Main Street Enhancement
The UDOT Enhancement Advisory Committee has completed the ranking of project applications for the 2004-2005 Transportation Enhancement funds and Manti’s Project for Main Street was accepted in the amount of $500,000! A brief project description follows:
Manti enjoys a unique position in Sanpete County. The Manti Utah Temple, circa 1879, stands as a beautiful sentry at the entrance to this lovely Pioneer town settled in 1849. The historic temple, our greatest asset makes Manti a key destination for visitors to Sanpete County. Manti is Sanpete's county seat and should set a high standard for visitors to the area. These two facts make Manti the center of the heart of Utah.
Highway 89 is an important route guiding visitors through the only place in the United States where Mormon Colonization patterns are still extant. There is no travel center or comfort station along the entire length of highway 89. Visitors need a place to obtain maps, recommendations, directions for recreation opportunities and lists of accommodations. Manti will step up to the challenge of hosting a travel center and comfort station as visitors explore our beautiful county. We will improve the look of Main Street with trees, decorative lighting, planters, and benches. These improvements to Main Street will enhance the experience of citizens and visitors alike as they travel to or through our lovely town.
An Expanded Project Description follows:
Manti’s Main Street Enhancement project consists of three smaller schemes that extend from 300 North to 200 South, a 5-block area.
* improving the ability of travelers to move comfortably through beautiful Sanpete County on Historic Highway 89
* increasing safety for pedestrians
* beautifying the streetscape
Improving the ability of travelers to move comfortably through beautiful Sanpete County on Historic Highway 89 is important. This importance will increase when the National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area bill is passed and Sanpete County becomes a historic destination for visitors from across the country.
Manti will enhance the ability of travelers by using its original Historic City Hall as a Highway 89 Travel Center. This Italianate building, one of only two in the central and southern part of the state is a 30x30x30 cube shaped edifice. The building has been saved from the wrecker’s ball and is being lovingly restored by Manti City, its owner, the Manti Historic Preservation Commission and an army of volunteers who have invested more than 3500 hours in its preservation.
A Governing Board has been appointed and operates under the authority of the Manti City Council. Bylaws have recently been approved by the city council and direct the operation of the building, which will be open to the public as a tourist information center and museum on a regular basis as determined by the board. At this time, hours of operation are planned for 10-4 daily. Guided tours of the building and particularly, the museum will be conducted. There will be responsible staff present whenever the building is open. Fifty percent of the building is dedicated to travel. We are working with Wilson Martin of the State Department of History, Margaret Godfrey of the Utah Travel Council, and Mont Bona, Sanpete’s tourism point person to coordinate guest service training for the senior volunteers who will be meeting and greeting the public as of December 2003. This training will help us make the most of Heritage Tourism. Dal Hawks, Region 4 Director has been involved with this effort from an early stage and has been invaluable in directing our efforts by advising us of the philosophy of UDOT where this type of service is concerned. The building will be a valuable public treasure. Commercial enterprise will not be allowed.
One room is a rotating museum, which will have displays dedicated to various themes including area history, travel, and art. Another room is a travel center. A large and impressive map of Sanpete County has been professionally painted on the West wall and is admired by all who enter. Brochures of every kind are available. Some feature recreation opportunities, and others detail restaurants, motels and bed and breakfasts that operate in the county area. An entire display is dedicated to books that detail Sanpete’s history, people, homes, and stories.
To augment Historic City Hall, the city owned ½ acre adjacent to the building will be improved. The rear of the property will be set aside as a parking area that will accommodate two RV’s, 1 handicapped licensed vehicle and another 6-8 other automobiles. We have coordinated a cooperative parking arrangement with our neighbor to the South – IHC, in the event that overflow parking is needed.) Directly east of the parking area will be ADA accessible restrooms for both men and women. Beyond the restrooms will be a small children’s playground with appropriate surfacing and safe, modern equipment. Also on the property, facing Main Street are six large and beautiful ash trees. Under each tree will be a picnic table on a concrete pad. A sidewalk will lead from the parking lot to the front of the Historic City Hall. An attractive sign will be placed near the front of the building.
Increasing safety for pedestrians is a desire of Manti citizens who view Highway 89 as Main Street, rather than a highway. By using traffic calming devices such as landscape (trees) and “bulb outs” or “dog bones” at intersections, the road is visually narrowed. By incorporating concrete intersections stamped to look like bricks with contrasting colored paver crosswalks, a change in texture on the roadway is established. When drivers see the “bulb-outs” and road texture changes, their natural reaction is to slow down. This will reduce anxiety of parents whose children must cross Highway 89/Main Street to get to school and increase safety for all pedestrians who cross the street.
Beautifying the streetscape is crucial to giving Manti a more charismatic look. Cobra head style freeway light poles obtained from state surplus has made Manti’s Main Street resemble a freeway ramp. These unattractive lights will be replaced with 48 decorative light poles that are more appropriate for a historic town. Trees and flower-filled planters will increase the amount of green space on either side of four lanes of asphalt and make the downtown area more friendly and appealing to stroll through. The addition of benches and decorative waste receptacles give people a place to stop, slow down, rest, and observe. The “Bulb outs” will be planted with appropriate low water, low growing plants that will not obstruct vision at the corners where they are located but will add more green to the roadway. A water feature will be located on the corner of Main and Union, the central intersection of town on the library corner. Manti is privileged to have a wonderful Carnegie Library at this intersection. This historic public facility is a Main Street treasure and will be an appropriate host for such an improvement.
Comfort for travelers, highlighting our area’s unique history, improving safety and adding beauty are the elements of the Manti Main Street Enhancement Project. The functionality of the project, as well as proximity and impact for the community and the highway users make it a well-designed improvement that will benefit locals and Main Street visitors for years to come.
