Design consultants and city leaders presented a draft master plan for the “head property” between the firehouse and Harrods Creek at a joint City Council and Architectural Review Committee meeting, outlining a mixed-use Main Street, a civic square and amphitheater, multifamily housing and parking decks meant to keep surface lots out of public-facing blocks.

Mike Watkins, a member of the design team, described the study area and the plan’s key moves, saying designers had prioritized connectivity, drainage and existing site constraints. “For example…before we can definitively say this is how we're handling stormwater, we need to show the engineers a plan so they know what kind of drainage and runoff might be generated,” Watkins said, and added that final stormwater sizing and calculations remain to be done.

The plan sketches two traffic circles on Route 42 to organize entry into the site and a Main Street lined with shops and outdoor dining with apartments above. Watkins said the design places parking behind buildings where possible and anticipates two parking decks, one wrapped by surrounding buildings and another adjacent to an electric substation that would be screened. “The most important form of parking…is the on-street parking,” Watkins said, adding decks would be used where on-street supply is insufficient.

A centerpiece civic square was presented as a flexible space for festivals, markets and concerts, with an adjacent civic building site and a proposed outdoor amphitheater. Watkins said the plan illustrates potential connections to neighboring developments — including a previously proposed Ken Carlo connection — but stressed any new right-of-way would require conversations with adjoining property owners.

Local business owner Gustavo, who opened Gustavo’s in 2025, told the council he supports the project but urged traffic-safety fixes around his restaurant, saying he “almost had an accident” when exiting and asking for improvements that would keep customers and young workers in town. Other residents praised the process of early public review and urged attention to pedestrian space, sidewalk width and long-term livability.

Watkins said the presentation was “fresh off the table” and part of an ongoing dialogue with residents, the architectural review committee and engineers; he invited follow-up comments and suggested tours of Norton Commons to study comparable design decisions. The council closed the session to follow-up discussion and moved on to procedural items.

The next steps, presenters said, include refining parking counts and stormwater calculations, engaging adjoining property owners about possible connections and returning to council with more detailed drawings and data before any zoning or formal approvals.

The meeting adjourned after a motion to end the session.