Fort Bragg Council approves entertainment district, coastal trail, and wastewater projects – Fort Bragg Advocate-News

The city council on Monday advanced several projects aimed at boosting tourism, public amenities, and infrastructure. Council members approved the creation of a downtown Entertainment District that will allow open containers in certain areas, supported plans to add scenic viewing stations along the Coastal Trail, and awarded a $973,099 contract for a new biosolids storage building at the Wastewater Treatment Facility.

The council has approved a template for managing events in the new downtown Entertainment Zone, where public alcohol consumption is permitted. This template establishes guidelines for event hours, boundaries, container types, security, signage, and collaboration with law enforcement. The changes are to attract more visitors to the downtown area.

The initial zone includes the main area of Fort Bragg’s Central Business District, covering the 300 and 400 blocks of Franklin Street, Laurel Street, Redwood Avenue, and nearby streets from Pine to Oak, including Downtown Plaza. This area hosts major local events like the Magic Market, Blues Festival, First Fridays, Whale Festival, and Paul Bunyan Days. The zone is near several alcohol-serving businesses, such as Tall Guy Brewery and Cucina Verona.

Some members of the public raised concerns about the lack of detail, asking questions about enforcement, public safety, and potential impacts on families. According to City Manager Isaac Whippy, the template would guide event organizers and law enforcement while allowing flexibility for each event. Age verification measures, non-glass containers, signage, and post-event cleanup are included in the template.

The council also discussed plans to add two scenic tower viewers along the Coastal Trail, but raised concerns about the idea. Several members opposed coin-operated binoculars, citing vandalism risks. Councilmember Lindy Peters said he would support the project only if it could be funded entirely by the $35,000 committed by Blue Zones Project. The proposal, now scaled down to two stations, will return for future discussion.

The council approved a contract worth $973,099 with FRC, Inc. to build a new biosolids storage building at the city’s Wastewater Treatment Facility. This 50-by-100-foot wood-frame structure will be placed on an existing sludge drying slab. It will help reduce the handling of dried biosolids by keeping the material covered and dry.

The total project budget is $1,017,421, mostly funded by Wastewater Enterprise Capacity fees, with additional funds from the Wastewater Enterprise Fund. There is a contingency of about $44,000 for permits, inspections, and tribal monitoring during earth-moving activities. The project has a Mitigated Negative Declaration, and construction plans were finished in July 2025. FRC, Inc. submitted the lowest responsive bid out of six bids received.