Manti enjoys a unique position in Sanpete County. The Manti Utah Temple, circa 1879, stands as a beautiful sentry at the entrance to this lovely Pioneer town settled in 1849. The historic temple, our greatest asset makes Manti a key destination for visitors to Sanpete County. Manti is Sanpete's county seat and should set a high standard for visitors to the area. These two facts make Manti the center of the heart of Utah.
Highway 89 is an important route guiding visitors through the only place in the United States where Mormon Colonization patterns are still extant. There is no travel center or comfort station along the entire length of highway 89. Visitors need a place to obtain maps, recommendations, directions for recreation opportunities and lists of accommodations. Manti will step up to the challenge of hosting a travel center and comfort station as visitors explore our beautiful county. We will improve the look of Main Street with trees, decorative lighting, planters, and benches. These improvements to Main Street will enhance the experience of citizens and visitors alike as they travel to or through our lovely town.
An Expanded Project Description follows:
Manti’s Main Street Enhancement project consists of three smaller schemes that extend from 300 North to 200 South, a 5-block area.
* improving the ability of travelers to move comfortably through beautiful Sanpete County on Historic Highway 89
* increasing safety for pedestrians
* beautifying the streetscape
Improving the ability of travelers to move comfortably through beautiful Sanpete County on Historic Highway 89 is important. This importance will increase when the National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area bill is passed and Sanpete County becomes a historic destination for visitors from across the country.
Manti will enhance the ability of travelers by using its original Historic City Hall as a Highway 89 Travel Center. This Italianate building, one of only two in the central and southern part of the state is a 30x30x30 cube shaped edifice. The building has been saved from the wrecker’s ball and is being lovingly restored by Manti City, its owner, the Manti Historic Preservation Commission and an army of volunteers who have invested more than 3500 hours in its preservation.
A Governing Board has been appointed and operates under the authority of the Manti City Council. Bylaws have recently been approved by the city council and direct the operation of the building, which will be open to the public as a tourist information center and museum on a regular basis as determined by the board. At this time, hours of operation are planned for 10-4 daily. Guided tours of the building and particularly, the museum will be conducted. There will be responsible staff present whenever the building is open. Fifty percent of the building is dedicated to travel. We are working with Wilson Martin of the State Department of History, Margaret Godfrey of the Utah Travel Council, and Mont Bona, Sanpete’s tourism point person to coordinate guest service training for the senior volunteers who will be meeting and greeting the public as of December 2003. This training will help us make the most of Heritage Tourism. Dal Hawks, Region 4 Director has been involved with this effort from an early stage and has been invaluable in directing our efforts by advising us of the philosophy of UDOT where this type of service is concerned. The building will be a valuable public treasure. Commercial enterprise will not be allowed.
One room is a rotating museum, which will have displays dedicated to various themes including area history, travel, and art. Another room is a travel center. A large and impressive map of Sanpete County has been professionally painted on the West wall and is admired by all who enter. Brochures of every kind are available. Some feature recreation opportunities, and others detail restaurants, motels and bed and breakfasts that operate in the county area. An entire display is dedicated to books that detail Sanpete’s history, people, homes, and stories.
To augment Historic City Hall, the city owned ½ acre adjacent to the building will be improved. The rear of the property will be set aside as a parking area that will accommodate two RV’s, 1 handicapped licensed vehicle and another 6-8 other automobiles. We have coordinated a cooperative parking arrangement with our neighbor to the South – IHC, in the event that overflow parking is needed.) Directly east of the parking area will be ADA accessible restrooms for both men and women. Beyond the restrooms will be a small children’s playground with appropriate surfacing and safe, modern equipment. Also on the property, facing Main Street are six large and beautiful ash trees. Under each tree will be a picnic table on a concrete pad. A sidewalk will lead from the parking lot to the front of the Historic City Hall. An attractive sign will be placed near the front of the building.
Increasing safety for pedestrians is a desire of Manti citizens who view Highway 89 as Main Street, rather than a highway. By using traffic calming devices such as landscape (trees) and “bulb outs” or “dog bones” at intersections, the road is visually narrowed. By incorporating concrete intersections stamped to look like bricks with contrasting colored paver crosswalks, a change in texture on the roadway is established. When drivers see the “bulb-outs” and road texture changes, their natural reaction is to slow down. This will reduce anxiety of parents whose children must cross Highway 89/Main Street to get to school and increase safety for all pedestrians who cross the street.
Beautifying the streetscape is crucial to giving Manti a more charismatic look. Cobra head style freeway light poles obtained from state surplus has made Manti’s Main Street resemble a freeway ramp. These unattractive lights will be replaced with 48 decorative light poles that are more appropriate for a historic town. Trees and flower-filled planters will increase the amount of green space on either side of four lanes of asphalt and make the downtown area more friendly and appealing to stroll through. The addition of benches and decorative waste receptacles give people a place to stop, slow down, rest, and observe. The “Bulb outs” will be planted with appropriate low water, low growing plants that will not obstruct vision at the corners where they are located but will add more green to the roadway. A water feature will be located on the corner of Main and Union, the central intersection of town on the library corner. Manti is privileged to have a wonderful Carnegie Library at this intersection. This historic public facility is a Main Street treasure and will be an appropriate host for such an improvement.
Comfort for travelers, highlighting our area’s unique history, improving safety and adding beauty are the elements of the Manti Main Street Enhancement Project. The functionality of the project, as well as proximity and impact for the community and the highway users make it a well-designed improvement that will benefit locals and Main Street visitors for years to come.