HILLSDALE HAMLET WORKSHOP RESULTS
November 9, 2009
The Town of Hillsdale, NY and the Hillsdale Hamlet Committee sponsored a Community Placemaking Workshop on November 9, 2009 to provide community input for the Hillsdale Hamlet Design and Development Plan. There were approximately 75 residents or stakeholders in attendance. Following a presentation by Meg Walker of PPS on the qualities of great public spaces and successful downtowns, the workshop attendees were broken into five groups that each focused on one of the following locations:
1) Intersection of Routes 22 and 23
2) Hillsdale Hamlet Park
3) Cullen Park (on Route 23)
4) Anthony Street
5) Rail Trail/White Hill Street
A number of specific programming and design ideas emerged from the workshop. The following is a summary of each group’s comments and the comments as recorded on the Place Game forms and flip charts. These notes are not to be viewed as the consultant’s recommendations. They are a portion of the data that PPS is collecting from the community as part of Phase I of the Hamlet Design and Development Plan.
Site 1- Intersection of Routes 22 and 23
Participants were generally concerned with pedestrian safety at the intersection and on Route 22, especially the lack of crosswalks and sidewalks. Calming traffic at the intersection, using strategies such as a roundabout, wider sidewalks or bump outs, and narrower traffic lanes could create a unified walking and cycling environment. There was also concern about Maple Street’s connection to the intersection; many southbound drivers confuse Maple St. with Route 22 and speed down Maple Street. People liked the idea of closing the end of Maple Street to traffic, narrowing Route 22 and reducing the speed limit on it. Reducing the amount of asphalt, and the number and size of curb cuts, at the County Diner and the Cobble Pond Station would create a more pedestrian-friendly environment. Better pedestrian accessibility in this area, and in general, could eliminate the overuse of cars and the need for parking. Many in the group would like to see the shortcut behind the Post Office become an official path. Some suggested extending sidewalks all the way to Roe Jan Park to create a better pedestrian connection.
Positives
Traffic: turn into a plus
Two perfect historic structures
Clean and well maintained
Open space
Historic view-shed
Historical buildings
Opportunities and Improvements
§ Streetscape improvements
Improve sidewalks
Restore historic view-shed of Taconic Hills/Berkshires
Correct pruning of trees could open up views
Roundabout around a memorial
Cross walks, better pedestrian access
Pedestrian signs/signals at intersection
Plantings
Directional signage
Benches or gazebo/info booth at the empty corner
Reduce parking lots on Anthony Street – widen walking areas
Prevent on-street parking on Cold Water and at Cullen Park
Open up more parking behind buildings
Improve entrance from Anthony to IGA grocery store
Bury electrical wires
Improve lighting
Reduce curb cuts at Cobble Pond and Diner
Extend sidewalks/bike path to RJP and Library
Slow traffic exiting and entering the Hamlet (calming)
-narrow road
-reduce speed limit
Modify Maple/re route
-Eliminate entrance at intersection
Commercial uses on 22 (South) should remain
Restore access between Route 22 and Cold Water Street
Town service: Clean up job
Extra lane for right turn from Anthony
More “appropriate” native trees along Main Street
Fix up houses on Main Street
§ Parks
Revitalize Memorial Park at intersection
Extend Hamlet Park to Route 22 and add new access road
Connect RJP + Hamlet
§ Low income affordable housing for seniors
Businesses/Activities
Nail Salon
Laundry
Pharmacy
Dry Cleaners
Coffee/tea
Arts Center
Outdoor Films
Concerts
Kid friendly place
Hamlet triangulation
Historic Kiosk/info
Use of Old/ Current Town Hall
Senior Citizens
Historic info
Kid Center
Café
Multi-use
Partnerships/local talent
School district
Transportation expertise
Architectural expertise/review
Community organizers
Models
Wyndham, Green County
South Egremont –parts of
Claverack-well maintained homes
Philmont’s Main Street Grant
Site 2 - Hillsdale Hamlet Park
The Hamlet Park has great potential to become a year-round destination. With better signage and visibility, people would identify this park as a destination. The existing log cabin on Route 22 could become a Visitor’s Center with information about walking and biking tours, etc. Workshop participants particularly stressed the importance of pedestrian connections and traffic calming so that the park would be better integrated into the neighborhood and be more accessible to the park users. Along with encouraging retail, restaurants and businesses to open near by, they suggested introducing more child- friendly activities such as ice skating, carousel rides, outdoor movies, concerts in a shed, and renovating the existing basketball court to attract younger visitors. Developing strong edge uses is vital in generating activity in the park and allowing triangulation to occur.
