WEST BRATTLEBORO — Last year, the Brattleboro Planning Commission hired a consultant to provide a coherent plan for land use in specific Brattleboro neighborhoods, including the village of West Brattleboro.
By redesigning these neighborhoods and setting certain guidelines for the construction of new buildings, the town hopes to attract more businesses to the area. The proposals are based on a number of studies conducted by the consulting firm, Hawk Planning Resources, LLC, of Concord, N.H.
The proposed changes are primarily focused on improving the safety and aesthetics of West Brattleboro streets.
“Looking at visual design is going to be very important to the long term progress of Brattleboro,” said Hawk Planning President Roger Hawk. “Landscaping improvements, better building design, better signage - all of those factors play into creating a quality visual environment.”
To enhance the visual appeal of West Brattleboro, Hawk proposed such measures as planting trees along the street, improving signage, and creating dedicated bicycle lanes.
“It's really about how the community views itself and whether it respects how it looks,” said Hawk. “Brattleboro is a very respectable community, and the town design is wonderful. We just need to do some tender loving care.”
Hawk, also concerned with the safety of pedestrians and drivers, has proposed changing the design of crosswalks to become more visible to drivers and widening sidewalks to give pedestrians more room.
Hawk also said that installing bike lanes alongside the road or on separate paths would reduce the risk of collisions with bicyclists.
Source of debate
Hawk's design proposals have generated commentary and debate in a series of local public meetings.
Members of the West Brattleboro Association (WBA), a group dedicated to preserving the character and community of the west end of town, have been monitoring the developmental plans since they were first announced.
The association was founded six years ago by citizens concerned with the rate and type of business development in West Brattleboro and is responsible for the West Brattleboro Master Plan, intended to provide a coherent strategy for community planning.
After many meetings, the plan was officially incorporated into the Brattleboro Town Plan in February 2008.
WBA Treasurer Stewart McDermott said that the goals of the organization are simple: “We essentially want to create more community and have more people know each other. I want Brattleboro to be a community, not something people just drive through.”
The West Brattleboro Master Plan, which can be accessed through the town website, does not conflict with Hawk's suggested changes, and includes many of the same considerations.
For example, the plan calls for “an increase in pedestrian infrastructure...the discouragement of visual blight such as bulk storage, incongruent architectural designs, and inappropriate land uses... and a bike lane or bike/pedestrian path along the entire length of [West Brattleboro].”
WBA President Michael Bosworth said that what he has seen of the plan so far is worthy of his support.
“It's a good thing to be doing. I don't think they've said too much that's controversial,” he said. “It addresses some of the concerns we had coming out of the West Brattleboro Master Plan.”
West Brattleboro Association member Douglas Cox was more effusive.
“It seems to be exactly consistent with what the community came up with with the Brattleboro Master Plan,” he said, noting that, as a cyclist, he was pleased that the bicycle infrastructure was high on Hawk's list.
“And I was impressed by his presentation,” Cox said.
“The whole direction of our organization has been to not lose our sense of place, and I think this report underscores the rightness and values of this place,” he added.
Brattleboro's 'holy grail'
At a June 13 Planning Commission meeting, members of the town Planning Services Department presented an overview of Brattleboro's four districts: Downtown, Canal Street, Putney Road (the North End), and West Brattleboro.
The pace of economic and population growth, in general, has slowed, reported Planning Director Rod Francis.
Therefore, he said, planning in Brattleboro is less about “shaping rapid growth,” but about making incremental improvements.
Maintaining the quality of life is Brattleboro's “holy grail,” said Francis.
Hawk stressed the need for developing a master plan for the downtown district, Francis said.
The suggestions presented by Francis for the other districts resembled those for West Brattleboro, including adding bike lanes and enhancing the landscaping.
Audience members seconded the desire for better landscaping, specifically along Interstate 91 Exit 1, considered the “gateway” to Brattleboro from the highway.