New Futures for Traditional Villages

NEW FUTURES FOR TRADITIONAL VILLAGES:
A Balancing Act
Communities are increasingly seeking the
benefits of village-scaled centers, and
rediscovering historic patterns that provide
models for their futures. This session will
explore emerging methods to find the artful
balance between preservation and change
that brings new uses, residents and
amenities into the compact areas of New
England’s traditional villages.

NEW FUTURES FOR TRADITONAL VILLAGES: SNEAPA 2012
A Balancing Act September 21, 2012

A Balancing Act
Steven G. Cecil AIA ASLA, Principal, The Cecil Group (facilitator)
Marcia Rasmussen, Director of Planning and Land Use Management, Town of Concord
Phil Chester AICP, Town Planner, Town of Lebanon
Jonathan Reiner AICP, Planner, North Kingstown, Rhode Island
Brad Schide, Circuit Rider for the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation


COMMON THEMES
 Vitality of villages in today’s
economy
 Village advocacy and advocates
 Resistance to change
 Practical problems and
solutions to shaping and
preserving villages
 New planning tools for compact
development


DEFINING “VILLAGE”
 Shared imagery, but different types and realities

 Rural Villages
 Coastal Villages
 Hamlets
 Crossroads
 Industrial Villages
 Commuter Villages
 New Urbanist Villages


A Balancing Act

North Kingstown
With Jonathan Reiner, Planner for North Kingstown


THE PLANNING
FRAMEWORK


Existing Villages in North Kingstown


REDIRECTING GROWTH
AND DEVELOPMENT

 Historic Villages
 Emerging Villages
 Compact Development
patterns
 Transfer of Development
Rights
 Incentives and Policies

EXISTING VILLAGES


WICKFORD VILLAGE


OTHER EXISTING AND EMERGING VILLAGES

Allenton Hamilton

Lafayette Wickford Junction


ALLENTON


HAMILTON


LAFAYETTE


THE WICKFORD JUNCTION TRAIN STATION


ROLLING GREENS/BALD HILL NURSERY


Rolling Greens/Bald Hill Nursery

Emerging Growth
Center?

Recommendation
from South County
Design Manual
RIDEM, 2001


POST ROAD AND
STONY LAND

POST ROAD AND
A Balancing Act
QUONSET GATEWAY 2012
NEW FUTURES FOR TRADITONAL VILLAGES: SNEAPA
September 21, 2012

TDR IS A REGULATORY TOOL

Concentrate Development in Areas
Planned for Growth Preserve Existing Open Space


WHERE CAN THIS
HAPPEN TODAY?

• Sending Area:
Sending Area Overlay District

• Receiving Area:
Post Road District
Compact Village
District Areas


WICKFORD HARBOR


QUESTIONS?

Jonathan Reiner, AICP
Planning Director
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
401 268-1570
jreiner@northkingstown.org
www.northkingstown.org


A Balancing Act

Concord’s Villages
With Marcia Rasmussen, Director of Planning and Land Use Management
Town of Concord


West Concord
Village
at the Junction
of 2 Railroads


Combined Business & Residential – allowed by right


Debra’s Natural Gourmet –
successful business owner
purchased and expanded building;
now considering a second floor for
her building – residential or office.


Bradford Furniture/Allen Chair
Co. circa 2000

Bradford Mills today – new
owner; new vision.


West Concord Village--Graphic Master Plan


Thoreau Depot - Owners that
can see the potential in a
property; a mural for a blank
wall or new retail in a former
grocery store building.


Re-imagining a former
lumber yard for retail,
restaurant and housing
plus amenities to
enhance the pedestrian
experience.


Concord Center – living and
working with iconic history is as
much about the local residents as
it is the visiting tourist.


Main Street Café – former grocery store, then office, now
restaurant and bar with nightly entertainment.

 Utilizes an alley through
agreements with the
Town.
 Provides pedestrian
access to public parking
and visitor center.
 Provides places to sit
and view the historic
Mill Brook.


Buildings constructed at different times enliven
the view from across the street while outdoor
displays add to the visual interest.