Positives
Space by Gallups
Sculpture Park
Memorial – well maintained
Opportunities/Improvements
§ Image
Tear down buildings that do not reflect the “historic Hillsdale”
Move existing stores into the older structures
Consistent signage and more of it
§ Hamlet Park – “give folks a reason to stay longer”
Increase year round activities
Summer movies
Skateboard Park
Carousel
Light Ball Field
Hillsdale Day
Winter activities: Ice Skating
Gazebo with music
Internet café
Outdoor movies/concerts in the summer
Musicians in the park
Small pharmacy
Tourist info Center
Bookstore
§ Develop fringe areas
Increase parking
Retail area
Permanent Farmers’ Market
Affordable Housing
Flowers
Supporting the Park
Walking path to Anthony Street, Cullen Park
§ Maple Street
Slow traffic
Pocket park at end of Cold Water Street
Chess tables
Seating
Improved path to P.O.
Info Kiosk
Businesses/Activities
Bring Hillsdale History Day back – Historic map and walk
Turn Town Hall into a community center, a public meeting space, café and ice skating rink
Encourage some restaurants/cafes/businesses to open nearby (i.e. Town Hall, gas station, log cabin)
Farmers Market - lots of different types of people mingling and children playing
Improve basketball court and baseball field
-transfer all ball sports activities to big park
More bike/sports type shopping/services
-Biking center for bike riding in the Berkshires, NY/CT/MA
Develop surrounding edge, shrinking down space for more urban uses for kids and seniors
Attract more children
Children as members of the board to oversee park
Make a youth center- new equipment
“Biking Center for Berkshires”
Supporting the park
§ Town Hall
Community Center
Coffee shop
Outdoor tables
Nature Center
§ Log Cabin
Integrate with Hamlet Park
Bike shop
Information Center
§ Cold Water Street
Annual Sledding Night
§ Cobble Pond
Integrate with Park at the back
Limit highway access to 22
Models
Chatham
Spencertown
Salisbury, Connecticut
Small New England towns
Hamilton, NY- beautiful park, active farmers’ market
Site 3 – Cullen Park, Route 23
The area around the intersection of Anthony Street and Route 23 has great potential to become a pedestrian friendly center. A wider array of retail in this area could easily create a popular destination filled with street activity. There was debate amongst the group’s members about closing the parking lot at Cullen Park and turning it into a pedestrian-only area. Workshop attendees strongly supported the widening of sidewalks along Route 23 and introducing bike lanes to slow car speeds and to encourage multimodal transportation. Streetscape improvements along with landscape treatments were recommended to enhance the aesthetics of the site, as well as define smaller spaces. In addition to landscaping, amenities such as outdoor seating, an information kiosk and historical signage could make the street environment more comfortable and welcoming to tourists. In general, people agreed that IGA would benefit from a marketing and visual perspective by having window and/or sidewalk displays.
Positives
Quaint
Historic character of community
Mountain views – natural beauty
Beautiful park
Great potential
Mt. Washington House
Small
Management
Library
People – Business proprietors and patrons
Opportunities/Improvements
§ Streetscape improvements
Amenities: Outdoor seating, benches, Info kiosk
Clean up front of houses/businesses-
- Paint IGA/ new siding
- Plantings around IGA-evergreens
- Hide dumpster
- Bury power lines
- Change delivery at IGA
- Reside back of gas station
- Upstairs at Tony’s
Widen sidewalks
Crosswalks with signage and cones
Landscaping and planting, flowers
Improve parking – change configuration: parallel parking on one side
Bike lane to slow things down
Enforced speed limits- speed bumps, green stripe
Historic signage upon entering the town and signs/plaques to explain each historic building
IGA improvements:
- Display cabinets in the blank windows
- Less monolithic
- Use punchouts to break it up
- Community display
- Marketing possibility
- Pottery, art
Park at vacant lot on Route 23
Close Anthony Street for events- Anthony Street as a pedestrian center
Activities, Businesses
Performance space for play/concerts
Specialty food store
Drycleaners
Small stores catering to residents (placed in existing buildings)
Coffee shops, cafe
Bakery
Movie theater
Fun gift shops
Movies-outdoor
More restaurants
Drugstore
Wellness center + yoga studio
Natural foods
Bookstore
Sidewalk/art shows/event from local artist organizations
Goliath, new gallery
Close Anthony street – summer/fall art day
“Arts in Hillsdale”
Ice cream
New town Hall
Historical Gallery + info
Partnerships
Create Hillsdale Chamber of Commerce to act as clearinghouse for grants etc.
