SANDPOINT — The City Council unanimously chose to take a cautious approach to the city's planned third phase of downtown revitalization, delaying construction until fall 2027, on Wednesday. 

The delay follows acceptance of a $1.8 million Local Highway Technical Assistance Council grant and a desire from the council members to continue working on the designs of certain streets. Mayor Jeremy Grimm opened the discussion, telling the council that the project's timeline to start in fall 2026 was always tight and that it was "near impossible" to meet that deadline now. 

"It seems like we're not going to be able to do any of it until next year, so it almost makes less sense to not accept the money," Councilor Joel Aispuro said. "If we're going to be waiting anyway, then we can accept the money and still build within our needs and still have time to discuss how we want this to be built out." 

With the acceptance of the LHTAC grant, which will improve the First Avenue and Bridge Street intersection, Public Works Director Holly Ellis said the city would be able to move around money to extend the project to Superior Street. The plan presented to council by city staff would see the downtown revitalization project completed, with a revised Superior Street intersection and various utility improvements. 

The council was wary of the idea of extending the project to Superior, as the increased cost of the project would drain nearly all of the money the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency downtown has collected.  

Councilor Pam Duquette said she would like to see SURA dollars go toward stormwater improvements at Farmin's Landing, but liked the utility upgrades that extending the project could bring. Councilor Kyle Schreiber echoed the need for utility improvements and continued to push for a pedestrian path that connects downtown Sandpoint to the Long Bridge's walking path. 

Initially opposed to much of the project, Schreiber said he'd like to see less money spent on the project on the south end of First Avenue. 

"Nobody's going to the courthouse unless they have to. Doesn't matter how beautiful we make that street," Schreiber said. "I would almost say both, let's pare down the design, but then also extend even further than Superior and First, to be honest, all the way out to Superior and the Long Bridge, so that pedestrian path has a useful connectivity." 

Council President Deb Ruehle said SURA was put in place to fund street improvements down to the Long Bridge. She said that was the plan the community envisioned when it was created, and she supported stretching the project down to Superior.  

"I would push back, sorry, Kyle, a little bit, on nobody wants to go down there because there are a lot of businesses [and] those things can shift and change," Ruehle said. "I moved here 22 years ago it looked a lot different than it does now, so those businesses could change." 

With the acceptance of the grant and delay, Ellis said city staff will begin working with their engineering firm, Welch Comer, to create more concepts for Superior Street. Grimm said before the vote that the design of the entire project will continue to come back before the council for them to refine. 

"This will all be coming back to you. If you all vote, 'Yes,' you'll see additional designs," Grimm said. "We'll talk about radiuses, we'll talk about roundabouts and walking paths, and we'll make sure you have as much consensus as we can get." 

The entire discussion can be viewed on the city's YouTube channel at youtube.com/@CityofSandpoint. The council is next scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. on July 1 at Sandpoint City Hall.