HRSR INFORMATION 09-23-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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it's lack of space.The owner of the ing to house the post office, which invested millions of dollars in the property leased by the USPS in attracts several hundred customers a Pineapple Grove neighborhood, and downtown Delray Beach doesn't day, Glenn Weiss, executive director a visit to the post office provides a • want to renew.With of Pineapple Grove way for regular people to discover no budget to build a �� Main Street, says the transformed neighborhood. `"The facility, and little If somebody's lost in that his research post office is extremely significant to vacant space down- the neighborhood, indicates that it's the success of our business district,„ town suitable to they're looking for the a money-losing Weiss says. "If somebody's lost in house the whole post office.” proposition. The the neighborhood,they're looking for facility, including only privately run post office boxes, a post office in the the post office.Without that public sorting facility, and counter service, area loses$60,000 to $70,000 a facility draw,we lose a great deal" the USPS is seeking a private busi- year.According to Weiss, the post Contacts:Krishna Murray, Downtown ness to take over its operations, office has not been very forthcom- Encinitas MainStreet Association, (760) which will require about 4,000 ing or responsive in working with 943-1950; Glenn Weiss, Pineapple Grove Main Street, gw @glennweiss.com;Paul square feet and parking.While the the community to keep services Bruhn, executive director of the USPS is willing to provide some downtown. Preservation Trust of Vermont, (802) incentives to a private company will- Weiss says the city has recently 658-6647,paul @ptvermont.org. • Cornerstone of redevelopment effort -continued from page 1 "All our plans were contingent hosts several auto body shops, car gateway designs at either end of • on taking back the highway,"says dealerships, and other businesses the corridor to clearly designate Macdonald. "That was such a big geared toward motorists. There- that travelers have entered step—you can't change anything if fore, the city's plans include Maplewood. The SAP is the second it's under State Department of acknowledging the heavy vehicular special improvement district in Transportation jurisdiction" corridor, but creating within that Maplewood. The first is what is Taking the street back is some pedestrian-friendly nodes. more traditionally considered the expected to cost the municipality "We're trying to shore up what area's downtown, where the train about$100,000 a have traditionally station is located. year in upkeep, been the more according to the "All our plans were pedestrian-traffic Matching the streetscape Newark Star Ledger, contingent on taking areas," Macdonald elements to the use but the state is pay- back the highway." says.While firm Streetscaping will separate the ing for the current plans haven't been motorist-friendly areas from the paving and imprint- established, this pedestrian-friendly ones. For exam ing new crosswalks, as well as may even include relocating some ple, the car dealerships and other providing an extra$2 million in businesses—perhaps asking a drive-up areas will feature larger discretionary aid for the strip. business like an insurance compa- trees, while the pedestrian zones Creating a pedestrian-friendly ny that doesn't generate a lot of will have smaller-scale trees, enclave on a busy street foot traffic to move to a second planters and benches. The city also Taking control of the corridor floor to free up space for ground plans to install pedestrian-scale doesn't change its primary func- floor retail. Plans also call for tra- lighting. "Because we're on the tion, however—carrying a lot of ditional traffic-calming measures state highway, we've always had • car traffic from one point to anoth- like bump-outs to help create a this very high overhead lighting, er. The two-mile corridor also safer area for pedestrians, and new but it doesn't provide much pedes- 4 • Downtown Idea Exchange • September 1, 2002