updated Oct. 14 at 8 p.m.
Prune Alley, ready for a facelift!
EPRC Open House on Wednesday, October 16, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Senior Center
by Teri Williams, revised, originally published in www.simplyorcas.com
It all started when Rachel Dietzman, County Engineer, indicated the Public Works Department will not be paving Prune Alley (planned for 2014) until the County can design and install some pedestrian features.
Rachel attended an Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) meeting to discuss how EPRC could help facilitate working with the community and develop a plan. As an EPRC member, I watched the events unfold.
Fred Klein, EPRC member, desired to take a whack at it, along with architect Bill Trogdon, and they did a fantastic job, using the Streetscape Plan for Eastsound as a base. Fred’s proposed changes and additions encompassed all issues Public Works has with Prune Alley. Public Works wholeheartedly endorsed Fred’s plan and used it for the Prune Alley Complete Streets design grant application.
Although the county was not awarded the $600,000-plus grant, they will still use Fred’s design to install some pedestrian features with a goal to fully implement the entire plan over the course of a few years.
EPRC’s goal was to create a design which will transform the streetscape of Prune Alley from its current state of being an undifferentiated-50-foot-wide-swath-of-chip-seal-and-gravel into the intimate, pedestrian-friendly, varied streetscape with curbs, sidewalks, and landscaping features exemplified by Main Street and North Beach Road.
Cooperative Community Spirit
EPRC met with property owners to determine how their concerns can be met using the optimal elements of the streetscape standards in the Eastsound Village Plan; these include several options for on-street parking (or no parking), a big concern for businesses. A cooperative community spirit resulted in a plan which is 100% supported by the landowners.
Next, EPRC will take the Prune Alley plan to the utility service providers.
Come to one of our meetings – EPRC meets the first Thursday of each month at the Eastsound Fire Hall. Meetings are open to the public.
And be sure to come to the EPRC Open House on Wednesday, October 16, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Senior Center and learn more about the Prune Alley improvements!
It also would be nice if the county could learn to spell Prune Alley. One of their present signs reads “Prune Aly.”
I hear this a lot, Jan. “Aly” is the abbreviation for Alley, just as “St” is the abbreviation for Street, “Ln” for Lane, etc.
Where will it be and what time – The Senior Center in the Lundeen Room October 16 from 4-7pm or the Fire Hall from 3-7pm? Two locations with slightly differing hours are being offered on this very site.
I really appreciate the EPRC tackling the problems, both for pedestrians and drivers, on Prune Alley. I frequently walk and drive this street and find it very dangerous. Pedestrians and drivers often share the same space–the street–and the perpendicular rather than parallel parking makes it very difficult for drivers to see each other and the pedestrians. The parking situation at the post office is the most dangerous. Thank you for attending to this!
The EPRC Open House is being held:
Wednesday, October 16, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Senior Center
There was initial confusion over the venue.