Wednesday November 5, 20086:30-8:30 p.m.
Henry Clay Elementary School
South James Street and Hanover Avenue, Ashland
How will we grow?
Ashland’s small-town charm and proximity to major roadway and transit networks make it an attractive and convenient place to live, work, and do business. Over the coming years, the Town is likely to attract new residents and jobs. Where would we like to invite those new people to live? Where would we like to encourage those new businesses to set up shop? How could new buildings, streets, and civic spaces be designed and located so that the Town benefits from growth and avoids the problems it can sometimes generate? These questions will be the focus of the upcoming workshop for the Ashland Town Plan Update. At this meeting, participants will have an opportunity to review the issues and opportunities identified at earlier workshops, learn about development trends affecting the Town, and generate ideas for shaping future growth.
The ideas generated at the workshop will help Town staff and the consultant team to develop and test scenarios that position the Town to maximize new economic development opportunities while enhancing community character and supporting core community values. Later in the planning process, residents will be asked to help craft a preferred scenario that defines how and where the community would like to see growth occur; and translate the preferred scenario into a series of goals and policy statements for each element of the Comprehensive Plan.
The workshop will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at Henry Clay Elementary School on South James Street at Hanover Avenue. All area residents, merchants, and civic group members are encouraged to attend. For more information, please contact Planning & Community Development at 804-798-1073.
Ashland’s small-town charm and proximity to major roadway and transit networks make it an attractive and convenient place to live, work, and do business. Over the coming years, the Town is likely to attract new residents and jobs. Where would we like to invite those new people to live? Where would we like to encourage those new businesses to set up shop? How could new buildings, streets, and civic spaces be designed and located so that the Town benefits from growth and avoids the problems it can sometimes generate? These questions will be the focus of the upcoming workshop for the Ashland Town Plan Update. At this meeting, participants will have an opportunity to review the issues and opportunities identified at earlier workshops, learn about development trends affecting the Town, and generate ideas for shaping future growth.
The ideas generated at the workshop will help Town staff and the consultant team to develop and test scenarios that position the Town to maximize new economic development opportunities while enhancing community character and supporting core community values. Later in the planning process, residents will be asked to help craft a preferred scenario that defines how and where the community would like to see growth occur; and translate the preferred scenario into a series of goals and policy statements for each element of the Comprehensive Plan.
The workshop will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at Henry Clay Elementary School on South James Street at Hanover Avenue. All area residents, merchants, and civic group members are encouraged to attend. For more information, please contact Planning & Community Development at 804-798-1073.
1 comment:
Most important...... I really hope you hire am experienced green infrastructure consultant before you actually accept the kind of development we talked about. Too many critical issues were left out. I did not have the data and information I needed to give good answers to the questions they were asking at the Henry Clay meeting, nor do I think did others. I hope the conclusions we reached at our table are not what the Town ends up with.
It might be helpful to ask the people who might be moving to Ashland what they would like. This seemed more an effort to get people as far away from the current town as possible.
Protect Town boundary: I was told the Town would not address a clear green line around the Town because the County is planning for development outside the Town. I don't think it is up to the County to maintain a green line for the Town, though it would surely help. This is something creative thinking could address even without the County's support.
Identify open space, natural areas, hubs and links...How much open space, community gathering places, and greenways will need to be added for this increased population...how many acres of parks, trails, and waterways will need to be set aside for people to feel comfortable around their homes and in the community. Where are the healthy ecosystems and natural areas that should to be set aside to provide water filtration and protection for town watersheds. Where is the Town land that is most important for recreation, alternative transportation, and natural area protection?
Alternative transportation and greenways How can Ashland work with the County to develop greenways to the places people actually go...schools and parks and homes. How can Ashland work with the County to develop safe routes for bicycles and pedestrians? How will the current planning impact the requirement that people get places in motor vehicles?
At the last meeting, the consultant did not know about the trolley line. Or the hope of a greenway to the Courthouse. Or a walking trail to schools.
When I mentioned walkable at the first meeting, I did not mean sidewalks, but greenways and nature trails. Wildlife corridors that provide shelter and transit for deer and other animals....not leaving them to get lost on downtown streets running into store windows (it's happened here). And the trees I hoped for were not Bradford pears and crepe myrtles, but natural plantings of native plants and trees.
Twice now I've been asked to participate in a survey about mass transportation in Ashland. I told them I drive to Ashland and want to walk wherever I go. I would be sorry if Ashland did not begin green infrastructure planning to support a walkable community and instead funded buses or trolleys. They said I did not fit their survey.
Cool City, tree canopy and carbon footprint....What kind of tree canopy do we need to meet federal air pollution standards? Where are the trees that will be absorbing and storing the carbon our vehicles and homes are producing? Where will we be adding trees to absorb increased production of greenhouse gases in the future? The oldest and best forests in Ashland were not indicated on that map (and I know many of them have been cut recently).
Ashland could become a better community to live in....not just aspire to not mess up what it's got.
I hope you will prepare a well thought through green infrastructure plan before you plan for houses and businesses.
Specifics:
The trolley line utilization, protection and extension.
A greenway to Washington Lacy Park....and then to the Courthouse.
Continue the original plan to develop a circle of parks around the community.
Repair the development on Maple St.
Connecting parks and greenways around all areas where people want to get to or from. Identify and protect wildlife corridors through Ashland (they are there). (DCR) These can also be people corridors.
Watershed protection and repair, especially Mechumps Creek, Stony Run and other areas that had been channelized in the past but can be repaired with ripples and pools. (RMC's Chas Gowan)
Encourage individuals to build the kinds of homes they want, not what developers want.
Do not change the buildings on Center St. but expand the downtown area. Fix England St. with infill development, replace Henry Clay Shopping Center, put parking in back and inviting trees and sidewalks in front.
Invite business downtown that people actually use...like Cross's and the library. A drug store, bank, small department store, etc..
Fix the new building on Rt. 1 across from Ukrops to have a sidewalk and access on the road. Make it walkable.
Encourage protection of old trees over cut and plant new trees. Give tax incentives for old growth trees.
Wildlife protection east of 95...this is a very rich area.
Connect west and east of 95 with walking trails somehow getting through the Interstate.
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