“This time we really feel that we’re going to have a project that we’re going to finish,” Mayor Jim Slowik told an attentive audience at an informal open house at First United Methodist Church Thursday evening.

The City of Oak Harbor organized the meeting to gather public input on the Pioneer Way revitalization project. Some public skepticism was unavoidable, as the subject has been talked about for decades.

About 35 people attended the event that provided information about the city’s two alternatives for the downtown area’s much-needed improvements.

“I don’t know if I have to make the case,” the mayor said, “but we really need to do something about downtown.”

The proposed project goes beyond the basic city-scape face lift. It’ll extend underground to repair sewer and stormwater lines, which will cost between $1,200,000 to $1,650,000 to repair. Those costs are included in the project’s $5.5 million price-tag, although that may fluctuate when the project goes out to bid, said City Administrator Paul Schmidt.

The City Council previously approved $4.5 million in Real Estate Excise Tax funds and has identified a source for an additional $1 million from Island County in the form of an economic development fund grant. The county approved Oak Harbor’s application for the .08 percent funds collected through Island County sales tax more than a year ago, Schmidt said. A portion of the $1 million was originally slated to fund the parking lot of the Waste Management facility in Harbor Station off Highway 20; however, it wasn’t needed, so the funds are still available, he said.

Oak Harbor residents Tom and Nancy Dewey, who attended the open house, support the downtown revitalization.

“I think it could be so improved,” Nancy Dewey said. “This project could bring in more people and business. It’s disappointing to see the growth of other towns outpace us.”

The Deweys said they’ll be more likely to spend more time downtown under the one-way alternative because they feel the newer, wider sidewalks will lend to a more enjoyable downtown experience.

“There will be less cars and it’ll be more open,” Tom Dewey said.

Over the years, Pioneer way has earned a reputation for monster-sized puddles and uneven, broken streets and sidewalk pavement.

“Right now you can’t get out in the wet months without getting a soaker,” Mayor Slowik said.

Now city officials are looking for some direction on the project, Slowik said.

“We want to shut up and listen to you,” he told the community members in attendance.

Slowik encouraged the attendees to contact city council members and share their opinion of the plans.

The downtown revitalization plan isn’t set in stone, he said. About the only sure thing now is that construction is scheduled to begin in January 2011.

“Everything else is still on the table,” Slowik said.

Les Bense, owner of Oak Tree Antiques, doesn’t appreciate the uncertainty.

It’ll be a real hardship for business owners if Pioneer Way must close for more than a couple of months, he said.

“My business was down almost 80 percent when the water line went in,” he said.

Aside from his concern over the loss of foot traffic, Bense said he chose to rent a storefront on Pioneer Way for its quaint atmosphere.

“You don’t put an antique store in the new part of town,” he said. “It’s the ‘Old Downtown,’ why make it a new downtown?”

Mercy Speth, owner of Bayview Embroidery and Whidbey Island Gifts, supports the one-way street option and is excited for the changes.

“One way is the better way to promote foot traffic,” she said.

Bense is vehemently against the one-way alternative.

“If they go one way, it’s going to kill downtown business,” he said.

Bense and Speth agreed that there are still some unanswered questions in the proposals, including the revitalization’s effect on delivery trucks that routinely park in front of downtown shops to deliver commercial orders.

Oak Harbor city engineers estimate construction will last six to 10 months; however, Perteet Engineer Mick Monken, who also attended the open house to answer questions, said the construction could take up to one year.

“An estimated time for completion? We don’t have an answer for that until we have more information,” Monken said.

City officials must decide on a one-way or two-way street and identify funding for the transition from overhead to underground power lines before a timeline can be established, he said.

If the city elects to move the power lines underground the project timeline will be at the mercy of the utility company, he said.

“The utility company will determine when the power will get changed,” he said.

The City Council is expected to vote on an agenda bill to determine the “sequence of decisions” at their next meeting, Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. at City Hall.