Artists and crafts people
Residents
Business community
Town Government
3-way partnership with IGA, Mt. Washington House and Hillsdale House
Models
South Egremont-visual cohesiveness
Great Barrington –rows of trees, sidewalk, crosswalks
Chatham – vital, fun gift shops, movie theater, restaurants etc
Lambertville, NJ
Site 4 – Anthony Street
Workshop attendees were enthusiastic about developing Anthony Street into Hillsdale’s commercial Main Street and as an important connection to Rail Trail-related activities. Extending Cullen Park to Anthony Street could anchor the north end of the street with year round activity and uses. People agreed that there was a need for a wayfinding system to improve the overall identity of the street. In addition to better signage, they want to see unifying elements such as lighting, plantings and street furniture to enhance the comfort and image of the area. Participants were also excited about the Goliath Gallery and the potential for art-related development in that vicinity, including a sculpture park or outdoor display area, which could potentially anchor the south end of Anthony Street. Street closure for town festivals was suggested to encourage street activity. Connectivity to the rest of the town was stressed, specifically in terms of walkability. Signage and bike paths were recommended to build these connections to the Rail Trail, IGA and the Post Office. In addition, a public transportation system could be implemented as a means to connect people and places, particularly the elderly and parents with children. People were generally unclear about the mix of commercial and residential uses on Anthony Street and would like zoning guidelines to ensure more commercial uses.
Positives
Monument at Cullen Park
Goliath Art Gallery
Feeling of Village Green-Cullen Park
Supermarket
Potential for artist community/area
Classic example –white building
Hillside House-well maintained historic building
IGA brings people to Anthony Street
Anthony Street as Hillsdale’s Main Street
- Qualities of Main Street, architecture, scale, quiet, calm
-Character of some of the buildings are typical of Victorian Main Street
- Curve of street, trees and buildings are attractive
- Artists have carved out a corner and can develop an artist community.
Opportunities/Improvements
§ Image
Need for identification of the street through a Sign and Wayfinding System with art, town news
Overall image poor
Difficulties of finding Anthony Street.
Not apparent to dirvers on Route 23
Cullen Park as Main Street Park
Improve appearance of IGA building
- Ideas for IGA change of look: a cupola, clock tower or trellis on building
- Hide dumpster. Smell in summer
Too much asphalt
Beautiful hostas along passageway from IGA to Anthony Street
See old former garage building transformed as they did in Philmont (Local 111)
Break up large area of macadam
More than drive through town
§ Streetscape improvements
Slow traffic on Route 23
Crossing from Library to IGA is dangerous for children, elderly and handicapped
Concern of overhead wires- difficulty in removal
Continue and add new sidewalks.
Repair sidewalks
Paint façades
Slow traffic – put in numerous crosswalks and barriers
§ Access and linkages
Walkability –connections
Public transportation needed –Trolley for seniors, moms with kids and disable to get to town
Bike path to connect to other areas through signage
Beautify and add signage to pathways that join town
Unify street with signage, (street and buildings), lighting, planters, trees, wayfinding logo, benches
Anthony Street as center for linkages - to IGA, Post Office, Rail Trail
Remembrance of old Post Office location - thought of bringing Post Office back
Entrance from Rail Trail
§ Goliath
Encourage Goliath Galley/Art Center
Goliath as south end anchor
Vacated oil storage area for outdoor sculpture
More public/outdoor art
Encourage Goliath and other artists to move here
§ Masonic Temple
Make Masonic Temple into a Community and Activities Center
Masonic Lodge art collection as focal point
Use of area in front of Temple for parking.
