WILLMAR -- Establishing a bus stop near Rice Memorial Hospital, and including downtown access in the city's five-year capital improvement plan, are among the goals set by the Willmar Design Center for 2006.
The goals are among "significant, visible and doable'' priorities suggested by Design Center committee leaders and representatives to make downtown Willmar a "cultural, social, financial and governmental center.''
The goals were presented to the Design Center's board of directors during the monthly meeting Thursday.
"The reason for doing this was that we decided that we needed to set up 2006 goals that were the most visible,'' said Design Center President Beverly Dougherty.
While the board and its committees are discussing many ideas and projects, "we think that it's important to do as many visible things in 2006 as we can,'' she said.
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The Gateway and Transportation Committee has asked city officials to include downtown access in the city's five-year improvement plan. The committee is suggesting roundabouts be constructed on the east and west ends of the downtown bypass to improve downtown access and business.
Also, the committee is working on a proposal to establish a bus stop at Fourth Street and Becker Avenue Southwest, near Rice Hospital and Selvig Park.
The Bike 'n' Hike Committee wants to create awareness for walking and biking as legitimate means of transportation. Also, the committee suggests bike routes connecting outlying and downtown paths be included in city plans.
The Downtown Environment Committee hopes to secure green space, and work with a professional landscaper and Master Gardeners, and install benches, bike racks and aesthetically pleasing trash receptacles.
Costs for these and other projects have yet to be determined. City participation will be sought in some projects.
"We have to start establishing costs so that we can get into a budget process,'' said Dougherty. "There's money available, but you have to have definite costs and designs to go after the money.''
During the past several months, the Design Center board has been discussing the need for developing a master plan for downtown. The goals were formulated by the committees during a planning session last week.
"It was an excellent session because it's such a huge project ... and this I think came out as an excellent way to start,'' said Dougherty.
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In other business, the board received a report on Rice Memorial Hospital's proposed healing garden from Peggy Sietsema, associate administrator for safety and clinical resources and chief nursing officer.
The garden will be built where the old north wing of the hospital is now located. The wing will be demolished as part of the hospital's expansion project, but the garden project will be paid separately by the Rice Hospital Foundation, according to Sietsema.
She said the purpose of the garden is to reduce anxiety of hospital patients and their families. She also said the hospital sees the garden as a fit for any greenway space created by the Design Center and the city.
Chuck Roelofs, Rice purchasing agent, discussed the hospital's 12th annual Foot Lake 4 Walk and Run slated for June 24. The race brings hundreds of runners, walkers and others downtown, he said.
