Old Town Sidewalk Project to Start Next Month

Source: City of Goleta

The long-awaited Old Town Sidewalk Improvements Project will break ground on March 2, 2020. The announcement was made on February 13, 2020, at an Open House Kick-Off event held at Nectarine Park in Old Town. City Staff, the construction manager, contractor and community leaders were present to talk to community members and answer questions about the project which is expected to take approximately nine months to complete.

City of Goleta Sr. Project Manager James Winslow welcomed the audience and said, “This is a great project and we are really excited to bring it to Old Town and the community. It’s great to see such a huge turnout at this event. Today’s Open House is another step in our public outreach process. We want to keep the communication open as the project continues and allow you to put a face to all of the names.”

City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte also addressed the attendees and said she is excited for what is to come in Old Town as a result of this project.  She said, “We believe that the new sidewalks will make it safer and easier for residents to enjoy their neighborhood.  No longer will mothers with strollers have to compete with moving cars.  It will be a safer place for residents to walk, shop and dine in Old Town.  Each small step on these sidewalks represents a giant step forward for safety and healthy living.”

Second District Supervisor Gregg Hart said “This is such a simple thing, having sidewalks for people to walk on, but actually executing it is enormously complicated. It took a lot of collaboration and partnerships. It’s not possible for local governments to take on a big project like this alone. We need a partnership with all the different funding sources. What I really like about this project is the real care that the City of Goleta staff has taken to work with the neighborhood, work with the property owners, and work with the contractors to figure out how to put in sidewalks after the fact. I want to celebrate the fact that you are all here and we are all working together to improve the lives of the neighbors in the Old Town neighborhood.”

Kiley Acosta said, “I’m a resident here in Old Town and live here with my family. We love our neighborhood and the community it brings together. We are constantly walking around the neighborhood and the sidewalks have been really difficult to navigate. It becomes challenging to walk the neighborhood streets with the stroller and holding my other son’s hand. We are very excited about the sidewalks being fixed and to be able to have more parking, and just to be able to enjoy the neighborhood that we love so much.”

Construction will start on March 2, 2020. There are three zones of work areas with one block in each zone under construction at a time. The first three streets will be Orange, Magnolia, and Armitos Avenues. Staff will publish the overall map on the City website with the streets, phasing, and approximate schedule in the coming week so the community can know approximately when construction is anticipated on their street.

The Old Town Sidewalk Improvements Project has been in the planning and design phase for the last three years and the City of Goleta is excited to finally bring it to construction. The project includes constructing sidewalk on at least one side of each street north of Hollister Avenue between South Fairview Avenue and Mallard Avenue as well as on Pine Avenue south of Hollister Avenue. The new sidewalks will connect to existing sidewalk providing a continuous path of travel. There will also be drainage improvements, tree replacements, repaving, and the construction of 39 back-in angled parking spots on Magnolia Avenue (for a net increase of approximately 17 new parking spots). Watch this video to learn more about the project.

When this project is done, the safety improvements, livability and ability to recreate in Old Town will change dramatically. We are pleased the community will be able to enjoy the improvements for years to come.

Background:

On December 17, 2019, Council awarded the construction contract to Toro Enterprises, Inc. The $3.2 million dollar construction contract is partially funded with a $2.224 million Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant the Public Works Department secured on December 7, 2016. MNS Engineers, Inc. and team have been working on the preliminary design, right-of-way, encroachments, and final design for the past two and one-half years.  Aside from working with approximately 100 property owners and tenants on encroachments, the final design incorporated direct input and feedback from the residents in Old Town, including saving four large trees, particular drainage improvements, and maximizing the travel lane and parking widths on Gato Avenue. The feedback came through community meetings, outreach events, half a dozen Council presentations, and countless hours engaging the community one-on-one and in ambassador coffee house style meetings.

The City knows long-term projects such as this one can be inconvenient for those that live or visit the area, and we appreciate your patience in advance.

To learn more about this project, go to https:tinyurl.com/GoletaOTSW, email sidewalks@cityofgoleta.org, or call the Construction Manager at 805.450.7949.