Streetscape Committee Works On Wilson Street: Part One

A committee and a landscape architecture firm on Tuesday tackled the main artery of Batavia: Wilson Street.

The Downtown Streetscape Committee and the Altamanu firm discussed Wilson in front of about 40 people at the Bartholomew Room in the Batavia Park District Civic Center.

This was the fourth in a series of meetings, each focused on talking about a specific part of downtown and its future potential. The Streetscape Committee began to form last year in an effort to revitalize the image of downtown. The committee has reviewed specific sections to see how to bring out the best of each area.

Each street has the potential to tell a story just by how it looks, and these stories can be a series of events leading people through town, said John Mac Manus, Altamanu design consultant. Mac Manus asked the city: Does it want to tell an extraordinary story, or a dull story?

Entrance to the Story

To start Batavia’s "story," the city must create clear signage leading the way to downtown. Right now getting to the heart of the city is not an easy task for people coming from Chicago to Batavia on Kirk Road, Mac Manus said.

There’s a tiny sign signaling which way to get off, but no sign further up the turn at Wilson Street, he said.

Mac Manus suggested creating an event of sorts to attract attention at Kirk and Wilson. A large sign or sculpture such as a massive stainless steel cactus in Albuquerque, NM, beckons people to visit. 

At Tuesday’s meeting MacManus showed City Administrator Bill McGrath’s design of metal silhouettes sitting on mounds, which light up at night. Mac Manus suggested locating the sculpture on the northeast corner of Kirk and Wilson.

Water Street Improvements

MacManus recommended removing the right turning lane at the intersection of Wilson and Water Streets.With the extra space a sidewalk and bump out could be added. 

Not everyone agreed on taking out the right lane.

The big issue from an emergency standpoint is the heavy traffic. The right turning lane is a good bailout spot for the emergency vehicles. There’s no other place for them to go during rush hour on that hill, argued Streetscape Committee member Gene Olmstead.

Other residents at the meeting agreed with Olmstead.

MacManus asked if the residents could use Houston Street or Island Avenue instead of Water Street.

Before changing the street, a traffic study would be required. Emergency vehicles are the first thing that will be considered in the study, said Josie Bellalta, design consultant for Altamanu.

In reality, emergency vehicles will avoid busy streets to travel through a city's downtown, MacManus said.

It’s not just about vehicles, it’s about pedestrians as well. Four lanes of traffic make it hard for pedestrians to cross the street, said one resident at the meeting.

For part two of our meeting recap, click .