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Town of Gorham
November 19, 2001
AGENDA MINUTES
LOCATION: Gorham High School Auditorium, 41 Morrill Avenue, Gorham, Maine
Members Present: Staff Present:
HAROLD GRANT, Chairman DEBORAH F. FOSSUM, Dir. of Planning & Zoning
CLARK NEILY, Vice Chair. AARON D. SHIELDS, Assistant Planner
DOUGLAS BOYCE PENELOPE E. OVERTON, Clerk of the Board
N. A. MARTIN, III
SUSAN ROBIE
RICHARD SHIERS
Members Absent:
MICHAEL PARKER
The Chairman called the meeting to order at 7:02 PM and introduced the Agenda. Deborah Fossum introduced consultants Terry DeWan, L.A. and Thomas Farmer, L.A., of Terrance J. DeWan & Associates, Yarmouth, Maine, and Peter Hedrick, P.E., of DeLuca-Hoffman & Associates, South Portland, Maine. Ms. Fossum outlined the meeting format as being a presentation period; a question and answer period; workshop study; and finally presentation of ideas from the various study groups. Ms. Fossum gave a brief history of the Main Street Master Plan improvement project including the original downtown study completed in 1976 which recommended a by-pass route around the village center and the upgrading of Main Street for intersection improvements with an additional turning lane. She noted that those ideas still are valid but now
include enhancements for traffic calming measures, pedestrian facilities, better village parking, and streetscape amenities. The impetuous for the current planning project comes from the Comprehensive Plan adopted in 1994, which was followed by the appointment of the Village Improvements Committee. The Committee worked with Wilbur Smith Associates and landscape architect Todd Richardson to develop the Main Street Master Plan. Portions of that plan that were adopted in 1998 recommended development of a more specific plan for the Main Street improvements, i.e. access management, traffic, sidewalk and streetscape improvements. She noted that Mr. DeWan and Mr. Hedrick have concentrated on these improvements during their studies the past one and a half years and now need the input of the community in order to make final recommendations for the Master Plan.
Terry DeWan then gave a computer-generated presentation, which included slides of the current downtown area and improvements foreseen for the village center. He clarified that this is only a preliminary sketch plan and may not necessarily be what the residents or business owners in the area may have envisioned. Mr. DeWanbusinesses downtown; and streetscaping to improve the appearance of existing parking lots utilizing street trees, flowering shrubs, or hanging buckets of flowers; lighting quality, character and spacing; details, i.e. seating, screening, walls, and artwork; pedestrian improvements with crosswalks, concrete sidewalks, pavers, divided areas for seating, connections to rear parking lots; residential compatibility with the creation of fences, hedges, avoidance of light pollution; neighborhood input on new design construction.
Peter Hedrich discussed the downtown plan from a traffic flow perspective. He covered a 4-6-block area of Main Street, from the Village Center at South Street and School Street to New Portland Road and Mechanic Street. He noted that safety is a concern for both vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic all along that Main Street area currently classified by the Maine DOT as both a “high crash location” and having a “poor quality of traffic flow”. He noted pedestrians only have two safe crossings along the 1,200-foot strip, being at the Village Center and at New Portland Road traffic signal. New safety proposals would include shortening the crosswalk at Village Square; additional of a center turning lane on Main Street from Cross Street to Elm Street; a new traffic signal at Elm and
Water Streets near Hannaford Bros.; and left turning lanes for easterly turning traffic at the Citco / Village Mall area and for Hannaford Bros. on westerly turning side. Mr. Hedrich highlighted a proposal for a larger island for a three-step crossing at the Main Street/New Portland Road area; and the Hannaford Bros. improvements showing illustrations of cross sections of the road with minimum 3
Mr. DeWan recapped the Master Plan for the south side of Main Street pointing out parking from Main to Elm Street noting the condition of the area; side walks; buildings; number of utilities; the presence of single family homes, some of which have been converted to office space; use of rear parking areas; and a large tree on Main Street to be utilized in the Master Plan. Mr. DeWan stated that where there would be no on street parking, the parking would be supplied from the rear parking lots, and that this would only be possible if willing land owners can make certain inter-connections between the parking areas, in such a way as to avoid having straight shots through the rear lots with a series of walk ways to both access the rear parking and encourage pedestrian traffic. He stated that this was more of a long-term vision
for the area that will have to work as property became available, not forcing anyone to give up his or her property, and at the same time, integrate parking to make it more uniform. Mr. DeWan noted the consolidation of curb cuts to curtail a potential traffic problem as identified by the engineering consultant.
