This week the activity has visibly picked up on the Pacific Avenue sidewalk alongside Homelife Furniture and Wells Fargo, in addition to the demolition work on Second Street, and, with the Highway Project now returning to full swing after the holidays, we are now returning to regular bulletin releases again.
We will likely be seeing significant grading, forming, and pouring of the curbs, sidewalks, and ADA ramps occurring in the next few weeks. Driveways will be poured one half at a time in order to keep access open. Where sidewalk demolition occurs, a pedestrian access to each business will be kept open at all times. While this may cause some inconvenience, such as even having customers go around the block to get to the door in some cases, your favorite businesses will always be available to you.
Ahead of the sidewalk construction will be the electrical work drilling in and forming up the lightpole foundations and pouring the vaults for the signal control cabinets.
At the bridge, the foundational support work continues on the east half of the new bridge as the cages are being formed up, and then the individual columns poured and stripped.
The New Year’s work is picking up momentum and, in contrast to last Fall’s seeming lack of forward motion, progress should be more visible now as more surface work commences. The changes in the streetscape can now be witnessed as the shapes change from day-to-day.
You too can help to change the shape of the downtown. While the new home of the Chamber of Commerce at 208 Main Avenue (the old Bell’s Office Supply storefront) is in the process of being remodeled to fit its new purposes, it is currently hosting an open house display of ideas for “wayfinding signage” in Tillamook. This project for the City focuses on a series of guidance signs, for pedestrians and automobiles, that point the way to local attractions.
Exactly where such signs should be placed and what they should say requires your input, because who knows the community better than you? So please, find your way to the new Chamber office up until February 9th to check out the project information and leave your suggestions. Your input will be used to develop a signage plan that should be laid out and constructed to coincide with the end of the Highway project in 2018; another part of our ‘total downtown makeover’. If you have any questions regarding the project, call Sierra at (503) 842-7525 or email her at Sierra@tillamookchamber.org.