RUMFORD – Revitalization of a town takes more than just fixing a few things. It involves organization of committees and subcommittees, economic and marketing plans and a design that results in a friendlier, more inviting place to be, according to consultants charged with helping the town develop a revitalization plan..
Richard Rothe, of Rothe Associates, and Amanda Walker, of Kent Associates, walked through a proposal for energizing the town’s business districts at a meeting of the Downtown Revitalization Committee on Tuesday night.
It was the last meeting of the committee before a draft plan goes before the public on Nov. 2.
During the past six months, the committee, headed up by Rumford Town Manager Steve Eldridge, has looked at traffic patterns, landscaping and beautification needs, marketing and housing requirements and a myriad of other topics in its study of Congress and Waldo streets.
Included among the suggestions devised at Tuesday’s meeting and that will be commented on by residents at the Nov. 2 hearing are:
• Looking at options for a possible change in traffic pattern on Congress Street. Some on the committee believe the current one-way flow heading south to the intersection with Route 108 dumps people out of town and makes it difficult for those who don’t know the town to find the business district. Others say two-way traffic has resulted in a nightmare of congestion when the street was two-way. One option may be to change the one-way pattern to heading north toward Memorial Bridge.
• Identifying ways scenic views of the river can be tied in with Memorial Park. Suggestions include opening up Memorial Park on the water side by removing some of the vegetation while retaining the historic iron fence in the front of the park and creating safer crosswalks to the park.
• Studying the use of the lot on which the former Agway building is located for additional parking.
• Further developing the town’s Web site to provide a broader listing of buildings, land parcels, services and other amenities, and to link it with related Web sites.
• Developing ways to make the downtown entrances more visible and more attractive.
• Looking into ways the Greater Rumford Community Center can be expanded at its current site so that it can offer more recreational activities.
Among the suggestions for Waldo Street are:
• Emphasizing parks, green spaces and landscaping.
• Discussing with the Maine Department of Transportation the possibility of redesigning Waldo Street as Route 2.
• Conducting a survey of housing needs in the neighborhood, then work with appropriate housing agencies.
• Establishing a neighborhood improvement committee.
Once the draft for revitalizing Congress and Waldo streets has received public comment and has been rewritten, Eldridge said selectmen will act on it at their Nov. 17 board meeting.
With a plan in hand, Eldridge plans to apply for grants to put some of the ideas into action.
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