Friends of Main Street Design Committee

Friends of Main Street Design Committee

By Sandra Vaill, Winsted

This is the third in a series of articles to be written by Friends of Main Street participants who serve on the Organization Committee. We will attempt to give the community an overview and understanding of the Friends of Main Street and where our goals and endeavors will take us.

The Design Committee's primary goal is to help preserve and restore our downtown's historic character and identity, thereby increasing its value. A crucial first step is to identify the assets that make our downtown unique, as capitalizing on these assets will provide a solid foundation for a successful Main Street initiative. Quality must be the goal in every aspect of renewalâ014from storefront design to promotional campaigns. Quality earns respect and builds confidence.

Bringing back Main Street requires changing people's attitude and behavior, as well as their environment. Community members must learn not only to view Main Street as a viable center of commercial and civic activity, but also to incorporate Main Street into their regular routines. Frequent, visible changes in the look and activities of the commercial district will reinforce the perception of positive change. Small, but dramatic, improvements early in the process will remind the community that the revitalization effort is underway.

Several Design Committee goals for our downtown are: actively planning its future development rather than passively watching it happen; guiding its growth and reshaping applicable regulations to fit what we want our downtown area to look like; motivating others to make changes; creating incentives; providing tools and targeting key projects; organizing workshops for downtown store owners; educating ourselves and others about good design and why it's important; providing good design advice; auditing general appearance, traffic and parking; and creating a pedestrian-friendly environment, streetscape and signage.

We want to attract more people to walk and gather in our downtown by increasing its physical value through the use of new construction, rehabilitation, and design of public space. Old businesses will thrive and new businesses will want to move to our Main Street. Pedestrians will enjoy walking and shopping in a new and pleasant environment.