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Council frames downtown revitalization plan, asks EDA for clearer direction
Summary
At a town strategic workshop, council members set short-, mid- and long-term economic-development goals focused on downtown revitalization, clearer communication with the EDA, incentives for grocers/hospitality and a downtown master plan tied to the CIP.
The council on Tuesday opened a strategic-planning workshop focused on economic development, asking the town’s economic development authority to operate with clearer, council-set priorities and identifying downtown revitalization as a near-term goal. Moderator said the meeting would organize goals into short-, mid- and long-term actions and tie them to the budget and a CIP.
Council members said the EDA has received little direction in recent years and urged a short-term action to establish “close communication with the EDA,” a written set of priorities and a marketing packet for potential retailers. One member summarized a recent exchange, saying the EDA “has been provided no direction over the last decade,” and recommended sending the EDA clearer goals so staff and the authority can work in lockstep.
Discussion centered on defining the geographic scope of “downtown” — whether it should be the historic Main Street core or a broader commercial strip — and on tangible steps that could boost foot traffic. Ideas included phased tax rebates or grants, a revolving loan seeded with ARPA funds to support façade improvements and a modest hotel overlay in selected parcels. The Moderator noted a CIP item flagged in staff materials: an identified approximately $2,000,000 capital need for infrastructure that should be sequenced in the town’s long-range capital plan.
Council members also raised the impact of new rail service. Staff said there are roughly eight scheduled trips carrying about 50 passengers each, but members asked for better data on whether riders walk into downtown or drive to other towns. Business owners who spoke with council members reported visitors saying they didn’t see options downtown, underscoring the case for coordinated marketing, more downtown events and the re-introduction of a farmers market.
The council agreed to make a downtown master plan an immediate objective to address parking, connectivity, sidewalks and the train station link; members recommended coordinating events with train schedules and leveraging the Chamber and Main Street to organize business outreach. The meeting ended with an instruction for staff to provide a CIP form and for council members to supply initial project ideas so the town can build a 5–10 year capital plan.
