SANDPOINT — The City Council authorized city staff to apply for two grants with a focus on improving downtown infrastructure at last Wednesday’s meeting. 

The first of the two federal grants the council approved was the Transportation Alternatives Program, which would be used to begin a project to revamp Superior Street. The city is seeking the maximum grant amount of $500,000 for the first phase of the project, adding a multi-use path and a planter strip to the south side of the street. 

“Today, we know we're going to want some multimodal pedestrian network on that south side and a planter strip,” Public Works Director Holly Ellis said. “By moving forward on that south side, we have a solid grant application and we're able to move on a portion of this project.” 

Ellis said the project is based off the city’s 2012 downtown design guide and the 2021 multimodal transportation plan and full design of the project would take place in fiscal year 2028. If the city is selected, Ellis said construction would then begin in fiscal year 2029. 

The council voted 3-2 to approve the pursuit of the grant, with councilors Kyle Schreiber and Pam Duquette dissenting. Schreiber said he doesn't like the initial design, and he feels the city could be using the $500,000 from the grant better elsewhere in the city. 

“Even just this phase one, I think, is money that can be spent somewhere else,” Schreiber said. “I know it beautifies in preparation for a big green field development, but I think we should be looking at our existing residents.” 

The council later voted 4-1 to pursue up to $3 million from the Small Urban Grant Program for improvements to the intersection of First Avenue and Bridge Street. The grant is a regional development grant, meaning surrounding cities will be ineligible if Sandpoint pursues the grant. 

Project Manager Rachel McKinley said no other cities in the area are planning on pursuing the grant, and the First and Bridge project from the city’s 2021 multimodal transportation plan ranked second in a regional vote on projects by the Bonner County Area Transportation Team. Erik Bush, the city’s urban forester, said the grant would further bolster funding for the Downtown Revitalization Phase No. 3. 

The specific design of the project is unknown, but the project will focus on using physical devices to prevent left turns from Bridge Street onto First Avenue, according to the staff report. Construction for the project is set to begin in January 2027 and has an estimated cost of $1.4 million. 

Schreiber, the lone dissenting vote, said he thought there was enough money for that project from the Sandpoint Urban Renewal District. He added that since the grant is regional, he thought it would be more appropriate to pursue the Baldy Mountain Road extension that would benefit more regional residents. 

“We could use this $3 million to move forward the Baldy extension, which would then allow us to move forward with the Division [Avenue] project,” Schreiber said. “We do have to make choices, and we're choosing to put all our money into a vanity project downtown, rather than working on other projects that could benefit the greater community." 

Ellis said the city could get 60% design on the Baldy extension, but that the project does not have nearly enough current planning, risking a much weaker grant application. She said the project did not rank on the regional rankings by BCATT. 

Mayor Jeremy Grimm said that while SURA had the funds for the project, the grant could free up those dollars for other downtown improvement projects, like addressing the outfall issues at Sand Creek. Councilor Joel Aispuro, who voted in favor of the grant, said he loved the idea of getting the Baldy extension complete, but he feels the city can do both projects. 

"I still think that's something we can pursue and should, as we move forward,” Aispuro said of the Baldy extension project. “I'll be here for four more years. [Schreiber will] be here for two more years. I think that's something we should look at and look at that opportunity with the northern SURA district.” 

The council’s next scheduled meeting is Jan. 7 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall in City Council Chambers.