After nearly two months of discussion, a plan to remake downtown Merriam is moving forward.
The city council on Monday approved a final design for the Merriam Drive project, which intends to increase walkability and bikeability along the downtown corridor from 55th Street to Johnson Drive.
This comes after weeks of back-and-forth with designers, spurred by criticism from some downtown shop owners who argued aspects of the plan — including a proposal to cut Merriam Drive down from three lanes to two — would hurt their businesses.
The final plan attempts a compromise
- The city council reviewed four options Monday night, including the original plan first presented in January, and unanimously agreed to move forward with a proposal presented by Ward 1 Councilmember Jacob Laha.
- The plan keeps on-street parking spots on the west side of Merriam Drive between Johnson Drive and 58th Terrace, a sticking point for some businesses and residents.
- It also keeps Merriam Drive as a three-lane roadway for the one-block stretch from Johnson Drive to just before the north end of 58th Terrace, where it will be narrowed down to two lanes.
- An elevated pedestrian crosswalk to be installed just north of 58th Terrace remains in this plan.
The city council mulled four designs
- The options the city council considered included the original design proposal first unveiled in January, as well as a revised proposal that removed some key elements of the original plan that the city council first approved then rescinded earlier this month.
- Two other options, including Laha’s draft design, were also discuss Monday.
- In the end, the biggest change from the original plan is that the design approved Monday keeps three lanes — including a central turning lane — between 58th Terrace and Johnson Drive.
Commenters called for west side parking
- The focus of most of the public comments on Monday came from business owners, residents and others who called on the council to keep on-street public parking on the west side of Merriam Drive.
- Mallory Paddock, a Merriam resident and student at KC Strings, 5842 Merriam Drive, said this would help with people going in and out of the building who have to carry instruments like cellos inside.
- She said the city should focus on areas north of the downtown stretch to improve along Merriam Drive.
- “My primary concern for any improvements is that I think historic preservation should come first,” Paddock said. “This is a … more than century-old area, businesses are great there.”
Next steps for downtown Merriam plan
- The design approved by the city council will be drawn up by the engineer on the project, BHC Rhodes.
- The city council will decide on a contractor for the project after it has been sent out to bid and presented at a later meeting.
Go deeper: Sneak peek: Concept for future of downtown Merriam
