Final presentation to Woodbury, CT on revitalization of their main street corridor from the AIA Sustainable Design Assessment Team

1. Woodbury, CT SDAT
October 2015

2. market

3. Woodbury Achievements
• Completed POCD
• Created EDC & Ombudsman Program
• Passed School Referendum
• Town Facility Planning
• Review Zoning Density Limits
• Promote Community Events
• Brought AIA Team to Town
Source: 2010 Plan of Conservation & Development

4. Residential Market
• By 2025:
– 26% drop in under 20 population
– 46% growth in 65+
• Changing Demand:
– Need for 63 new rental units
– Single story living options
• Within Main Street area:
– 60% are renter occupied
– Live/Work opportunities
15-24 Years,
58 25-34 Years,
261
35-44 Years,
612
45-54 Years,
989
55-64 Years,
598
65-74 Years,
484
75-84 Years,
570
85 and
Better, 353
2025 Households
Source: 2013 Census, CT State Data Center

5. Workforce
• 1,967 Daytime Employees
– 12% decline since 2007
– 63% live w/in 10 miles
– Retail, education & food services
• 4,308 Employed Residents
– Average commute 26 minutes
– 31% age 55 or over
– Health care, education & manufacturing
– 6.5% Work from home
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013

6. Business Mix
• 631 local businesses
• Average 11 years in
business
• 1,700 home based
businesses
– Retail,
– Professional
Services,
– Arts,
– Construction
Source: Economic Modeling Statistics International 2015, Department of Labor 2013

7. Retail
• 142,000 customers in trade
area
• Retain 58% of local spending
• Retail Draws:
– Antiques, Lawn & Garden
• Unmet demand for:
– Home Goods
– Health & Personal Care
– Sporting Goods & Hobby
– General Merchandise
Trade Area
Source: ESRI 2015

8. Visitors
• Spending increase of 15%
since 2010
• Overnight travelers spend twice
as much
• Popular Tourist Activities:
– 18% Fine Dining
– 12.3% Historic Sites/Homes
– 10.5% Rural Sightseeing
– 6.6% Museums
– 5.5% Theater/Music
– 6.4% Wildlife/Nature
– 2.3% Art Galleries
– 2.0% Hiking/Biking
Source: CT Department of Tourism 2013

9. Opportunities
• Diversify Housing Options
• Entrepreneur Support &
Networking
• Co-Working Space
• Shop Local
• Joint Marketing
• Recruit Complementary
Businesses
• Additional Lodging
• Visitor Packaging/Promotion

10. urban design

11. REGULATING FEATURES OF THE
URBAN DESIGN PLAN
+ Physical Infrastructure
+ Arts and Artisans
+ Programming
+ Brand Identity
+ Connectivity

12. + Formalize Civic Space
PUBLIC SPACE
+ Welcome Visitors
+ Pedestrian Safety
+ More Informal Gathering and Activity Space
+ New Business Opportunities
+ Support for Events, Arts, and Artisans
+ Coordinated Signage, Wayfinding, Branding

13. NORTH GREEN
POST OFFICE GREEN
TOWN HALL GREEN
CANNON GREEN-
HOLLOW TRIANGLE
GATEWAY
GATEWAY
N
PUBLIC SPACE

14. NORTH GREEN
GATEWAY
GATEWAY
N

15. NORTH GREEN
GATEWAY
GATEWAY
N
MAIN STREET

16. NORTH GREEN
STAGING
SUMMER
CAFE
SEATINGNEW WALKS

17. NORTH GREEN

18. NORTH GREEN
GATEWAY
GATEWAY
N
SHORT TERM RECOMMENDATIONS:
+ Summer Cafe Seating
+ Food Service - food truck / stand
+ Re-arrange existing seating to
to create gathering spaces
+ Programming more events
+ Interpretive / visitor info/signage

19. NORTH GREEN
GATEWAY
GATEWAY
N
LONG TERM RECOMMENDATIONS:
+ New sidewalk access and crosswalks
+ Low impact lighting
+ Coffee shop / gallery / soda fountain
+ Adaptive re-use of Adams store
+ Programming more events/activities

20. TOWN HALL GREEN
GATEWAY
GATEWAY
N

21. TOWN HALL GREEN
GATEWAY
GATEWAY
N
MAINSTREET
LIBRARY/
ADMIN.
TOWN
HALL

22. TOWN HALL GREEN
NEW CROSSWALK
UPGRADE LANDSCAPE
AND WALKS
STREETLANTERNS
GATHERING
GATHERING
GATHERING
VISITOR
WELCOME
CENTER AND
PARKING
SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS
EXTENSIONOFGREEN
MAINSTREET
EXPAND PARKING

