Restaurant Row and Millrace updates; resident urges dark‑sky lighting for redevelopment projects

Staff provided a detailed update on the Restaurant Row concept and the Row on the Millrace project and discussed streetscape elements, pedestrian and bicycle connectivity and ongoing coordination with engineering.

Becky said design adjustments maintain 11‑foot travel lanes and 8‑foot parallel parking on Lincoln, with JPR conducting turning‑movement analysis and engineering staff exploring how the block’s layout ties into adjacent blocks. Dustin Sailor, director of public works and utilities, gave updates on vault work and utility coordination and confirmed the city expects to schedule a groundbreaking for the Row on the Millrace around July 9, 2026 at 1 p.m.

During open forum, resident Darren Durstein urged the commission and staff to adopt dark‑sky lighting standards for redevelopment projects, citing impacts of light pollution on wildlife, energy use and neighbor sleep quality. Becky replied that lighting plans are typically part of site‑plan review under planning and zoning and that staff had met with the developer (Structure) to request fixture specifications; she said staff is awaiting manufacturer details and that many fixtures proposed were downward‑directed choices. Commission and staff discussion acknowledged limitations — including existing street‑light stock, maintenance costs and electrical series wiring in downtown decorative lights — and noted the city is working through a development‑ordinance consolidation that could be a venue for future lighting standards. Staff said decorative lighting replacements and any broader change would be phased in over time when opportunities arise or when a block undergoes full reconstruction.