A preliminary engineering study is next on the list for South Third Street.

Tim Bibler, chairman of the German Village Society’s streetscape committee, said local officials will look to the city of Columbus for a professional assessment of proposed improvements to the street.

“The purpose of the survey is to give us more details about the existing conditions of Third and a possible estimate of the cost of doing things,” Bibler said.

The GVS has not approached the city about the study but hopes to be part of the current budgeting process, he said.

Bibler doesn’t expect the review to be done until 2013 at the earliest.

Last week, the German Village Commission voiced general approval of beautification plans for South Third Street but concerns remain over the bricking of the roadway and creating a bicycle lane.

Commission members at their Dec. 6 meeting were given a review of the streetscape committee’s proposal, which includes aesthetic and functional improvements between East Livingston and Reinhard avenues. No action was taken at the meeting.

Bibler told the commission that the plan is to create a 6-foot-wide bike lane on the west side of Third Street between the curb and parallel parking for automobiles. In addition, the project calls for removing the asphalt and renovating the brick underneath, a proposal that some cyclists are viewing with skepticism.

There’s also a call to restore the limestone curbs to their original height and install bricks to even out the sidewalks along that stretch of roadway.

Mark Ours, a member of the commission, said the project must preserve the historical character of Third Street while maintaining an inviting atmosphere for the business community.

“There has to be a balance there,” he said. “To get these aesthetics (improvements), we have to be careful not to go too far.”

Bibler said the streetscape committee is willing to consider amending the plans, which also call for consolidating overhead utility lines and adding new light poles.

“This isn’t etched in stone,” he said.