Streetscape proposal includes four roundabouts for Courthouse Square

In all likelihood, the new downtown Newark will include four roundabouts, mid-street crosswalks and no traffic lights around the Courthouse Square.

Officials won't fully commit to the plan — there's still time for feedback, they said — but that was the recommended option proposed Thursday by OHM Advisors, the Gahanna-based architectural firm hired to oversee the city's streetscaping plan.

The project is part of a $12 million sewer separation project mandated by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. City officials contend that because they will be tearing up the streets anyway, they can put them back in a more inviting way. Project planning is supposed to be completed this month, while the engineering phase, where details and fine points will be decided, should be done by August. Construction should start sometime this winter.

For now, the plan includes four one-lane roundabouts — one at each corner of the Square — wider sidewalks, a narrower street and two-way traffic throughout.

There also are plans for outdoor benches, trees, lighting and other aesthetic improvements.

"I think it's beautiful," Mayor Jeff Hall said. "It really looks great. ... And it's very doable."

The idea is about creating a downtown area that's also a destination, said OHM Senior Planner Aaron Domini. It's no longer about just getting traffic through downtown — it's about getting people to stop and stay awhile and making it easy for them to do so.

"How do you get people to come to a place, create an experience, and keep them there?" Domini asked.

There were more than 50 people at the meeting, and they had mixed opinions of the plan. Jerry Satterfield, for example, was not a big fan. Satterfield, 85, contends that people older than 60 won't use the roundabouts. They'll circumvent downtown completely to avoid them, he said.

"I told him," Satterfield said, pointing to the rendering, "people will not do that. ... People will not like the roundabouts."

Younger drivers will catch on eventually, Satterfield said, but if he had the choice, he would leave the Square alone.

"I don't like roundabouts. I've been on 'em; I don't like 'em," he said. "Personally, I like the Square the way it is."

Mark Forman and Stacey Forman Donnelly, however, took the other side. Forman Donnelly has a background in civil engineering, and she said roundabouts are proven to be safer and more conducive to traffic flow. There will be an adjustment period, she said, but once people get past that, she thinks people will see the roundabouts as an improvement.

"Anything different is going to be difficult to sell," she said, "but once people experience it, I think they'll realize (roundabouts) are a good and viable option."

Ultimately, it comes down to businesses, Forman said. Roundabouts or not, if there are no good retail shops downtown, there won't be any reason for people to go. If the final streetscaping product looks anything like the rendering, however, Forman thinks it's a step in the right direction. Businesses owners will be attracted to the area, which in turn will attract more consumers, which will attract even more businesses, he said.

"I was pretty impressed," he said.

Hall knows people might have a difficult time adjusting to changes at the Square, but the current system is confusing for out-of-town visitors and dangerous for pedestrians, he said.

"I was born and raised in this town," he said. "I drive through the Square, no problem. I walk across, no problem. But everybody who comes into town doesn't believe that."

It's a matter of adapting to change, but in the end, Hall thinks the streetscaping project will be a definite plus for Newark.

"What we want is a destination," he said. "Why does Easton (Town Center) succeed? Because it's a destination. You have a reason to go there more than just buying a shirt.

"Can Newark be the way it was 40 years ago? Not necessarily, because this isn't 40 years ago. But we can be something more than just office space and fast food restaurants. ... I want everyone to come here and go, 'Wow, this is a great place. I want to go back.'"

hsparling@newark

advocate.com

740-328-8822

Twitter: @hksparling

How it works

Under the proposed plan:

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There will be four roundabouts, one at each corner of Courthouse Square.

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Roundabouts run counterclockwise, with traffic coming into the Square yielding.

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The roundabouts connect to two-way traffic all around the square. From Main Street, drivers can only turn right onto either Second or Third streets. To change directions, simply drive to the next roundabout, circle around, and exit in the opposite direction.

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The roundabouts are single-lane and are smaller than traditional roundabouts. The center piece is designed so emergency vehicles can drive over it, circumventing the roundabout.