- City block in downtown Cortez gets new pedestrian-friendly steps, ramps, and railings, but not without controversy.
For decades, visitors to downtown Cortez have had to clamber up two giant steps to get to the sidewalk on the north side of one block on Main Street. Now, thanks to a multi-week project, the perilous “Great Wall of Cortez” between Market and Chestnut streets has been improved by adding human-sized steps, wheelchair ramps, and a safety railing. City Manager Shane Hale tells KSJD the project was not part of a proposed long-term downtown-beautification effort, but stemmed from discussions about addressing handicapped access in the block known as “Restaurant Row.” Hale says while concrete and steps may seem “unsexy”, access is critically important. He says while it may help those eateries do more business, it’s enough if the project simply allows senior citizens and children to be safer. But the effort has not been without controversy. Hale says a paint committee that met with local artists originally chose a bright teal for the railing, but the paint had not dried on the first rail when Hale began fielding phone calls from local business owners who hated the color. He let them choose a new hue, which turned out to be rust brown. However, he says the railing on the Market Street side will remain blue for greater visibility for the handicapped parking spaces there.