Mr. DeWan gave the same overview for the north side of Main Street, noting current institutional uses such as Gorham Saving Bank and the old post office building, the relative good condition of the area side walks, use of street trees; and that old 40
Mr. DeWan reviewed the Master Plan starting at School to Cross Streets noting the current unlimited number of curb cuts, i.e. “7 Eleven” convenience store, with the Plan calling for an adjustment to the curb line for room for expanded sidewalk area and possible landscaping or artwork, to provide for a pedestrian presence. Again, Mr. DeWan addressed the current “7 Eleven” convenience store and hoped that in the future as the property developed or became more developed, it could provide a more village-like presence to Main Street. This could possibly be accomplished by bringing the building to the forefront, closer to the street, with side and rear parking available. Mr. DeWan explained this could be done by looking at ways of relating to surrounding architecture, to show how the line of buildings
along Main Street might be reestablished to create much more of a downtown presence.
Mr. DeWan addressed the north side of Main Street from Cross to Water Street as being the most far reaching in the Main Street Plan in terms of consolidation of parking areas. He stated currently the typical pattern is a small parking area in the rear accessed by a gravel driveway; the long-term plan would consolidate those driveways concentrating access onto Cross Street and Water Street, near the old post office This would provide potential for additional parking that serves the downtown community, better access and safer travel conditions. He said that it would be easy to think of this as being a throughway, but stressed that it is not, and should simply be viewed as a driveway to provide an easy way to get from one parking area to another with certain built in twists and turns, speed tables, etc. to keep vehicles
within a 15-20 MPH speed limit. Mr. DeWan stated that what ever happens in the long term, needs to be done in close coordination with residents to be sure their privacy is not effected in anyway. This would be accomplished with enforcement of both landscaping and stockade or detailed fencing on either side of property lines, and utilization of cut-off lighting to provide safety and prevent light pollution onto the rear lots.
Mr. DeWan summarized the north side improvements from New Portland Road to the shopping center as being changes to intersections, islands, traffic movements, additional sidewalks, landscaping, etc., much of which will coincide with the commencement of the Hannaford Bros. improvements. He noted that there will be specific recommendations for 1) the parking lot and vacant land on the other side of “Subway”; 2) circulation patterns for Water and Elm Streets as well as along the bank building on the corner; and 3) reduction of pavement width at the curb-cuts in order to prevent zooming in and out; looking at details of landscaping for size and type; and 4) suggested improvements for the Post Office drop box. Mr. DeWan pointed out completed improvements in the area for the new “Rite Aid” signage,
landscaping, building location, citing, and design, i.e. scaling down in size of their new building. He noted future considerations should include growth items and details for curbing, outbuildings and storage, drainage, provide pedestrians connections and walkways that will prevent erosion patterns, and maintenance.
Mr. DeWan reviewed Water Street, in back of the shopping center, for ways to interconnect the parking areas; and illumination of the driveway on the right side of the former drive-through bank to reduce the number of curb-cuts along Main Street allowing people to travel through the back side. Improvements for additional landscaping and pedestrian walkways and connections would transform Gorham into a model for pedestrian accessibility. Mr. DeWan covered the south side of Main Street from Elm to Mechanic Streets including the approved Hannaford Bros. site. He stated that it was a duplication of effort to have driveways both at “Subway” and to Hannaford Bros. and suggested consolidating and interconnecting the parking through the Hannaford Bros. out-parcel. This would illuminate dead end parking spaces providing
a safer situation and would provide an opportunity to do some landscaping. He stated that a stonewall with an existing beautiful old tree would then become the focal point for a small sitting area along Main Street similar to the former Shop
Mr. DeWan then divided the audience into three work-study groups for discussion reporting their top items for change and top for immediate consideration.
The meeting convened to 3 study groups from 7:50 to 8:43 PM
Discussion feed back by the three groups from the public:
Group 2 Table Leader Susan Robie stated that her groupwalkways.
Group 3 Table Leader N. A. Martin stated that his group
Group 1 Table Leader Thomas Greer stated that their group overwhelmingly supported the plan including proposals for 1) a center turning lane, and 2) on-street parking. The group saw priorities as sidewalks and crossings all along Main Street and at the Center; access management; and interconnected parking lots. He cited improvements to the Village Mall as a good, easy first-step in that director. Mr. Greer stated that the group saw the suggested improvements for detentions near “Amato's” as being negative, stating that it was difficult enter and exit the property. He stated that the improvement to this popular entrance/ exit on to those parking lots would be a tough sell, and suggested a second access to Preble Street or another connection on to Main Street would be better. The group was very receptive
to interconnected parking with a suggestion of municipal incentive either in the capital end of it or maintenance, tax incentive, etc. Group thought it was asking a lot to have individual businesses provide for inter-connective parking when surrounding parcels may not be developed for twenty years. Mr. Greer closed by addressing culture and art and suggested bringing back old pictures and historical items such as the old horse water trough that was in the middle of Main Street and Main Street archway that were once part of the Village character and charm.
Terry DeWan and Deborah Fossum thanked everyone for their participation and asked all to be sure to sign the attendance sheet and to note any additional comments or remarks. They stated that the comments would be available via both written and video. Ms. Fossum closed by stating that consultants will be submitting a final report to the Town Council.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00.
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Penelope Overton
Clerk of the Board
November 19, 2001
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