The City of Old Town will hold a public workshop on downtown master planning at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17 at the Old Town Public Library. Residents and business owners are urged to take part in this important community meeting to offer their input on developing goals for the revitalization of the downtown.
Work on a downtown redevelopment plan started recently, with the eventual goal to be to get a consensus on what the city council and community want done in the near future and long-term.
A list of 14 goals has been developed by a committee overseeing the master plan review. In addition to three public meetings where input will be sought, feedback is being sought on the reuse of the former Old Town Canoe site; evaluation of the capacity and condition of the downtown’s infrastructure; necessary upgrades for long-term planning objectives; evaluating the condition of downtown area buildings and recommend improvements; identify specific business types needed in the downtown; evaluate the feasibility of residential, commercial or mixed use for the upper stories of buildings; identify historic preservation opportunities; suggesting aesthetic improvements; evaluating ways to integrate green space, the river, and Riverfront Park into a revitalization strategy; including pedestrian issues and traffic calming and flow recommendations; identifying downtown marketing and funding and grant opportunities; and providing a conceptual rendering depicting the planning goals.
In addition to the forums, questionnaires were distributed at last week’s elections (for those who didn’t get one, they also are available at City Hall, the library, and Camden National Bank, as well as online at the city’s website), asking residents what they did and didn’t support for areas such as downtown improvements; sidewalks, crosswalks, and trails; economic development; local regulations; and housing.
Dates for the second and third forums have not yet been set, but they likely will follow in mid-winter to late spring. Wright-Pierce will compile the data from the public meetings and questionnaires, which will presented at the last forum for review and further comment.
Those who have questions should contact Ron Harriman, Economic Development Director at 947-8595 or email him atRonharriman5@gmail.com.