The Laramie City Council met Tuesday to discuss a footnote in the State’s supplemental budget that could possibly close 15th Street to Willet Drive and Ivinson Avenue.
The meeting featured members from the University of Wyoming, including Vice President Chris Boswell as well as Deputy Director and University Architect Laurence Blake. The UW employees were brought in to discuss the potential venture at the request of Wyoming legislature.
“There was no request made formally to the city,” Mayor Andi Summerville said. “But a footnote on the UW section of the supplemental budget requested they discuss the perceived need for a vacation of 15th Street with us.”
The footnote, which was added to HB 001 during the 2017 session, is intended to protect pedestrian traffic.
According to the footnote, “the University of Wyoming shall request a meeting with the City of Laramie to address the need for Vacating Fifteenth Street between East Willett drive and East Ivinson Street to unify the campus and protect pedestrian traffic.”
While the university has received directives on budgetary footnotes in the past, Boswell said it is unusual for the university to receive a directive to work with the city on a project that could affect the whole community.
“It has been thought about for years, certainly a legislative footnote is a new way to go about it but it continues a conversation that has been going on for years,” Boswell said. “This is identified in the footnote to unify the campus and protect pedestrian traffic.”
The meeting Tuesday consisted of a presentation and discussion on plans between the council and UW members. Due to time restrictions, there was not much opportunity for the public to voice their opinions in the meeting.
Summerville said the council is planning future meetings that will allow the public to discuss the issue with the council.
“We have to plan some other town hall (meetings) to get the residents’ feedback,” Summerville said. “We want to make sure that is a strong component that goes back to Legislature.”
Summerville said that multiple work sessions are likely in the future given UW’s November deadline for the report on the possible venture.
Closing traffic on the proposed sections of 15th Street means vehicles would have no North-South access between 9th and 22nd Street.
“There seems to be a perceived need that we have extreme safety issues on that street,” Summerville said. “We know that intersection has the highest pedestrian traffic hands down. It is an arterial street, it is critical. There could be some serious ramifications from closing that street down.”
Despite the urgency of the venture, Summerville said the partnership is a good way for the city and university to strengthen their relationship.
“The city is a very good partner with UW, and that goes both ways,” Summerville said. “We’re going to continue that.”
