Batavia Committee: River Street Slated for Immediate Improvement

Now that the Streetscape plan was approved, a city committee on Tuesday began talks to decide where exactly the project would begin to take shape in downtown Batavia.

The Community Development Committee confirmed the order in which five neighborhoods will begin to see improvements from the Downtown Streetscape Framework Plan. Here is the list, with the highest priority first:

1. River Street

2. Houston Street/Island Avenue/N. Water Street

3. Batavia Avenue

4. First Avenue/Water Street  

5. Wilson Street

The Citizen’s Advisory Committee also selected River Street as the first neighborhood.

“We needed to do something where the people in the city could see where real progress is being made,” Advisory Committee member Doris Sherer said on Tuesday at the meeting.

The Community Development Committee recognized that there is some fluidity and flexibility in this list. Although River Street is the number one priority, some neighborhoods may see improvements at the same time.

There are currently some scheduled maintenance projects planned for downtown with awarded grants. Some downtown sidewalks also need to be replaced, even though the neighborhood might be a lower priority.

Committee members also expressed the need to show immediate cosmetic improvements to the downtown area. City Administrator Bill McGrath said movable fixtures such as benches, planters or trash cans may be placed around downtown in the near future.

Safety was another concern for the Committee. Alderman Dawn Tenuta suggested that reducing the speed limit, adding crosswalks and lighting should be looked at in conjunction with the priorities. City Engineer Noel Basquin indicated that crosswalks and lighting can be improved with future grant funding.

Please Ponder Parking

City Administrator Bill McGrath said with this project there will be “a lot of juggling balls going around at all times.” He asked the Committee to consider the possibility of constructing a parking garage in the near future to accommodate the traffic that can likely follow downtown development.

"The provision of adequate parking will not be easy to achieve," McGrath wrote in a May 20 memo. "It will require planning and discussion on multiple fronts with the hope that one or more will pan out. We will have to look at areas and see what is achievable with the land, resources and partners."

McGrath asked the Committee to consider the development of a parking deck on the Baptist Church property.

What's Next?

City staff and council members will interview three engineering firms to determine which one will work with Altamanu Inc. on the Streetscape plan as it is prioritized by the Committee.

The City Council unanimously approved the Downtown Streetscape Framework Plan on May 16 and a final written plan will be submitted to the city before the end of May.