SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2018
ReVision
and ideas used in other communi-
ties to help businesses succeed
through construction.”
As for the construction, there
are some with restrictions on
work on the highway, Messmer
said.
Construction will take place
during both day and at night, with
lane closures at night since the
city may not restrict traffic on
Highway 101 during peak hours.
In addition, crews will maintain
safe pedestrian and vehicle
access during the entire project.
“Travel on Highway 101
should stay pretty consistent,”
Messmer said.
However, some local and side
street closures will happen
throughout as crews work on
sidewalks and bump outs.
Next, Murraysmith Senior
Engineer Chris Link spoke about
the consultation process for
ReVision,
beginning
in
September 2015.
“The goal was to prepare
design concepts and a masterplan
for this corridor in a way that
accomplishes the city’s vision of
reinvesting in it, improving
pedestrian and bike safety, and
making it more inviting for use,”
from 1A
“We’ll get going underway
shortly, and you’ll actually see
the work being done on the
highway,”
Messmer
said.
“Communication will be key
through this.”
The city plans to use its social
media, website and newsletter, as
well as local media, to communi-
cate with the public. In addition,
city staff created a Construction
Survival Guide booklet for busi-
nesses and the community. It will
be available at Florence Public
Works, the Florence Area
Chamber of Commerce Visitors
Center, Florence Events Center,
Florence Justice Center, Florence
Senior Center and other places
around town.
“We understand that a project
of this magnitude will impact
community members and busi-
nesses during construction. We’re
hoping to be the least intrusive
that we can,” Messmer said. “We
put together this survival guide to
help businesses owners and com-
munity members understand the
project, know what to expect and
to help provide some suggestions
We’ve got you
COVERED
Link said. “The current design
stays true to a lot of the early con-
cepts. If you were at the open
house 2 years ago where we
rolled out those concepts, a lot of
those ideas remained in the final
design.”
In addition, David Dougherty,
firm principal and lead designer
of
Dougherty
Landscape
Architects, spoke further about
ReVision’s design features.
“If you look at the current
condition of the ReVision area, it
is pretty much all grey,”
Dougherty said. “The bleak
nature of the corridor does noth-
ing to complement the healthy
businesses and activities beyond
the corridor. Our job is to create
safety first with safe pedestrian
places and safe places to ride
bikes, as well as to accommo-
date a nice experience, both
visually and experientially as
you move through. We’re hoping
to activate the highway corridor
so that more people use it.”
The consulting firms will
make Highway 101 a more invit-
ing place, as well as create new
“gateways” into both Florence
and Historic Old Town. One
gateway will be on Highway 126
at Quince Street and the main
one at Maple Street on Highway
101.
“They will provide a landmark
to enter Florence from,”
Dougherty said.
He said the gateways are
inspired by the art deco design of
the Siuslaw River Bridge, com-
pleted in 1936. They will be 25-
foot columns made of pre-cast
concrete and aluminum and fea-
ture lighting.
In addition to the gateways,
there are 15 plinths included in
the design for the city to feature
public art.
“There will be more of a per-
sonal opportunity for local artists
to express what this place is and
what’s unique about Florence,”
Dougherty said. “We tried to cap-
ture that in the design as much as
possible.”
The Florence Public Art
Committee will run the selection
process of permanent and rotat-
ing art pieces.
According to Link, “The
majority of the work on Highway
101 is going to occur outside the
travel lane — the bike lanes,
parking areas, curbs and side-
walks. Throughout the stretch of
101, there will be new 8-foot
sidewalks, ADA compliant ramps
at every crossing, landscaping
and pedestrian amenities. One
other thing I think is pretty neat is
we are going to take the aerial
utilities and run them under-
ground. That eliminates a lot of
visual clutter.”
By “improving the full width
of the highway,” as Link said,
more people will slow down
and notice both Florence and its
Urban Renewal District.
For Dougherty, his firm’s
responsibility was to “create a
pedestrian environment” that
specifically addressed pedestrian
and bicycle safety.
ReVision will visually narrow
the 100-foot wide Highway 101
by delineating parking, increas-
ing landscape and adding pedes-
trian crossings. With this design,
some side streets, such as Nopal
and Maple, will be corrected to
be more perpendicular to the
highway.
