World Photo by Alex Powers North Bend’s Historic Landmark Commission is asking downtown building owners to voluntarily comply with design standards. Some business owners would like to see traffic rerouted through downtown so that freight trucks wouldn’t disrupt the area with pollution and loud engines and brakes.

As a business owner of a gallery in the middle of downtown North Bend — one that now only takes visitors by appointment — Larry Watson will likely tell you it’s the freight truck traffic that’s killing downtown.

They’re loud, they pollute the air and they shake the buildings, Watson told North Bend City Councilors this week during a  Powerpoint presentation on Sherman Avenue.

“I think we have a relatively unhealthy environment for downtown because of truck traffic,” Watson said.

During his presentation, Watson, of WOW Arts & Exhibits Inc., said he believes traffic flow through the downtown may be keeping visitors from stopping. The three-lane road, which is part of U.S. Highway 101, is often filled with semi-trucks barreling through the area, he said. He also noted the poor condition of curbs along Sherman Avenue and the lack of pedestrians.

“We have facilitated freight to move quickly through downtown, not to mention tourists,” Watson said.

WOW operates the Albino Crow Gallery on Sherman Avenue and features the art of Watson and wife Peggy O’Neal, as well as examples of interpretive displays.

Watson proposed that traffic flow be limited by rerouting two-way freight traffic around the shopping district and to provide two-way retail traffic for shoppers and tourists to the historic downtown.

“It is the way North Bend once was when the downtown was successful,” he said.

Councilors appeared interested in the notion, but North Bend City Administrator Jan Willis said that portion of road is a freight route and is overseen by the Oregon Department of Transportation, not the city. She added that if any changes were to be made, they’d probably have to wait for a 2011 overlay project.

“I doubt very much if this can be done that quickly,” Willis said.

Watson believes more pedestrian traffic can be driven into the downtown by installing identifying signs like those found in Bandon, Florence and Newport.

Willis suggested talking to ODOT representative Mark Usselman about the idea along with other stakeholders.

Downtown merchants have discussed the notion of a reroute before, said Johanna Dillard, the president of the North Bend Downtown Association and owner of Coastal Paper & Supply Inc. However, because the roads are ODOT’s, engineering, designs and approval would be up to that agency. Furthermore, some merchants were opposed to the idea when it came up five or six years ago, because it would shift the freight trucks past other businesses. The association tabled the issue, asking merchants who remained interested in the concept to do their homework and come back with more developed ideas.

“I still want to see the pros and cons. I want it to be safe, I want traffic to slow down and I want it to be conducive to a comfortable streetscape and the business owner, so it invites people to stop and shop,” she said.

Dillard would like to see the road reduced to two lanes.

Deb Krough, the store manager of Coos Head Food Store, a member-governed business open to the public that’s been located on Sherman Avenue since 1977, said such a change could be beneficial. She said patrons have complained about traffic conditions on the road for three decades, not to mention accidents that have occurred at the corner of Virginia Avenue and Highway 101.

“I don’t see how that could hurt anyone to work on that,” Krough said.