The barricades to protect people from traffic on Federal Highway could be staggered to soften their appearance and be painted or covered with murals. Rendering provided
By Mary Hladky
The city has started work to improve the appearance and safety of Sanborn Square, making modest fixes until a major renovation project is launched in three or four years.
Council members have pressed staff to make changes, and increased the current fiscal year’s budget by $350,000 to get some immediate action at the downtown focal point where residents gather for weekend yoga classes, special events or simply to relax.
The 40-year-old square drew their attention when city crews installed temporary barricades along Federal Highway about two years ago to prevent drivers — by accident or intentionally — from jumping the curb and injuring people.
Those barricades were widely criticized as unsightly and a poor look for the heart of downtown, so city staffers said they would look for temporary alternatives.
The pavilion has been repainted, Assistant City Manager Chrissy Gibson said at a Dec. 11 council workshop meeting.
City staff proposed replacing the current barricades with concrete Jersey barricades that can be painted or covered with murals.
Instead of being lined up along the roadway, the barricades can be staggered in ways that soften the massing and appearance.
“Aesthetically, we think they are more pleasing to the eye than what we have there now,” Gibson said.
Once a full renovation takes place, at a cost of about $4 million, the Jersey barricades can be used elsewhere in the city, Gibson said.
But at a City Council meeting the next night, council member Yvette Drucker said she was strongly opposed to the Jersey barricades even if they were painted. She proposed discussing this further at an upcoming council meeting.
City staff has not yet made recommendations about whether to remove the square’s defunct fountain, replacing it temporarily with public art or an activities space, or how to improve the park’s landscaping.
The city will receive a $285,000 matching federal grant that will defray part of the project cost.
“Make it safe,” Mayor Scott Singer said about the square. “Make it look good.”
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