Nampa to give business owners a say about sidewalks

One size doesn’t have to fit all for sidewalks in downtown Nampa.

The city of Nampa is revisiting the 2009 streetscape that called for 21-foot sidewalks for the downtown historic districts. This would entail converting diagonal parking to parallel parking.

Some merchants and property owners have grumbled at the loss of diagonal parking. Others like the idea of wider sidewalks for patio dining, said Nampa long-range planner Karla Nelson.

The city has listened to business owners and residents, and is holding a public open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 12 to share sidewalk design alternatives. The open house is in the indoor facility at Lloyds Square, 1350 Front St. in Nampa.

Along with the open house, the city is working with property and business owners, the Downtown Business Association, the Main Street Committee and other stakeholders to discuss sidewalk designs. This will involve the potential for outdoor dining areas, tree locations, planter areas, open space and overall aesthetics, Nelson said.

“It doesn’t have to be the same on every block,” Nelson said. “We want to find out what alternatives people are interested in. How can we make your block better?”

The city has four basic options: the existing 10-foot sidewalk with diagonal parking; the 21-foot sidewalk with parallel parking; and corner or mid-block bulb-outs. These are the curb extensions that make sidewalks wider just at a corner or a specific spot.

Property owners can even remove parking spaces left vacant to create more inviting sidewalk dining, she said.

Each block can have its own look, Nelson said, and property and business owners will have an opportunity to select their preferred sidewalk option.

A week after the open house, Nelson will meet with property and business owners to discuss existing issues and to brainstorm design concepts for each block.