Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

As part of the City of Douglas' dedication to transparency and community involvement in the decision-making process, we have created a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to address feedback we have received regarding the Douglas Downtown Streetscape Project. Our aim is to engage the community and ensure that concerns are heard and addressed. We encourage continued participation and involvement as we continue to seek public input through various modalities. We will also be mailing feedback opportunities to all downtown business owners and attempt to engage community members citywide, through City utility bill correspondence.

We are not limiting construction to three blocks. The three blocks are the first phase of the streetscape project and were developed with current available funding requests in mind, while also looking at phased approaches for the rest of G Avenue. The current project limits are on G Avenue between 9^th Street and 12^th Street.  The project area was selected based on the current needs of the community and existing traffic demand.  Stakeholders observed that pedestrian safety issues exist more within this boundary. This focus does not mean the City will not aim at rehabilitation for the rest of G Avenue as well and perhaps in phased approaches as funding becomes available, which currently looks very favorable.

Road diets mean decreasing the road’s asphalt footprint to bring systemic improvements. Road diets have significant benefits for downtown areas. For instance, expanding sidewalks and adding bump-outs can create more space for pedestrians and cyclists, which can improve walkability and bikeability, promoting public health and safety. This, in turn, can encourage more people to engage in non-motorized transport, reducing traffic congestion and enhancing the overall streetscape. By slowing down traffic, road diets can also promote economic development by encouraging drivers to take a more leisurely and exploratory approach to driving through downtown, potentially leading to increased patronage for the area businesses.

Furthermore, implementing road diets in downtown areas does not necessarily have to come at the expense of traditional community events such as parades. In fact, expanding sidewalks and shortening crosswalks through road diets can create a safer environment for residents to enjoy watching parades. This allows for a more enjoyable and safer experience for residents while preserving the tradition of the parade down G Avenue.

Since the inception of the Douglas Downtown Streetscape Project, the City of Douglas has invested a sum of $80,035.22 in the design phase. Costs so far include urban design and analysis, stakeholder outreach and meetings, and downtown streetscape conceptual 30% design. It is worth noting that comprehensive planning and design documents are typically mandatory for grant eligibility, which underlines the importance of this investment. To this end, our ongoing partnership with our designer, J2 Engineering and Environmental Design, will be valuable as we strive towards the completion of the engineering design phase. This collaboration will help us avoid the costly and time-consuming process of restarting the project from scratch, ultimately resulting in significant cost savings. To start this process again, also places our current grant applications at risk. This project is close to being shovel ready once we select a direction from the concepts presented.

The cost of the project will vary depending on the chosen conceptual design.   J2 Engineering and Environmental Design has provided a conceptual opinion of probable construction costs for each concept.   Please remember these costs are only estimates and are subject to change.  

The cost estimates for each concept vary based on the materials required, but the scope of work is nearly identical across all options. The estimates provided below include a range of pre-construction costs, such as mobilization, surveying, utility potholing, and permitting, as well as the removal and demolition of existing hardscape and asphalt. The project will also involve roadway paving and pedestrian hardscape installation, including pavement and subgrade, paver installation, curb and gutter installation, signing and striping, and stamped asphalt for crosswalks. Utility installation is another important component of the project, which will include water meter and backflow prevention, electrical junction box adjustment to sidewalk grade, utility line relocation, and fire hydrant upgrades. Additionally, the project includes landscaping and irrigation system installation, as well as trenching for electrical conduit and wire upgrades. 

These are conservative estimates, and the City believes after engineering design is done, savings will be realized by comparing against various contractors.  The City will strive to maximize awarded funds throughout the project.

The City of Douglas has set aside non-general fund monies of $1.2 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for the design and construction of the Downtown Streetscape Project, but it is looking for additional funding from various sources to cover the shortfall.

During Fiscal Year 2022-2023, the City requested federal appropriations funding for the project, but it was not chosen for funding. In preparation for Fiscal Year 2023-2024, the City resubmitted the streetscape project for federal appropriations funding and is also exploring other options, such as federal grants, to finance the project. While we continue to fill the gaps for funding for this project, we continue to entertain different concepts to get an idea of what the community prefers.  We welcome all comments!  The direction for a final strategy is what we are seeking to help provide council options and community input.

The City needs to have engineering and design documents before commencing construction and to be shovel ready for grant opportunities The planning and designing phases are crucial and necessary steps in any construction venture. The further along the technical planning is on these capital projects, the greater the opportunity for successful grants.

