RSVP NOW! Resident Meeting on November 7

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENT

There will be a meeting for ALL Hillsdale residents so that they can contribute ideas at this beginning stage of the planning process.

When: From 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, PPS will collect ideas and suggestions from Town and Hamlet residents at a Placemaking Workshop.

Where: Mt. Washington House, Rt. 23, Hillsdale, NY

What you’ll do at the Workshop:

After introductory remarks, we'll break into small groups - each group being led by a PPS planner. From there, we'll visit key places in the Hamlet, rate them as they currently exist, and suggest ways to make them better. Upon return to Mt. Washington house we'll discuss the results of the tour, and gather the suggestions for the future of the Hamlet from all of the groups. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring rain gear as needed.

We really hope you can participate in this important event — your input is critical to the success of this project!

We DO need to know how many are coming so we can plan accordingly. RSVP by sending an email to David Ruede at davidruede@gmail.com or you can leave him a phone message at 718-290-4218.

Project surveys coming soon

PPS is preparing a survey to be distributed to residents (we need at least 100 participants), pedestrians (we need 50) and ALL business owners. The purpose of the survey is to gauge people’s perceptions and sensitivities, desires and needs concerning issues such as pedestrian comfort, safety and security, retail needs, housing needs, community events and programs, and appearance and character of the Hamlet.

Very soon, volunteers from the Hamlet Committee and the community will assist in the distribution and collection of these surveys. A memorandum on the survey results will be available after they are completed, and we'll post it on the blog.

Progress Report: Week of October 18-24

A kick-off meeting with PPS and the Hamlet Committee was held at the Hillsdale Town Hall on Monday, October 19. PPS presented the key issues we will work on during the initial phase. These items included a discussion of the format for a public meeting on November 7; interviews with stakeholders; an upcoming written questionnaire for a survey of public opinion. All are detailed below. Minutes of the Oct. 19 kick-off meeting will be available shortly, and will be posted to this blog.

Walking Tour: Following the kick off meeting, PPS and the Committee toured the Hamlet. Photographs were taken to record conditions for further study. In addition, the group scouted locations and picked five key sites. Participants at the Nov. 7 meeting will document existing conditions at those sites, and that will need to be addressed during the design process. The five sites are:
1. The intersection of Routes 23 and 23 including Maple Street and the area south of the intersection down to Stewart's and the Post Office,
2. Anthony Street down to the old Agway and the surrounding buildings.
3. The Town Hall, Veteran's Memorial, vacant lot across the street and the Hamlet Park.
4. Monument Square, including Hillsdale House, IGA, Library, Mt. Washington House, etc.
5. The entire Herrington complex including White Hill Lane.

Minutes of this site tour and photo documentation of existing conditions will be presented shortly by PPS.

Interviews: Using the Town Hall, PPS spent the afternoon of October 19 and all day October 20 conducting interviews with key individuals and stakeholders of the community in order to better understand the existing conditions and destinations, civic uses, opportunities for future development and what new destinations are needed. Stakeholders interviewed included Town and County officials, Planning Board members, Zoning Board members, key business owners and local Hamlet and Town property owners. For a list of all those who were interviewed, visit this link: http://plannerdocs.blogspot.com/2009/10/list-of-those-interviewed-by-pps-on-oct_25.html

Minutes of the interviews and a summary of ideas will be available shortly.

Scope of this Project

We interviewed four different planning firms before recommending Project for Public Spaces (to learn more about PPS, visit their web site at http://www.pps.org/) to the Town Board as our choice for a planning consultant. The contract with Project for Public Spaces (PPS) was signed the week of October 12 by Meg Walker, Vice President, PPS, and Art Baer, Hillsdale Town Supervisor.

The Purpose of the Plan

• To develop a framework for the Hamlet’s future growth and development, consistent with the needs and desires of the people and with best environmental practices;
• To help residents, businesses and town officials to anticipate and meet the challenges of developmental pressures;
• And to maintain the Hamlet’s unique character and safeguard its environmental, architectural and historic resources.
  

To view the entire Scope of Work for the project as approved by the Town and the Hamlet Committee, go here: http://plannerdocs.blogspot.com/2009/10/scope-of-work-for-hamlet-planner.html

Request for Proposal

The Hillsdale Hamlet Committee sent out a detailed Request for Proposal to four different firms before selecting Project for Public Spaces to undertake this project. To see the RFP, click here: http://plannerdocs.blogspot.com/2009/10/request-for-hamlet-planner-proposal.html

www.pps.org

Project for Public Spaces is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Founded in 1975, PPS embraces the insights of William (Holly) Whyte, a pioneer in understanding the way people use public spaces. Today, PPS has become an internationally recognized center for best-practices, information, and resources about Placemaking.

Check out their website!

How to Add Comments

We look forward to your comments, questions, and feedback. To post your thoughts, click on Comments. A new window will pop up, and that's where you type in your submission. When you're finished click Post Comment. An email will be sent to the Blog administrator who will post your comment for others to see.

Welcome to the Blog!

We have created this blog as a place for Hillsdale residents to share ideas and opinions about our community. Please visit often and share your thoughts with us!