Pedestrian amenities will
include updated lighting — to
illuminate pedestrians on one
side and highway traffic on the
other — banners, flower baskets,
benches, landscaping, bike
racks, trash receptacles and
more.
Some areas, including pedes-
trian crossings and plazas, will
use patterned, colorful concrete
to bring out the city’s unique
character of wind, waves and
sand.
“These will reflect the pattern
of the ebb and flow of water,”
Dougherty said. “The idea is that
there is sand and water at work
here, which happens throughout
the Siuslaw estuary and with the
Pacific Ocean.”
He said the plazas will draw
people in and encourage them to
rest on a bench while creating
interest.
The landscaping “adds green
to what is now a grey area,”
7 A
Dougherty said.
Taller trees along the high-
way will be a mix of deciduous,
high-canopy trees including red
maple, gingkos and red alder. In
larger landscaped areas, the
design calls for conifer trees,
native shore pines, Douglas firs,
cedars, vine maples and rhodo-
dendrons. In addition, some
areas will feature cultivated
sand dunes and beach grass.
The open house had two pre-
sentations and allowed people
to interact with representatives
from the city, ODOT and the
consultants. People were able to
ask questions about aspects of
the design and timeline.
“We will have a line of com-
munication open and will work
with the community on this,”
Messmer said.
She gave her name as the con-
tact person for the city and
FURA. She can be reached at
541-902-2182
and
megan.
messmer@ci.florence.or.us.
For questions for ODOT,
people can contact ODOT
Public Information Officer
Angela Beers Seydel at
541-746-2442 and angela.
beers-seydel@odot.state.or.us.
In addition, the City of
Florence has a comprehensive
project page for ReVision at
ci.florence.or.us.
“It’s an exciting milestone to
be at the final design,” Link
said.
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April 28
Thursdays through
May 24
New Testament Class on St.
Matthew
Taught by Joel Marks, adjunct profes-
sor of American History
6:30 to 8 p.m.
Open to public; refreshments served
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter —
day Saints
May 4
FlorenceFest ‘18
Noon to 8 p.m.
Tickets required
Florence Events Center
Lane Community College Closed
for Staff In — Service Day
No classes will be held and no servic-
es will be available, unless otherwise
announced
LCC Florence Center
lanecc.edu/calendars/academic — cal-
endar
Patriot Place presents Sam Carpenter
Republican candidate for governor
1 to 3 p.m.
Patriot Place, 175 Nopal St.
www.PatriotPlaceFlorence.com
Parking Lot Sale
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Open to public
Florence Habitat for Humanity
ReStore
Wednesdays
Points of Grace Community
Acupuncture
Experience relief from pain and stress
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Donations encouraged
Wellspring Clinic
1845 Highway 126
Dowsing Workshop with John
Stead
Time TBA
Open to public
Siuslaw Public Library
Alva Bracey
First Friday Fish Fry
5 to 7 p.m.
Dinner costs
St. Mary Our Lady of the Dunes
85060 Highway 101
May 5
Mapleton Pride Clean Up
Challenge
9 a.m. to noon
Open to public; taco lunch provided
for volunteers
Mapleton Food Share
“The Reunion” Beatles Fantasy
Tribute
7 p.m. — show
Tickets required
Florence Events Center
Plant and Rummage Sale
Women of the United Methodist
Church
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Open to public
Florence United Methodist Church
Jazz Kings — “You Asked For It”
2 p.m.
Tickets required
Florence Events Center
Expect excellent
service when you
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Cell: 541-505-1180
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Call 541-997-8104,
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541-997-7777
100 Hwy. 101,
Florence, OR
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Accompanist
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County Transfer & Recycling
541-997-5691
541-361-9080
Member MTNA
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Phone (541) 997-9497
1234 Rhododendron Dr / Florence
Private Lessons in Florence
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Auto, Home, Life, Business
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Medicare Advantage Plans
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Awards • Plaques • Name Badges
Gifts • Signage • Glassware
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more calendar events.
MM Piano Studio
We buy, sell and consign quality
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Gold, silver, platinum jewelry with
precious & semi precious stones.
Call, Text or Email
May 6
Parking Lot Sale
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
ESTATE JEWELRY AND
ANTIQUE FURNITURE!!!
Broker
Open to public
Florence Habitat for Humanity
ReStore
Glass For Every
Purpose
1780 Kingwood St.
541-997-8526
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Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly,
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541-305-5411
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