McMinnville Planning Wants Community Input On Downtown Streets And Sidewalks

McMinnville wants to create more user-friendly streets and sidewalks in its downtown area.

These are the final days for community input on the community development draft. Community Planner Katie Kemezis said they want the plan to reflect the needs and wants of the community.

“This ensures that whatever recommendations are actually implemented by the city and by our partners after the plans have been developed and are actually going to be used and enjoyed by our community,” Kemezis said. “Because it is something that the community needed.”

Currently, the draft is for work at the southern part of downtown McMinnville. The plan is to interconnect the downtown’s recreation assets to ensure the safety of its users.

Kemezis said that they are looking mainly at using Cobble Street in a more effective way to create a safer space for bikers and pedestrians.

“The big suggestion is down the road looking at a road diet,” Kemezis said. “Assessing whether the amount of lane space we have right now is really necessary and whether we can still move traffic effectively. The commercial, industrial, and even personal automobile traffic, even just cutting a lane or two, and then use that space to create a shared path for bicyclists and pedestrians.”

Kemezis said this process has been about six months in the making, and they are currently in its second phase.

She said she believes this planning period should wrap up within in the next month, and the plan itself will take more time to implement, about 5 to 10 years.

The project is funded through TDOT and its community development fund.

The draft is currently available for review online at McMinnville’s website or in person at both the Magness Library and City Hall.