Business owners Mike Condit, at downtown Snoqualmie’s Flying Frog Curiosity Shop, and Wes and Sharon Sorstokke, at neighboring Snoqualmie Falls Candy Factory, sigh when they think about going through another long construction season.

“We’re nervous, because it shuts you down,” Sharon Sorstokke says.

“But it’s got to be done,” husband Wes adds.

Condit, who’s operated the Flying Frog in downtown Snoqualmie for 18 years, and the Sorstokkes, here for 16 years, ran their tourist-dependent businesses on Snoqualmie’s main drag during 2010’s first phase of downtown revitalization, the federally funded Town Center Infrastructure Improvement Project.

Now, Snoqualmie is in the midst of design work for the project’s second phase, which would dramatically change the city’s main thoroughfare, Railroad Avenue, which is part of a state highway, Route 202.

Bold changes

Public Works Director Daniel Marcinko’s finger traces the big changes, plotted in full color on a poster-sized map in his City Hall office, showing how downtown Snoqualmie will look, post-2013.

“It’s going to attract more people,” Marcinko said. “Our anticipation is that downtown will be revitalized.”

In concert with tourist attractions at Snoqualmie Falls and the Northwest Railway Museum, Marcinko said a renovated, pedestrian-friendly downtown will have a curb appeal, “bar none, to any other community within Washington,” for visitors and residents alike.

Dozens of red and green circles denote some 60 new street trees to be planted along Railroad Avenue. The road’s center stripe has moved south by about a foot, and hash marks on the south side of Marcinko’s map denote the new rear-angle street parking that stretches from Fir Street to Newton Street.

Shading shows where the city plans to install a parking area, broken up and greened by rain gardens, on its 70-foot right-of-way between River and Newton streets. Pedestrians will be helped by a crossing signal at River and a mid-block crossing light downtown. King Street will be paved, curbs removed, to create a pedestrian plaza for public festivals.

A planned boardwalk that would double as a boarding area for the Northwest Railway Museum and as a public walking area along Railroad Avenue. The raised boardwalk would encircle the existing row of huge firs. One option for the surface is ipe wood, a durable wood grown in Brazil. Other, greener materials are also being considered.

New street lights, just like the ones that now light the River-to-King Street block, will stretch for four blocks. New water and stormwater pipes and power conduits are going underground. Finally, a roughly 10-foot median will separate traffic lanes near Fir Street, landscaping and signs acting as a welcome to the downtown, where the speed limit is expected to drop from 30 mph to 25.

The whole package of boardwalks, crossings and public plazas, Marcinko said, will help visitors and residents shop, dine and explore the downtown. The planned reverse angle parking, Marcinko said, is safer for cars pulling into traffic, and is already used in places like Burien and Whidbey Island.

“Our ultimate vision is to connect our pedestrian-friendly atmosphere with the Snoqualmie Falls,” he said. “There are more than 160,000 people annually who come to the museum, approximately 2 million visitors to the Falls. A comfortable, walkable connection between these two landmarks will draw people of all ages to enjoy our beautiful community.”

The process

The design is now going through environmental review.

“The federal government wants to know you’ve taken all considerations into your thought process, when you’re going through a reconstruction process of this magnitude in the floodplain,” Marcinko said.

Phase 2 is expected to cost between $6 and $8 million; Snoqualmie is going after multiple grants to pay for it.

Marcinko expects final word on grants from the federal agencies and, locally, the Puget Sound Regional Council, sometime this spring.

Dependent on funding, bids could be issued this fall and construction could begin next winter.

The city used a $500,000 grant from Puget Sound Regional Council, $250,000 from the U.S Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, $140,000 left over from phase one, and $83,000 in its own funds, to pay for design work.

More open houses are planned when the design is at 60 percent completion and 90 percent, probably in April and June.

Business opinions

The Sorstokkes, who attended the first open house in December on the new phase, and Condit have their own ideas about what might work best in Phase 2.

Condit is skeptical about the reverse-only parking and wooden boardwalks.

“Boardwalks can become very slippery,” he said. “I wouldn’t go for that.” He’d rather see pebbly paths.

Both sets of owners say sidewalks alone won’t fully boost their businesses.

“For that to happen, there has to be a lot more promotion,” Wes Sorstokke said.

Sharon Sorstokke likes the plan for a mid-block crossing: “That would be awesome.”

“All those walkways will be worth it,” Sharon said. “The end result is good. It makes it more tourist-friendly.”

“Much more of our business is from tourists than locals,” Wes added.

Paul Fuesel, a designer with city consultant KPG, said planners have had presentations, input and discussions with many stakeholders, including the city council, planning and arts commissions, the Northwest Railway Museum, state department of transportation, business and property owners, and have held one open house.

“Overall we’ve heard great support, probably due to the success of Phase 1,” Fuesel told the Record.

“We understand the issues with the boardwalk and angled parking,” Fuesel added. “The boardwalk is a large commitment by the city. It allows us to preserve the legacy trees, and add pedestrian access between the parking and the block between River and King. We can’t add pavement without damaging the trees.”

KPG will be presenting alternative materials to the council for consideration.

The state does not typically allow angled parking on state routes, and the existing parking is not grandfathered in, according to Fuesel. However, back-in angled parking is similar to allowed parallel parking, so the state is willing to accept it.

“With both issues the other options are no boardwalk or pavement, and change to parallel parking,” Fuesel stated. “We’re trying to find solutions beneficial to downtown.”

An aerial view facing east in this artist’s interpretation shows planned improvements in Phase 2 of downtown revitalization in Snoqualmie. Visible at lower right near Northern Street is the new welcome median. More parking, streetlights, a depot boardwalk and street trees are also part of the vision.