On Saturday March 6, nearly 100 residents showed up to attend a public meeting at Mt. Washington House to hear Project for Public Spaces present their draft plan for the future of the Hamlet.
Meg Walker, VP at PPS and the leader of the Hillsdale Planning Team, presented the major concepts of the draft plan, including:
I. Development of Key Destinations within the Hamlet:
a. Hamlet Park
b. Rail Trail Village
c. Cullen Park
d. Historic Row on 23
e. Anthony Street development
f. The Route 22 route 23 intersection
II. Traffic Calming proposals for routes 22 and 23
III. Sidewalk plan for Rts. 22 and 23
Norman Mintz, a PPS Main Street Consultant, discussed ways that current merchants could renovate their storefronts. He also reviewed business signage and made suggestions and stressed the importance of the town’s entry signs and the development of signs to lead motorists and pedestrians to our businesses.
Sarah Crowell, a PPS business development consultant, reviewed the demographics of the town as they relate to local business that already exist within the town and gave suggestions on the kinds of businesses we might attract.
The last 30 minutes of the presentation were devoted to questions from the audience. Now that the draft has been presented, PPS and the Hamlet Committee will set to work exploring the ideas further with this new feedback in mind.
Check back to this Blog soon as the entire draft plan will be posted here for your comment and review. It will also be available at town hall, along with a box to leave comments.
As always, your thoughts and suggestions are encouraged. Should you have any difficulty leaving comments here, check the link in the top right-corner of this page for a quick tutorial.