23. TOWN HALL GREEN

24. TOWN HALL GREEN

25. TOWN HALL GREEN
GATEWAY
GATEWAY
SHORT TERM RECOMMENDATIONS:
+ Create temporary plaza and kiosk as
Visitor Welcome Center
+ Develop town map and brochure with
trails information
+ Relocate Woodbury historic marker
+ Install bench seating
+ Sign visitor Parking and Info

26. TOWN HALL GREEN
GATEWAY
GATEWAY
N
LONG TERM RECOMMENDATIONS:
+ Expand green space and formalize
edges
+ Permanent Information Kiosk - trailhead
for history walk
+ New sidewalk connectors/crosswalk
+ Landscape upgrades around existing
buildings - new Town Hall signage

27. ARTS and ARTISANS

28. ARTS and ARTISANS
SHORT TERM RECOMMENDATIONS:
+ Form independent Arts Council (local or
regional)
+ Develop arts events - could be important
part of planned festivals - plein air festival
+ Organize list of local and regional artists
to be partners
+ Integrate shows/openings into local
restaurants and businesses
+ Public display of student art at local venue

29. ART and ARTISANS
LONG TERM RECOMMENDATIONS:
+ Develop Woodbury Art Center - small
business/artisan incubator space, space
for classes and shared work space and
pubic gallery space
+ Artisan trades education programs
+ Dedicated arts festival
+ Attract working artists and artisans to
Woodbury

30. mobility
& livability

31. Traffic Calming
Main Street/Route 6

32. Traffic Calming
• Physically change the street design
• Slow or motor vehicle traffic
• Improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists

33. Traffic Calming Measures
• Narrow lanes
• Street trees
• Landscaped buffers
• On-street parking
• Bulb-outs (corner
and mid-block)

34. Benefits include:
• Reduced speeding and noise
• Fewer conflicts for pedestrians and cars
• Awareness of non-motorized users
• Less time to cross street
• Space for bicycle and pedestrian facilities
• Buffer from moving cars

35. Traffic Calming - Bulbouts
CORNER
MID-BLOCK
SHOULDER
SHOULDER
TRAVEL LANE
TRAVEL LANE
• Road crossings
• Less time to cross
street
• Awareness of
pedestrians
• Landscaping
opportunity
• Parking breaks

36. Traffic Calming - Bulbouts

37. Traffic Calming – On-street Parking
VEHICULAR
LANES
SHOULDER SHOULDER
Main Street/Route 6
(existing)

38. VEHICULAR
LANES
PARKING PARKING
Traffic Calming – On-street Parking
Main
Street/Route 6
(reimagined)

39. Traffic Calming Recommendations
North Green to Cannon Green
• Narrow lanes to 11’
• Replace shoulder with parking where possible
• Add mid-block bulbouts at mid-block crosswalks
• Add small street trees where possible
• Bulbouts at major intersections

40. Trail System
• Link to places in town
– schools, town nodes,
unique sites, parking
businesses, homes,
hotels, restaurants
• Link to places outside
of town
– Flanders Nature Center,
reservoir, regional trails,
Ski Area

41. Trails as Economic Draw
2% of people in
CT participate in
biking on vacation

42. Trail Improvements in Town
5’ walk
10’-14’
multi-use trail

43. Link to Regional Trail System
WOODBURY

44. Trail Recommendations
• Add safety features
– pedestrian lighting, crosswalks, bulb-outs, ADA ramps, etc.
• Incorporate amenities
– bike racks, benches, water fountains, restrooms, bike
share, wayfinding
• Widen existing walk to accommodate multi-use
– Bikes, rollerblades, scooters, wheelchairs
• Extend trail to destinations in town
• Explore funding opportunities
– ConnDOT and Rails-to-Trails
• Trail master plan to link to regional system

45. Housing for Aging Seniors and
Young Families
• Affordable
• Low-maintenance
• Amenities
• Daily services
• Walkable
• Accessible

46. Additional Possible Housing Types
• Infill houses
• Auxillary buildings, mother-in-law suite
• One-story townhomes
• Multi-use buildings with apartments
• Conservation subdivision

47. Why Conservation Subdivision?
• Cluster development
• Density neutral
• Designed around
natural and cultural
resources
• Preserves primary
conservation areas
and open space

48. Benefits to Woodbury
• Preserves character,
open space, water
recharge, floodplain,
habitat and nature
• Different housing/lot
product
• Lower maintenance
• Able to have septic
• Walkable, connected
• Can incorporate nature
trails

49. Housing Recommendations
• Conduct a regional housing market study
o Determine type of housing needed
• Identify and prioritize properties appropriate for
housing
• Review regulations to ensure compatibility with
market analysis
• Work with developers to explore potential properties
and development options
• Incentives to upgrade existing residential