A Balancing Act

Lebanon
With Phil Chester AICP, Town Planner for the Town of Lebanon


LEBANON VILLAGE CENTER PLANNING

 Village character:
historical and
authentic
 Planning goals
 Citizen participation
 Community-based
vision
 Village district zoning
and other
implementation tools


LEBANON TOWN GREEN
 Historic green
 Single-family and agricultural uses
 Historic and civic resources


LEBANON TOWN GREEN


Time Lapse


RETAIL OPPORTUNITY/GAP ANALYSIS
 Potential opportunities
to expand or attract
new shops, restaurants
and services

15-Minute Drive Time

PUBLIC INPUT

 Two Public meetings
• Breakout group exercises
and visual preference
survey
 Top Priorities
• Keep agriculture
• Move or change use of
DPW site
• Establish architectural
guidelines/design controls


COMMUNITY-BASED VISION
• Integrate
residential and
compatible
commercial uses

• Protect
architectural
character around
the Green

• Redevelop key
underutilized
properties


PROPOSED VILLAGE DISTRICT ZONING
 Change zoning to encourage the integration of
residential and compatible commercial uses
around the Green

 Incorporate design guidelines to protect the
architectural character around the Green



Two Proposed Village
District Zones

 Town Green Village
District (yellow)

 Town Center Village
District (orange)



 Town Green Village
District

Adds residential
business uses in
accessory buildings



 Town Center Village
District (orange)

Expands commercial
uses and allows
mixed-use
development by
special permit


DESIGN GUIDELINES

 Site Layout/ Organization
 Architecture
 Site and Landscape Design
 Signage Design


REDEVELOPMENT SCENARIOS

 Two Underutilized
Gateway Properties

 DPW Site (left)
 Old Garage


OTHER IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS

 Agricultural Preservation
Easements and Land Purchases

 Nonprofit Stewardship to Preserve
Agricultural Land

 Demolition Delay Ordinance

 Cooperative Business

 Sale or Lease of Public Land

 Public Infrastructure
Improvements


A Balancing Act

Connecticut Trust’s
District Preservation
Initiative
With Brad Schide, Circuit Rider for
the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation

VIBRANT COMMUNITY INITIATIVE (VCI)


Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation

 State-wide non-profit organization
 Work to save/preserve historic landscapes and
structures
 Offer technical assistance, consulting services and
guidance
 Show the value of historic preservation to
Connecticut’s economy and civic identity


VCI
 VCI program is funded by
the Preservation Division of
DECD
 There has been two funding
rounds of VCI
 A total of 10 communities
have been selected for the
program, 2011, 2012


PURPOSE OF VCI GRANT

 To empower municipalities to plan and then act on preserving
historic resources
 To encourage the adaptive reuse of historic structures
 To enhance and protect cultural landscapes
 To promote a preservation ethic for downtown revitalization
 To focus on historic downtown/village redevelopment


2011 VCI GRANT RECIPIENTS

 New London (Analysis of three downtown Bank Street
buildings for rehab)
 Hartford (Rehabilitation of a former factory in North End)
 Lebanon (Village District Zoning and other protections for the
Green)
 Norwich (Downtown/Urban Revitalization Plan)
 Waterbury (Protections and enhancements for the
Waterbury Green)


Bolton (Heritage Farm Area; Rochambeau Trail)

 Seeks expanded use for
Farm structures, Parks,
Greens and Trail, creating
connections between
pedestrian and community
access, with an emphasis on
history


Bridgeport (McLevy Hall, Green and surrounding
historic bldgs

 Seek a preservation and
development plan for
historic McLevy Hall and
Green area to revitalize key
area of downtown
 Significant historic
resources surrounding Hall;
priority area for City


Danbury (Hearthstone Castle)

 Seek to produce a
comprehensive reuse plan
of castle located in
Tarrywile Park
 Individually listed on NR
 Very Organized community
involvement


New Britain (Walnut Hill NR District Area)

 Develop a revitalization plan
for a specific downtown
area, targeting certain
buildings for rehab
 Priority neighborhood for
redevelopment for City;
many historic structures to
protect and rehab


Wethersfield (Rehab Plan for three historic
buildings)

• Produce a vision and rehab
plan for three key buildings
in NR district area
• Area a target for
redevelopment and study
would guide a more
preservation plan


OBSERVATIONS and Discussion


New Futures for Traditional Villages

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New Futures for Traditional Villages