Fountain District Additional Meetings

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February 18, 2010 – Draft Concepts & Regulations Meeting Materials

Draft Concept PowerPoint (8,832K PDF)
Public Comments Received (7,348K PDF)

October 8th, 2009 – Focus Meeting #3, Meridian Street Commercial Core and Alley Interface Design Guidelines

As a result of feedback received during the Spring 2009 Fountain District Urban Village public  meetings, a follow up focus group meeting was held specifically in regards to the “Commercial Core” area on Meridian Street.  The “Commercial Core” is generally defined as the area having the highest concentration of employment and housing; direct access to transit; a wide range of land uses including retail, office, residential, recreation and public facilities; and an emphasis on the pedestrian environment.

One of the objectives of the master planning process for the area is to utilize the recently adopted Urban Village Design Standards and tailor them to augment the eclectic character of Meridian Street. The goal is to develop design standards which, when implemented, will reinforce the character through adaptive re-use of existing buildings and to guide the development of desirable new construction.

In the Focus Group meeting citizen input was gathered regarding the allowable building heights along Meridian, desired character of new development and the adaptive use of existing historic buildings, the need for special attention to the alley interface with residential areas adjacent to Meridian, and the desire to incorporate appropriate Infill Toolkit housing forms in existing residential areas adjacent to the urban village (specifically Detached Accessory Dwelling Units and Carriage Houses.

Focus Group participants made oral and written comments which are provided in the links, below. These will be incorporated into the analysis and used in refining the draft master plan.

September 30, 2009 – Focus Group #2, Elm Street Corridor

The purpose of this session was to study and discuss the proposed “Commercial Transition Zone,” adaptive reuse, and historic preservation concerns along Elm Street.  Input was collected on the range of potential allowable uses, adaptive use of historic buildings, and potential for incorporation of Infill Toolkit housing forms.

September 12, 2009 – Focus Group #1, Fountain Plaza Park Place-making Party in the Street

In 2007, prior to the City’s initiation of the Fountain District Urban Village Master Planning Process, Lettered Streets Neighbor and ReStore Public Outreach Coordinator Jason Darling launched an extensive public process to engage neighbors, businesses and the general public in revitalization planning for the Fountain Plaza Park.

Public Input Report

A Public Input Report (137K PDF) has been completed by staff and contains a summary of public comments received during the April / May meetings. This report outlines the conceptual plan presented by staff, highlights the suggestions, ideas and concerns raised by property and business owners and the general public, and identifies the next steps in the master planning process. 

2009 Fountain District Urban Village Master Planning

Two years later during the Spring 2009 Fountain District Urban Village planning process, the Fountain Plaza Park was identified as an underutilized asset in the Fountain District area. As a result a follow up “Focus Group Place-making Party in the Street” was planned. (Place-making is a term coined by the Project For Public Spaces, a nonprofit organization that helps cities make the most of their public spaces. For more information go to www.pps.org).

One purpose of the event was to promote local business and to bring them together within the greater community. Another goal was to use the event to experiment with new and different ways to utilize the plaza park as a neighborhood amenity. By temporarily closing Monroe Street between Broadway and Meridian for the afternoon, Speak EZ’s Restaurant was able to utilize the street for outdoor dining and a temporary “stage” was set up for local musicians to perform under the big oak tree. Additionally, there was an area for children’s activities, Community Produce Exchange tables and the ReStore brought in their Recycled Art Station.

The event was well-attended and provided an opportunity to build relationships with neighbors and businesses, and to experience Fountain Plaza Park from an entirely new perspective. The public was invited work as a team to observe, document and study how the Fountain Plaza Park space functioned under new uses. Comments, observations and photographs resulting from the day are provided in the links, below:

May 6, 2009 – Input Summary & Discussion of Alternatives

April 22, 2009 – Development Character: Uses, Design, Scale and Neighborhood Transitions

April 15, 2009 – Public Realm: Streets, Connections & Public Spaces

  • Neighborhood Routes and Connections Identify where there are existing and potential pedestrian, bicycle, and transit connections and crossings. What areas feel safe or unsafe? What elements of the existing street character make you feel this way? (PDF)
  • Fountain Plaza Park: Public Space Opportunities: Identify how the Fountain Plaza Park is currently being used. What type of activities would you like to see in the future? What do you like best about the place? What do you like least? List three things that could be done to improve the plaza park that could be done right away and wouldn’t cost a lot (PDF)

April 1, 2009 – Introduction & Character Identification

Contacts

Fountain District Additional Meetings

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