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The downtown master plan is the culmination of nearly two years' of effort by the downtown advisory commission, led by downtown coordinator Fabby Hillyard.
The commission hosted public meetings to gather input from more than 600 community members who contributed to the plan's development. The result is a master plan vision to create a welcoming, pedestrian-friendly downtown core, protect and enhance downtown's historic character, identify catalytic investment opportunities and strategically plan public investment to leverage private investment, Hillyard said.
While Hillyard is pleased the town adopted the commission's recommended master plan, adoption is simply the first step in a long process before the downtown advisory commission, whose "work has just begun," she said.
The commission envisions a face lift from one end of downtown to the other, with a welcoming center where Wolfensberger Road merges into Wilcox Street, spacious sidewalks lined with cafes, wide-windowed shops and public art and a live-work neighborhood filled with street-level businesses and upper-level residences.
The plan divides downtown into three primary "character districts," including north downtown, the area north of Fifth Street, between Interstate 25 and Perry Street, the downtown core, between Fifth and Second streets and I-25 and Front Street and south downtown, between Second Street and Plum Creek Parkway and I-25 and Perry Street.
The plan identifies north downtown as the northern gateway to town, with a mix of office and commercial uses. The downtown core is envisioned as a central gathering place with unique, locally owned shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. South downtown is identified as the town's southern gateway, the ideal area for residents who wish to live within walking distance of work.
Such districts cannot be created without private investment, however, and Hillyard has long prepared the commission for the task of establishing the public investment necessary to trigger private interest.
While the commission has yet to put a price tag on its vision, numbers will soon move to the top of the discussion list as commission members lobby for public support.
The cost of financing a revitalization will not be found in the town's anticipated budget and the next task before the commission is to find a source of funding the facelift.
Among the financing tools proposed by the commission is to establish a downtown development authority and a business improvement district unique to the downtown region.
The special taxing district will establish a benchmark year as its base year and earmark any increases in property and sales tax revenue toward the district.
The downtown development authority comes with no tax increase, but rather, dedicates tax revenue from new development or increased sales to the district.
The revenue would be overseen by the board of the downtown development authority, many of whom are expected to make the transition from the downtown advisory commission, Hillyard said.
Neither the authority nor the district will see the light of day, however, without voter approval. The voting body incluides those property holders and tenants in the three downtown "character districts." The stakeholders must grant approval of a special taxing district to allow the downtown development authority to collect those property and sales taxes in excess of the benchmark year, proposed to be 2008.
The commission's task is therefore to lobby public support of the financing proposal sometime between now and September, the deadline to place a proposed taxing district on the November ballot.
"This has been an unbelievable group of citizens who have worked on this plan and their work is not really over, their work is just beginning," Hillyard said. "Now that this document exists and the vision created, the commission will have the job of moving this forward and being ambassadors for this plan into the community. Hopefully the successful formation of the downtown development authority will take over for the downtown advisory commission."
Council approved the plan March 18 and staff implementation began immediately, Hillyard said. Immediate investments from the town include installation of new street furniture and signs as well as a vote on the formation of the downtown development authority.
In the next two years, the town aims to install informational elements at downtown's north and south gateways, add amenities to Festival Park at Second and Perry streets, create a free Wi-Fi zone and develop design standards for downtown. Plans for 2011 and beyond include developing a public green space at the upper edge of Plum Creek north, south of South Street, continue land acquisition for parking and continue work on a downtown transit hub.
303-663-7162 | rmoore@ccnewspapers.com