50. placemaking

51. “What attracts
people most, it
would appear, is
other people”
– William H.
Whyte
Woodbury
as a place

52. What is a brand?
Ultimate in corporate branding:
The Longaberger Basket Headquarters

53. This is a logo

54. This is a brand

55. Woodbury – An Artisan Community

56. Woodbury – A place to experience…
• Nature
• Antiques
• Farm to table food
• Fine crafters
• Craft beer
• Handcrafted spirits culture
• Historic homes
• Local agriculture
• History tours, food tours
• Skiing
• Competitive fitness (races, etc.)
• Low impact tourism destination

57. Embrace emerging and historic strengths

58. Identity & Storytelling
• Maps (print & digital)
• Storytelling markers
• Pub/restaurant crawls
• Mailbox public art
project
• Community events
calendar

59. Weekly activations
• Moveable furniture
• Summer café
• Small-scale vending
• Fitness classes
• Games for gathering

60. North Green – Incremental additions

61. Multi-week seasonal activation
• Build on the success of the Fall Festival
• Embrace emerging restaurant culture
• Nostalgia for farmer’s market
• Uniquely Woodbury, not competing with
other adjacent communities’ farmers
markets
• Close Hollow Road on weekends
throughout season (summer, fall, etc.)

62. Foodbury – a food market

63. Foodbury – a food market

64. Foodbury – a food market

65. See each other more, invite friends.
• Expand holiday
luminaries
• Harvest dinner –
large scale dinner in
public space
• Throwback game
nights (kids &
adults)

66. Good programming informs design.
Staging area Cannon Green
Hollow Park
Hollow Triangle

67. Cannon Green & Hollow Park
• Common green with
staging space for
parades, walks, runs
• Amphitheatre for
concerts, plays, etc.
• Terraced viewing area
• Seasonal ice rink

68. engagement

69. • “We don’t need any economic development.”
• “Main Street needs to modernize.”
• “Don’t change our historic downtown.”
• “Our businesses need more signs.”
• “There should be NO signs on Main Street.”
• “We need a sewer system.”
• “We can’t afford to install a sewer system.”
• “We need to improve our community, but
don’t raise my taxes.”
What we heard………

70. -Helen Keller

71. Without vision, there is conflict
“Conflict cannot
survive without
your participation.”
- Wayne Dyer

73. Civic engagement is a community builder
Engagement
involves
conversations,
debates,
deliberation, and
creating new
relationships with
neighbors.
“Be open to outcome, not
attached to outcome.”
-Angeles Arrien

74. Successful engagement
• Improved understanding of the value of working
together to solve common problems.
• Fully informed public that knows how its town
government works as well as its public policy process.
• Increased Participation, representative of the town's’s
demographic diversity.
• Public which regularly votes in elections and has
knowledge of their elected officials.
• Active Leadership by community members in
organizing their community to shape broader goals for
the town.
From: What’s Next Alexandria:
Handbook for Civic Engagement

75. Successful engagement
• Ownership: Members of the community endorse
decisions and actions by the town because decisions
clearly reflect public participation in a transparent
process.
• Consistency across town departments, Boards and
Commissions in the application of Civic Engagement
Principles and process.
• Confidence in the equity of the public decision making
process.
• Mutual Trust between the community and its
government.
From: What’s Next Alexandria:
Handbook for Civic Engagement

76. An informed approach to sign regulation...
• balances the needs and interests of local
businesses, local residents, and elected officials;
• recognizes the dollars-and-cents value of signs to
businesses;
• addresses signs in the overall design context of
the community and the immediate area in which
they are placed;
• abides by the law, most importantly laws based
on the First Amendment;
• addresses traffic and pedestrian safety issues

82. Recommendations
• Launch a community visioning process that is
authentic, culturally relevant, meaningful
• Form a team of representatives from various
Town Boards and civic organizations to
convene, inform, lead, program, facilitate,
partner, build capacity
• Let vision drive action. Build momentum for
implementation by integrating projects in a
community driven process‐

84. • Change the Special Event Permit Process in order to
allow more frequent gatherings.
• Formalize the role of the arts in the cultural life of
Woodbury.
• Create mechanisms for businesses to connect and
cross-market.
• Make Main Street more walkable and bikeable.
• Convene a coordinating committee composed of
representatives from various governing agencies and
community interests to improve internal
communication.
• Be proud of Woodbury…tell people about your town!
Must-Do List

85. Thanks!
To everyone who participated in the
Woodbury SDAT.
Special thanks to Hiram Peck, Bill Butterly,
Kathy Castagnetta & Kathy Doyle for all of their
support.
www.aia.org/liv_sdat