By Sue Bergstrom for Valdez City News –
The first time you’re likely to notice what the City of Valdez Beautification Task Force has been up to is when you’re coming home after being away. We have a new, beautiful city limits sign. Not only is it nicer looking than the old one, but it’s more useful. The new sign with its fireweed to draw attention, explains that, while you just entered Valdez, it’s still twenty-two miles to the city center. Anyone who remembers driving that stretch for the first time will appreciate the gesture. At the end of a long drive, we want our visitors to be warned that it will be a while before they actually reach their hotel or campground. It’s a beautiful drive, but not if you’re looking around wondering where the town is and if you somehow missed a turn.
Former Mayor Dave Cobb commissioned The Beautification Task Force in 2010. The Task Force has been working to update the previous beautification plan, which was published in the late 1990’s, and develop new current projects. The first project the new Task Force undertook was to install the new welcome sign.
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The Beautification/Revitalization Project is a long term plan to make Valdez a place residents can take pride in and make it more inviting to tourists and new business investors. The initial target is the main downtown business district. A major enhancement project for Egan Drive is the first step. The City Council has set aside funding for the project and the plans were drawn up in 2014. The original plan was for the project to go out for bids in early 2015 with the work beginning this summer. The project has not gone out for bids as yet in hopes that it can be combined in some way with the state highway resurfacing project. The bid may be awarded this summer and the actual work postponed until summer 2016. The eventual cost will determine whether the entire project is done at one time or if the lion’s share is done initially with the rest being done in increments at a later date.
In addition to the Egan Drive enhancement program the Task Force has developed and the city council approved a private property incentive program that provides matching grants for businesses in the core area of downtown. This area is defined as being bordered by Galena Street, Pioneer Drive, Meals and Hazelet Avenues and along the Richardson Highway to Crooked Creek. The program will reimburse half the cost of pre-approved improvements to businesses in this area up to a maximum of $10,000 per building. The goal of this program is to improve the overall quality of building facades in this central area in order to make it more attractive to customers by encouraging property and business owners to reinvest in the core downtown area. Eligible items include removal of old signage and property clean-up, repairs and improvements to store-fronts, cleaning and painting, adding exterior lighting and new windows doors, signs, awnings and planters.
