Edmond plans to improve intersections The scoop on Braum’s in Edmond

EDMOND — Changes are on the way for two of Edmond’s major intersections after the city council approved funds to begin design work to widen and reconstruct them. The two intersections of Second and Bryant and Second and Boulevard serve about 40,000 cars per day, and are both at capacity, Edmond City Engineer Steve Manek said.

Survey crews began work before their contract was awarded Monday night and have started to look at changes that need to be made. Crews are working on preliminary plansthat will be about 30 percent completed before being submitted to the Nov. 15 city council meeting.

The city then will apply for grants from the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments to help pay for the cost of the intersection, Manek said.

During the city council meeting, the city will have a rough estimate of costs for the intersections.

The study will determine whether a change in the soil grade is needed, which will determine if the entire intersection must be redone, Manek said. But, no official decision has been made if it will occur.

City leaders are requesting that more turn lanes be added at both intersections. The changes include two left-turn lanes in both directions on Second street, along with right-turn lanes. The goal is to reduce the amount of time it takes to move traffic through the two intersections, Manek said. The changes are expected to relieve traffic buildup on Second street.

At Monday’s meeting, the council approved $242,597 for the design fee for the intersection of Second and Boulevard and $289,118 for Second and Bryant.

Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy will be closing its store on Danforth for six months in January as crews tear down the existing building and put in a new one.

“This store is very much a neighborhood establishment,” Councilwoman Victoria Caldwell said. The store has been at 1001 E Danforth Road since 1988.

The new store will mirror the company’s new “market design” for its stores. The site plan was approved Monday, even though Councilwoman Elizabeth Waner voted against the project, citing that the design had issues with traffic flow.

Now, a Braum’s is being built at Market Street and Covell near the new convention center and will be open in January before the Danforth store closes.

New Starbucks coming to Edmond

City council members were divided on whether to allow a new Starbucks store to be located on the south side of Covell Road, west of Interstate 35, even though it passed in a 3-2 vote.

The main concern was the length of the drive-thru, which council members Darrel Davis and Waner said is a problem at two other Starbucks stores in Edmond with traffic backing up onto the road.

“This design is just like a larger 15th and Broadway store,” Davis said before he and Waner voted no on approving the design.

The length of the drive-thru is about 250 feet and can accommodate more than 12 cars, which is almost double of what the city requires.

Waner also raised the question on why most of the parking, including handicapped parking, is not located beside the building and that customers would have to walk through the drive lane to get inside.

“I just want a more user-friendly design,” Waner said.