Chico’s East 8th Street is a scenic roadway that has a unique orientation to one of the nation’s largest public recreational areas, Bidwell Park. To enhance this corridor, the City of Chico is working to design street improvements that will balance the needs of mobility and safety with providing a connection to one of Chico’s most treasured natural resources. The design aims to calm motorist traffic and provide a variety of public amenities.

• Increases safety for motorists and non-motorists
• Promotes slower traffic speeds
• Preserves existing trees
• Incorporates attractive landscaping (street trees and other low maintenance plants)
• Increases safety lighting

On September 7, 1999, Chico City Council adopted the Scenic Street Design Guidelines for East Eight Street. This culminated the efforts by City staff, residents of the neighborhood, and the general public to preserve and enhance the rural setting within the corridor, which includes residential homes, Parkview Elementary School, and access to Bidwell Park. It specifically incorporated elements that will support multimodal traffic safely in the corridor, including passenger vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, and trucks. The design guidelines divided the corridor into 5 sections with specific design elements to help achieve the project goals. The goals included a narrowed curvilinear street section with separated bike and pedestrian facilities to enhance safety for all types of traffic; to acknowledge and enhance the rural setting, but still utilize the necessary urban improvements; to preserve the heritage trees along the corridor; and to blend the interface between Bidwell Park and the roadway facility.

Over the past few years City staff has been working on a concept design on sections 1 and 2, which included valuable input from neighbors at two public meetings. The City is now proceeding ahead with the completion of construction plans of sections 1, 2 and 3 and starting on concept designs on sections 4 and 5.

Community Meeting

Thursday, February 8, 2007 

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 

Present to Parks and Playground Commission

February 26, 2007 

Complete Improvement Plans

Phase 1: Summer 2007 

Phase 2: Spring 2009

Work with Parks and Playground Commission on Design

February through April 2007 

Complete environmental document

Phase 1: May 2007 

Phase 2: September 2007 

Begin Construction

Phase 1: Summer 2007 

Phase 2: Spring 2009 

Newsletter

• 02-09 Newsletter

I have previously provided input on this project. Will that be considered?

Yes, any input that has been submitted to the City will be considered for the design of the project.

How can I provide additional input on the improvements?

If you were unable to join us on Thursday, February 8, 2007 or April 18, 2007 and would like to provide input, you can do so via the comment box.

Bob Greenlaw

Senior Civil Engineer

P.O. Box 3420

Chico, CA 95927

Will the project provide sewer to my property? If so, will I be required to hook up?

Yes, the project will provide a sewer lateral to properties along 8th Street that do not already have one. You will NOT be required to hook up at that time. For further questions regarding your sewer hookup, contact Rick Rodriguez at (530) 879-6951.

When will the project design be finalized, and when will construction commence?

Phase 1 is complete. Phase 2 is likely to be finalized in Spring 2009, with construction commencing that same year.

The public review for the East 8th Street Corridor Improvements Project occurred from August 13, 2007 to September 12, 2007 and Initial Study was completed in September 2007. Thank you for your input. The Mitigated Negative Declaration was approved on September 28, 2007. Please see below a list of Initial Study sections, the approved Mitigated Negative Declaration form, and the Notices of Determination that were filed with Butte County and the State Office of Planning and Research (OPR).

Chapter 1 - Introduction (61K PDF)
Chapter 2 - Project Description (4MB PDF)
Chapter 3 - Environmental Checklist (3MB PDF)
Chapter 4 - References Cited (23K PDF)
Chapter 5- List of Preparers (18K PDF)
MND approval(623 K)
East 8th NOD OPR(367 K)
East 8th NOD county(463 K)
Scenic Street Design Guidelines (428K PDF)

Engineering Documents and Concepts

Phase 2

• Draft landscape plans
• Park entry vignettes concepts

Phase 2 Final Plans

• General
• Cross sections
• Keymap demo
• Layout
• Construction details
• Utility
• Pavement striping and signs
• Landscape
• Street lighting signals

Thank you for your input at our previous community meetings, February 8, 2007 and April 18, 2007. We also apreciated your written comments. Project and meeting updates will be posted.

(Need Acrobat Reader? Click Here.)

The City of Chico is interested in your ideas. Please complete the form below with your questions and/or comments. A project team member will get in touch with you within two business days, as appropriate. Thank you!