Rockwall Mayor’s Message: Downtown improvements, street improvements

(Rockwall) June 10, 2012 – Two of the five capital improvement projects on the May 12 ballot were approved by our residents – Downtown Improvements and Street Improvements.

You, the voters, have spoken – and this City Council is committed to listening to you.

The city has started the planning process for the downtown project. City Manager Rick Crowley said the final design is expected to be completed before the end of the year. This will have a major impact on our historic downtown, making it a friendlier pedestrian destination.

Improvements will include:

• Street reconstruction of San Jacinto, Kaufman and Interurban streets and enhancements for Washington St.;
• Reconstruction of core downtown sidewalks and construction of connecting sidewalks within the project area;
• A new San Jacinto Court Pedestrian Mall;
• New street landscaping, street and parking lot lighting, signage and furnishings; and
• 120 new parking spaces.

These enhancements reflect the recommendations approved in the 2004 Downtown Plan.

Voters considered this an important project for our city – it will help continue the momentum of energy in downtown and bring a host of visitors that shop and eat, thus adding to our sales tax revenue.

We will manage this project in an effective and efficient way, remembering that we are working with taxpayer money.

The street improvement project will allow the city to reconstruct roadways (Bodystun, Throckmorton, County Line Rd., Summit Ridge and South Lakeshore), add left turn lanes and enhance some state road projects for better traffic flow.

As your mayor, I am confident that voters used their best judgment in a time of economic uncertainty when voting on the proposed $59.4 million bond package that was recommended by a 15-member citizen-based committee. I thank the committee for their time and efforts. Let us all move forward and continue to work together to make Rockwall a successful hometown that is family oriented city where people want to live and work.

By Rockwall Mayor David Sweet.

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  ballot, capital improvements, City Council, City Manager, David Sweet, downtown, May 12, Mayor’s Message, Rick Crowley, Rockwall, street