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Date: 1/9/2024
LUDLOW — Weston and Sampson Senior Project Manager Janet Moonan met with the Planning Board at its Dec. 14 meeting to discuss the East Street Revitalization District.
Moonan said she and her company have been working with Town Administrator Marc Strange and Town Planner Doug Stefancik on a community development grant that was awarded to the town in the amount of $75,000.
The scope includes developing concepts for the East Street Revitalization District, designing and developing standards for the district and an amendment to the existing East Street Revitalization District zoning bylaw.
“This includes thinking about public safety, parking, accessibility, improved visuals to make the neighborhood sort of feel more vibrant, alive, encourage the businesses. It also includes coming up with some design and development standards. Those are to support those visions so things like benches, pavers, what tree planters there are or any sort of vegetation,” Moonan added.
Weston and Sampson began planning for this project in February 2023 by conducting multiple surveys to receive feedback from residents on what they would like to see added to this district.
The survey looked for the public’s opinion on several topics including availability of parking, ways to improve pedestrian safety, addition/improvement of green spaces, benches, bike racks, banners, seasonal decorations and consistent signage, economic opportunities including temporary outdoor dining spaces, art installations and mini-pocket parks.
“So far, primarily we have been working on the concepting. We put out a public survey and got really good responses. A hundred and ninety or so folks in the corridor and neighborhoods responded and they gave us input,” Moonan said.
Most responses dealt with the lack of parking, especially during events, weekly business hours and on Friday and Saturday during peak dinner hours.
Moonan said, “This is the very first phase of work that would require more actual design work so this doesn’t even include a topographic survey or anything like this. We are working from geographic information system type design data with a bunch of site locks we completed.”
Moonan also discussed amending the current zoning bylaw related to the East Street Revitalization District.
She said, “We have done a review of that and looked at some other communities that might be good representation of corridors that have promoted sort of a business sense in a sort of residential type mix.”
Moonan said the town needs to have a conversation about the overlay district itself by discussing goals for the corridor,
Those goals would be if the East Street district should remain as an overlay district or become a new district. The town also needs to confirm the area that is included within the district.
“What we have heard from town staff is the goal is to encourage the revitalization of this corridor by promoting walkability, attractiveness and sound development while preserving character and creating some green space in the corridor,” Moonan added.
Planning Board member Chris Coelho said he has lived in that district for many years and lighting was a problem.
He added, “If you want to compel a walking type of area, having buildings up against the road tend to be helpful to promote that kind of atmosphere. So, I think we would have to take a look at our setbacks. With green space, it is hard to mix the two because you either have a building up against the road or you have some green space.”
Moonan said that since there is such a limited area, they will have to continue to have conversations if they want to either encourage the buildings to be as close to the road as possible or encourage some planting up front.
Planning Board member Josh Carpenter discussed how the district contains different areas and he would like to see more lighting and parking added.
He said, “It’s a unique overlay because depending on which end of the overlay you look at, King Street where Luso [Federal Credit Union] down to Kirkland [Avenue] that’s predominantly residential with some green space then the further you go down East Street towards Sewall [Street] and that area, it starts becoming more downtown feeling with businesses.”
Right now, the zoning bylaw says, “The district would include nonindustrial parcels that abut East Street and light partly or completely within 200 feet of East Street.
“That seemed a little nebulous to us whether it was all parcels within 200 feet of East Street or whether it was just abutting parcels,” Moonan said.
Moonan presented a draft to the Planning Board added that Weston and Sampson have proposed to refine the language, so it’s clearly defined what parcels abut East Street and their uses.
The parcels are also going to be shown on a map so that people can refer to visual of the district instead of it being completely narrative.
After receiving feedback, Moonan said the next steps will include providing edits by early January and get a zoning bylaw amendment ready for Town Meeting in May.
The Planning Board also asked to receive a draft of what a separate district would like entirely and decide which one they think be better for the town.
Moonan said she will meet with the Planning Board again on Jan. 11.