Community stakeholder meetings were held from November 2021 to February 2022 where downtown businesses were invited to share their input before larger community outreach activities were carried out. The feedback obtained from stakeholders was then utilized to create the conceptual designs, which included outlining the project limits.  The conceptual design based on stakeholder input was brought to the public for feedback in March 2022 through public meetings and surveys.

Arizona municipalities are legally obligated by the "Gift Clause" (Article 9 Section 7 of the Arizona Revised Statutes) to refrain from granting financial gifts from public funds to private entities, which includes funding for interior renovations of businesses.

However, there are still opportunities to provide financial assistance if there is an equal public benefit in return through, as an example, Historic Preservation programs. City officials are presently working on the development of a Historic Preservation Program in collaboration with the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) which will allow the City to provide grant funding for the preservation of historic buildings in downtown Douglas. Further information about the Douglas Historic Preservation Program will be shared at a later stage. This is coming soon for the Mayor and Council’s consideration that could bring help for the preservation of the City’s beautiful historic buildings.  In the next few months, the Mayor and Council will also have for consideration an application through SHPO to become a Certified Local Government, opening opportunities for historic preservation funding. Staff from SHPO recently met with city staff and a member of the City Council to also share how to help local businesses update their standing on the registry of historic buildings.

Furthermore, the City of Douglas already has a Façade Improvement Grant Program that is funded annually, subject to funding availability. The program approves projects to enhance building façades, and the property owner may be granted a dollar-for-dollar match, of up to $2,500 per applicant.

For further details on the City of Douglas Façade Improvement Grant Program, please contact Development Services at (520) 417-7329.

Streets and Roads is also among the Mayor and Council’s policy priorities. The City of Douglas is currently prioritizing street maintenance, recognizing the importance of well-maintained roads to the community. A study conducted in 2020 by an engineering firm showed that the City needs approximately $67 million to repave all streets.  While that is a goal the City strives for, it is working to develop a more comprehensive road plan that is within available funding as well as considering a different array of funding sources.  Currently, the City receives revenue for streets maintenance and improvements in the amount of $1.7 million per year from the State gas tax appropriations.  After operation and maintenance costs are considered for street lighting, sidewalks maintenance, traffic lights maintenance, signage, street maintenance (such as potholes and repairs), the City is left with $400,000 per year for street improvement projects.  With this annual allocation, the City can chip seal some roads and do minor asphalt projects.  This year, the City has utilized funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to procure paving equipment and to fix or improve the existing asphalt plant, allowing for the enhancement of its street improvement efforts. Staff continues to seek grants for Streets and Roads and has recently submitted a $15 million dollar RAISE grant for resurfacing of commercial truck route streets.  This grant is competitive across the nation with a maximum cap of $25 million and required a benefit-cost analysis ratio calculation that justified savings as a result of its investment.  Also, staff is seeking funding for a new asphalt plant through other grants.  New stationary asphalt plants range from $1-4 million.  The current asphalt plant is not capable of high-volume production of asphalt due to its age and constant need of repairs.  This asphalt plant will help for the short-term, but a new asphalt plant with greater capacity is needed for a long-term improvement program.

It should be noted that the Douglas Downtown Streetscape Project does not compete for funding with street maintenance efforts, as both projects are financed from different sources. By state law, funding for street maintenance comes from the Highway User Revenue Fund (Gasoline Tax distributions from the State to all Arizona cities and towns).  All efforts are being made to not incorporate the general fund into many of these capital projects.  So far, we have been successful as all funding is coming from the federal American Rescue Plan Act funding.

Regular street projects remain a large part of our operational focus.  In order to finalize the road and drainage improvement project on 15^th Street and Washington, the City needs to:

1) procure the rental of heavy machinery that the City currently does not have to mill or break up the street and repave.  The City is also waiting on delivery of an asphalt laydown machine ordered last year and scheduled for delivery May of this year.  The City requested assistance from Cochise County with this project; however, County crews were not available.

2) wait until temperatures warm up to consistent levels in order for asphalt to be produced.  As mentioned, the City is working on repairs to its asphalt plant.  The City is currently looking at purchasing asphalt out of Sierra Vista or Tucson if repairs to the asphalt are not made by late Spring.    

The goal is to complete the 15^th Street and Washington Avenue project by late Summer 2023.