§ Commercial vs. Residential
Division of residential + commercial poor/mix unclear
Concern for zoning to ensure commercial use
Rental vs owner-occupied
Activities/Businesses
Walk and bike-Wayfinding Tour
Street fairs and town events
Mix of commercial and residential
Focal point
Café
P.O.
Clock Tower
Masonic Temple
Cullen Park as prominent center
Sculpture Park
More banks
More cafes
Walking tour of historic homes- archive photos, civil war memorial
Flea market
Historic house tours
Partnerships
Town, Herrington’s and local builders to improve the buildings
Create an arts committee to encourage artist and artisans
Create a chamber of commerce for retailers
Models
Egremont – White Buildings
Philmont Local 111
Sturogeon Bay, Wisconsin (The Cape Cod of the Midwest)
Site 5 – Rail Trail/White Street
The area along the future Rail Trail could be a wonderful opportunity for entertainment and tourism. Workshop participants agreed that introducing more commercial retail that would support the Rail Trail, biking and hiking, and arts related activities would create a major destination. Participants suggested youth-oriented activities for the public spaces and in adjacent developments, specifically uses that would attract teenagers and young adults. An arts complex that includes a movie theater, café and retail could bring a vibrant youthful spirit to Hillsdale. Currently there is ample parking in the Herrington’s lot, which could support the parking demands of new commercial infill. People considered turning this lot into a municipal parking lot, with enhanced landscaping, and plenty of opportunities for benches and outdoor table seating. Pedestrian and bike access to Anthony Street and IGA, as well as Roe Jan Park from the Rail Trail was stressed. Generally, participants welcomed opportunities for clustered housing in the area but envisioned the area more as a tourist and entertainment hub.
Positives
Art Gallery-Goliath
Rail Trail
Open space along Rail Trail
Parking/Openess/Vacant
Views –Rheinstrom Hill*
Old house on hill
Adequate parking
Opportunities and Improvements
§ Image
Landscaping and shrub clean up
Improve sidewalks
Enhance Parking lot by planting trees, adding benches, tables for eating
Beautify Herrington Building
- municipal lot?
-organize and reduce
Large street trees
Beautify back of IGA
Revitalize park behind Cobble Pond
Landscape area between Herrington and Rail Trail
Fill empty building spaces
Paint
Signage
Lighting
Architecture guidelines
Better parking
Sidewalks
Underground utilities
Façade improvements
Bury utility wires
Landscaping
Maximize green spaces
§ Entertainment and Tourism
Entertainment and activities for youth
Theater, café, retail (arts complex)
Night activity
Encourage development of gallery
Sculpture park- Park opposite Goliath for open air seating, artwork, etc
Bring in businesses that people currently go to Hudson or Great Barrington to visit.
Develop Anthony Street
-More retail
Complete Rail Trail
§ Access and Linkages
Walkway to IGA/Access to Anthony Street
Police patrol to slow excessive speeders on Rt. 23 - Traffic control
Traffic flow – limit at White Hill Street
Develop Anthony Street commercial access from Rail Trail
§ Housing
density/cluster
Affordable
Businesses/Activities
Bike rental
Walking
Café
Laundromat
Pharmacy
Theater
Fast food restaurant (ex. Dunkin Donuts)
Outdoor seating
Arts, gallery, theater, music
Display space, windows
Ice skating
walking, biking
Places to eat breakfast/lunch-cafés, bistros, coffeeshop
Outdoor umbrellas and tables – European style square
Kids’ activities
Partnerships
H.V. Rail Trail Association
Goliath Art Gallery
-including art classes
Herrington’s
IGA
Hillsdale House Owners (relinking to parking)
Mt. Washington House
Volunteers
D.Wedlitz, architect
Models
Egremont (traffic)
Chatham (retail, theater, narrow streets)
Great Barrington (art, retail variety)
Millerton (walkable, theater, restaurants)
Kinderhook (historic preservation)
Sheffield
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