There were few empty chairs but plenty of opinions Tuesday night in the Oak Bluffs library meeting room where consultants from Horsley Witten group presented their first draft of the downtown streetscape master plan to members of the Oak Bluffs Downtown Streetscape Committee (OBDSC), town officials, and members of the public.
When finalized, the streetscape master plan will provide a framework for future planning, development, and design in downtown Oak Bluffs.
“We’re presenting ideas based on what we heard from you,” Jon Ford, civil engineer for Horsley Witten, said. “We’re asking for one more round of input. Are we correct? Is this what you want?”
“It’s important to realize these are just concepts,” OBDSC Chairman Brian Packish told the group. “This is just a summation of a ton of public outreach. As we attempt to move forward with a specific project, then we have discussion about the details.”
In the end, a meeting that was scheduled for 90 minutes ran almost three hours, as impassioned attendees commented, complimented, and chided concepts big and small.
Expanded outreach
Since its creation last summer, the streetscape committee has actively sought opinions of Oak Bluffs residents and visitors on how the downtown district can be improved.
Mr. Ford began the meeting by complimenting committee outreach efforts. “This is the most input I’ve seen in a project like this,” he said, noting in particular the extensive use of social media. “The website, OBdowntown.com, and the Facebook page are going to be the backyard for this project,” he said. “It’s where people out there are talking about it.”
Mr. Ford said the ultimate goal of the plan is to revitalize the business district while staying true to the distinctive character of Oak Bluffs. “To make a great place greater,” he said, quoting the OBDSC slogan.
Mr. Ford said overall major themes that emerged were the need for more parking, the need for a better pedestrian experience, and the need for better signage, or “wayfaring.”
“Sidewalk cleaning and congestion, cleanliness, and garbage were also brought up consistently,” he said. “And there’s not a lot of love for the theaters.”
Mr. Ford said the OBDSC would do well to look at short-term improvements that would take little time and money. “The Clean OB team is a great example of this,” he said. “A group of people saw a problem and said, ‘Let’s do something about it.’” Mr. Ford also cited the the Martha’s Vineyard Theater Foundation as an example of citizen action making a difference in the short term. “You also have an awesome arts community here,” he said.
“Local artists could creatively paint crosswalks, and there could be art installations around town, some of them that also have a functional use,” he said, showing a slide of a sculpture that also acted as a bollard.
Hot zones
Mr. Ford showed a map of the downtown area that designated the North Bluff area, Circuit and Kennebec avenues, Circuit Avenue Extension, and the SSA terminal as “needs work” areas, based on outreach data.
The North Bluff, the area where Seaview Avenue extension meets the harbor, and where the Patriot and Hy-Line ferries and cruise ships dock, was referred to several times as “controlled chaos” during the two months that it’s clogged with taxis, buses, and heavy pedestrian traffic. “There is a great opportunity to capitalize on this location, especially with the Seaview Avenue boardwalk coming in next year,” Mr. Ford said.
He showed a site plan with added greenspace and trees, a landscaped traffic circle at the end of Seaview Avenue, a shelter for “a couple hundred” ferry passengers, an information booth, a small park or “pocket park,” at the end of the point, and a name change to “North Point Park.”
“This is a gateway to Oak Bluffs,” Mr. Ford said, showing a sketch of a large gateway emblazoned with “Oak Bluffs.” “You can embrace that more.”
Longtime Oak Bluffs business owner Peter Martell called the plan “ludicrous.” He said proposed changes would make ferry access more difficult for seniors, and that trees in the location would not survive. “What you really need is bathrooms. Otherwise, leave it the way it is. It works,” he said.
“We could stay here until midnight and not get a consensus on this,” Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) Executive Director Mark London said. “We worked with the town for months on this, and eventually I think we came up with a very good plan. But at the last minute, someone decided they didn’t want to lose four parking spaces. It would be great to have a park at the point.”
Mr. Ford said Horsley Witten had consulted the MVC design early in their design process.
The first change proposed to Circuit Avenue Extension was a new name— “Harbor Way.” Plans suggested designating lanes for pedestrians with different paving material, instead of curbs. New materials that simulate bricks could also be used instead of asphalt or cobblestones for the road. Mr. Ford recommended planting trees along the road for aesthetics, water absorption, and to slow automobile traffic. Trees could also provide shade for sidewalk cafes, which the street could accommodate, Mr. Ford said. Of the proposed changes presented during the long evening, the plan for “Harbor Way” was the most warmly received.
Unsurprisingly, parking woes and the pedestrian experience on the downtown loop of Circuit Avenue and Kennebec Avenue also ranked high on outreach data. Mr. Ford showed sketches showing that sidewalks on both sides of Circuit Avenue could be widened considerably with a change to parallel parking — a suggestion that elicited a chorus of groans.
“We don’t have a parking problem on Circuit Avenue, we have an employee parking problem,” business owner Kerry Scott said to nods of agreement. “Too many spaces for customers are taken up by employees. Business owners have to address this.”
Mr. Ford said that pedestrian space could be gained on Circuit Avenue and made contiguous on both sides of Kennebec Avenue by implementing the same strategy proposed on “Harbor Way”: using different materials, not curbs, to delineate sidewalks and roads. Kennebec Avenue could also be improved by limiting loading zones to “morning only,” to allow more customer parking. A “pocket park” could also be created by the restrooms.
Mr. Ford said the problem with the Steamship Authority terminal was best captured by a visitor he overheard as she disembarked. “We’re here!” she said excitedly. “Now what?”
Consultants proposed a welcoming “Oak Bluffs” gateway similar to the one proposed at the North Bluff, increased signage, a visitor’s booth at the ticket office, a pocket park next to the police station, and shelters at both bus stops.
On Wednesday morning, Mr. Ford told The Times he was impressed with the strong turnout. “It was the perfect continuation of our last public visioning meetings,” he said. He added that the feedback about proposals for the North Bluff was particularly constructive. He expects his team to come back in about six weeks for a final discussion of the plan.
Mr. Ford said the finalized plan will also help the town raise additional state and federal funds. Money from the Community Housing and Development Corporation (CHDC), awarded under a “blight” provision, is paying Horsley Witten’s fees.