Intern Jessica Arneson, a landscape architecture student working for the city this summer, unveiled some preliminary beautification plans Thursday to rave reviews from members of the planning commission.

Monday, July 16, 2001

Intern Jessica Arneson, a landscape architecture student working for the city this summer, unveiled some preliminary beautification plans Thursday to rave reviews from members of the planning commission.

Plans for landscape improvements to the channel area between the Bridge Avenue and East Main Street, the Blazing Star trail heads, and South Broadway Avenue would incorporate more trees and lighting along with decorative elements such as banners, flower planters, walking paths and benches.

Hired through a partnership between the city and the First Impressions committee, Arneson is trying to draft preliminary improvement plans for several public areas of Albert Lea.

Arneson said some areas of the city, such as South Broadway Avenue and Front Street near Albert Lea Lake, have long stretches of sidewalk that are open, hot, and noisy – conditions that are intimidating to pedestrians.

&uot;The movement is to make cities more pedestrian friendly – to slow down traffic and screen people from the noise of the streets,&uot; Arneson told the commission.

Members were most excited about Arneson’s sketches of a Water Street Plaza with improved parking and some added landscape detail to the Fountain Lake gazebo park. The plaza would be adjacent to the community theatre with a gazebo or fountain surrounded by seating, flower beds and trees. The Fountain Lake gazebo would have more flowers, a walking path for strollers and wheel chairs, and new area for children’s activities.

The two areas, separated only by Fountain Street, would create an urban plaza in the heart of the city, Arneson said.

&uot;These (sketches) are great,&uot; said Commissioner Jan Birkhofer.

&uot;We want to congratulate you on your hard work and terrific ideas,&uot; Commissioner Gary Schindler told Arneson.

Ideas for new welcome signage on Bridge Avenue near I-90 and two or three other entrances to the city also generated excitement on the commission. Arneson’s sketches incorporated the city’s trademark sailboat theme into a large, permanent, landscaped sign that would be visible to I-90 motorists.

&uot;It would be formal and permanent – a prototype for other entrance areas to the city,&uot; Arneson said.

Though Arneson has yet to calculate cost estimates for all the projects, Schindler hoped the city or groups of volunteers would tackle a couple of the smaller scale projects to show their impact.

&uot;If we can raise 13,000 bucks for fireworks, which are lots of fun, I don’t see why we can’t raise the funds for some of these projects,&uot; Schindler said.

Arneson completes her internship at the beginning of August, and hopes to give a public presentation before she returns to school.