host a formal farmers market, given the region's agricultural base and the distance to regional shopping centers. It is likely that a year-round market facility could prosper if located and organized well.

    The grain warehouse complex at left is an example of a good location for a permanent farmers market. There is adequate land for offstreet parking, open-air market, covered event areas and even a small amphitheater (see Figure 1.2). Some of the structures could be adapted to support year-round businesses, such as a bakery, local specialty food products outlet and crafts. Currently, most structures on the site are in poor condition and in danger of being condemned or demolished for safety reasons. Adaptive reuse would save this community icon, in addition to fostering value-added agricultural business development.

    The City and the County's economic development manager ("Manager") should work with current farmers market organizers to complete a feasibility study for expanding this business. Several grant opportunities exist that might be tapped to acquire and develop property near Downtown. Design of the new site should include flexibility for hosting a range of community events and adequate offstreet parking. When the market is not in session, public parking could be available for Downtown visitors and employees.

Create More Public Spaces and Enhance Existing Ones
    Most successful downtowns have a significant public open space that brings citizens together to celebrate community. Public spaces and community gathering places work to foster a sense of community, support family activity, and heighten local pride; they can also serve as economic development generators by providing unique, safe places for activities near businesses. To attract people downtown, activities need to be scheduled in a comfortable and central location. Downtown residents also need open space near their homes - kids need a place to play and adults need a place to relax.

Enhance the Civic Heart of Downtown
    Downtown Bonners Ferry is fortunate to have a strong civic presence: city hall, post office, city park, library, and county offices. While the Downtown core includes these civic functions, they are somewhat scattered throughout the area with no central civic space or landmark. The addition of a prominent community civic building and pedestrian plaza, such as a community performing arts center, should be investigated as an opportunity to address this gap. An appropriate location for such a complex may be east of Bonnerport Street, in the public parking lot. A unique and sensitive architectural design would reinforce the visual relationship of Downtown Bonners Ferry to the highway and create a new downtown landmark.

Address Maintenance Issues
    Poorly maintained businesses and properties in a Downtown hurt the entire district. Businesses and property owners that have this problem should be encouraged to improve their practices. Where necessary, condemnation of properties that pose a safety risk should be considered. Physical improvements owned by the City and County also should include a program of regular maintenance.

    Downtown Bonners Ferry could benefit greatly from a simple periodic "clean up" utilizing pressurized water/steam cleaning on streets, sidewalks and buildings. The Manager and Main Street program volunteers could further encourage ongoing improvements. They should prepare a user-friendly brochure that educates businesses and property owners on the importance and means for proper maintenance. Additionally, the City should investigate the creation of a cleanup program that eliminates weeds, trash, graffiti, etc. Incentives to encourage participation, e.g., contests, could build enthusiasm for the program. Such a cleanup event should include teenagers, seniors, business owners, community groups, tribal members and others. Participation builds ownership and maximizes the number of people involved. This approach would provide a tangible, immediate improvement to the downtown, increase visibility to downtown, and build support for further progress.

Improve Downtown Traffic Circulation
    Circulation downtown could be improved by more clearly designating Bonnerport as a through street between Bonner Street and Kootenai Street. This street improvement should be accomplished in conjunction with the enhancement of the city parking lot adjoining Bonnerport.

    Circulation could also be improved by extending Bonnerport further south between Kootenai Street and Arizona Street immediately east of the public library. This street should be a narrow (24 foot) roadway with no on-street parking. The street could be closed off during special events at the park or library.

Build a Pedestrian Underpass to Kootenai River Inn
    U.S. 95 presents a formidable barrier to pedestrians wishing to walk between the Kootenai River Inn and downtown. In fact, ITD has posted a sign at the intersection of U.S. 95 and Kootenai Street prohibiting pedestrians crossing.

The City of Bonners Ferry has re-submitted a request to ITD for an Enhancement Grant to fund a pedestrian underpass structure under U.S. 95. This underpass would connect pedestrians between the Kootenai River Inn and downtown at a location just south of the Visitors Center.

The City will receive an answer from ITD whether the underpass has been chosen for funding during the summer of 2001. If selected, this funding would be programmed for construction in 2004.

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