Downtown sent back to drawing board

It may take 30 years, but the realization of a downtown in Anderson took a step forward last week as a community planning session left audience members with visions of a vibrant downtown dancing in their heads.

The PMC consultants' proposals were met with enthusiasm and some debate at the Sept. 4 meeting involving about 25 residents, business people and city officials.

The consultants drafted some specific needs for the downtown, including a mixed use zoning ordinance that doesn't stand in the way of the kind of development the city wants in that area.

The new ordinance and the downtown label refer to an area bounded by North St., South St., Douglas St. and Interstate 5.

The city's planning department expects to approach the planning commission with a mixed use zoning ordinance in November, said John Stokes, director of planning for the city of Anderson.

The city hired PMC consultants to "provide expertise in writing the ordinance itself and they helped provide some visioning as a bonus," said Stokes.

They also drew up the following list of priorities for Anderson's downtown:

Visual penetration

The first thing the consultants recommended was removal of the wall of shrubs between drivers on Highway 273 and the businesses on East Center and West Center Streets.

This would allow for "visual penetration from highways into downtown," said Mark Brodeur. He stressed that visual penetration should be considered from any streets that carry the most traffic, namely Highway 273, South St., North St. and Interstate 5.

"Every business should have a sign high enough to be seen from the highway (Hwy. 273)," Brodeur said. "Let's decide to let people know that this is your downtown."

A focal point

The focal point catches the eye and draws you into the area, said Stokes. A focal point could include a statue (like Arcata), an historic courthouse like cities in the midwest and eastern U.S., a park, or a large church.

The consultants outlined a full block for a potential focal point bordered by Freeman, Ferry, East, and Howard Streets.

"A complete block would be too huge," Stokes said, adding that the city might be able to encourage some private development.

Theme

The consultants also recommended that the city incorporate an architectural theme for the downtown. For example, they said, one city repeated the design of the truss work of a nearby aqueduct into buildings' facades, park benches and other structures.

Some towns use more blatant motifs, such as a railroad theme or only Bavarian-style architecture. The consultants warned against the latter, saying that something too kitschy would drive some people away.

The consultants recommended a focal point such as a water tower with the words, "Downtown Anderson," to go along with their railroad motif example. The consultants proposed a series of railway cars to house businesses along East Center Street and depot-style buildings.

Most of the audience approvedof the idea of a focal point and theme but didn't like the railroad theme.

"Anderson's history is not rail, it's lumber," Dick Woolf said.

Raymond Randle suggested building a recreated saw mill museum for the town's focal point.

Double-loading

The consultants stressed that East Center and East Street should be the main streets of activity for the new downtown, due to the way traffic flows into them from South Street as well as for the visibility from Highway 273.

The consultants also said that East Center will not reach its economic potential until it is double-loaded, meaning businesses on both sides of the road.

Parking would not be a problem, Brodeur said, as another aspect of the downtown conversion process includes changing the area's parallel parking spaces to diagonal parking. The change would double the number of parking spaces. Anderson's wide streets permits this luxury, Brodeur said.

"Do you want a money machine or a place for contact with other people? Most of what has been said here is centered around a money machine," said Ellen Cote from the audience. "I picture a place where people can meet, and a place to socialize. We need green-space and trees between the sidewalks and streets."

Other audience members agreed that green-space and a place for people to meet as well as could be achieved with an active downtown.

"Locals would tend to get together and like each other if we had a place to go," said another audience member in favor of the downtown idea.

"We're trying to create an atmosphere for people to park one time and walk," added councilman Keith Webster.

Stokes appreciated the presentation, as the consultants asked the audience to come up with the actual changes to bring about a economically and ergonomically successful downtown area. "He made clear it's our town, that we need to figure these things out," Stokes said.