HOTEL WINDHAM REDEVELOPMENT CDS REQUEST - Congressionally Directed Spending - Senator Sanders

BELLOWS FALLS - AREA WIDE PLAN

Current Ongoing Brownfields Work in Bellows Falls

Island District and Under the Hill District

The Area Wide Plan (AWP) is a conceptual plan for redevelopment of the Bellows Falls Island and Under the Hill Districts. The AWP includes elements of transit-oriented development, public infrastructure and transportation, bridge and streetscape projects, historic preservation, adaptive reuse of existing structures and wayfinding.

Financial Feasibility Study 2023

Final Plan Draft - To be presented to: 1) Bellows Falls Area Development Corporation August 9, 2023 2) Sustainable Valley Group September 2023 3) Bellows Falls Historical Society August/September 2023 4) Town and Villages Joint Board - TBD

Public Meeting Presentation Materials:

Poster, Target Area Summary, Environmental Overview, Area Wide Plan Analysis, and Site Overview

Property and Building Existing Conditions Inventory

Public Meeting and Focus Groups June 10, 2021:

Public Meeting Recording

Community Organizations Focus Group Recording

Property and Business Owner Focus Group Recording

Public Meeting - Second Round August 12, 2021:

Step 2 - Presentation of Incorporated First Round Input: Public Meeting - Discussion and Voting

AWP - Presentation Boards for Voting and discussion (input is open until August 29, 2021):

• Canal Focus Sketch

• Walking Focus Sketch

• Residential Focus Sketch

• Industrial Focus Sketch

  Please Vote as follows:

  1. Pick a concept that you want to include (title at the bottom of the presentation boards) so: “Mixed-Use Village” or “Industrial Focus” or “Walk, Culture, Restore”, or “Canal Place”.  E-mail that choice to Bellows Falls Areawide Plan bfareawideplan@gmail.com

   

  2. Pick 5 aspects from the boards (can be from multiple boards) such as “New Industrial Development”, “Fire Pits above Canal”, “Bridge St Mixed-Use Infill”, “New Walking Loop – New River Overlooks option”,   and “Elevated Suspension Pedestrian Bridge over the canal”; and e-mail them to: Bellows Falls Areawide Plan bfareawideplan@gmail.com

   

  3. General or specific comments and input are welcome.

Voting Tally of Overall Concept Boards (during meeting / in the room):

 Board Titled Mixed-Use Village = 4

 Board Titled Walk, Culture, Restore = 3

 Board Titled Canal Place = 1

 Board Titled - Industrial Focus = 0

Voting Tally of Ideas (during meeting / in the room):

 Riverfront trail = 9

 Abenaki cultural places = 9

 Canal walk with fun lighting = 7

 Station Café = 7

 Industrial development = 6

 Tiny Houses = 6

 Mixed-use transit-oriented development = 4

 Renovate lower mill for mixed-use residential = 4

 Amphitheater (near TLR) = 3

 Riverfront overlooks = 3

 Renovate lower mill for power user = 3

 Welcome / arrival place / Welcome Overlook (near Meatland property) = 2 + 3

 Renovate lower mill for restaurant / brewery = 2

 New Brew Pub (near off-alignment bridge) = 1

 Improve Character of Bridge Street = 1

 Mixed use infill along Bridge Street = 1

 Tiny Shops = 0

 Fire pits on canal = 0

 Perimeter connecting walk = 0

 Suspension Bridge = 0

 Raised pedestrian overpass (for river trail) = 0

 On street walking loops = 0

 Remove lower mill and restore land = 0

Second Public Meeting 8/12/21

Comments:

·         Would like to preserve 1930’s gas station

·         Would like to preserve industrial/paper heritage of area

·         Concerned about removing any parking – because some parking dedicated to hotel

·         Concern about new retail on island competing with The Square

·         Like walking trail and Abenaki concepts

·         Like tiny houses on canal

·         Like preserving lower mill – maybe for office use – don’t see a large restaurant going in there

·         Like big outer loop trail more than mixed use trail

·         Like connecting to other parks

·         Canal Plan is very exciting – lighting up is a great idea & would allow for redevelopment of back side of square

·         Robert McBride suggested fountains or other water features on or over the canal

·         Can off alignment bridge have sidewalks?

·         Should take advantage of natural resources, views and historic elements of area

·         Developing trails would help attract new development – even small devel

·         What need to be done first by the town?

·         Suggest 1st big walking loop and tiny houses (some concern about trains)

·         Overall concern about costs and maintenance

·         Gary suggested that a TIF District could help