Village Planning Committee

Minutes 4-22-09, Hancock Library

 

Present: Committee Members: Tom Pisaturo, David Drasba, Mary Covington, Howard Mansfield, Jim Gamble, John Jordan, Mike Fallon; Guests: Steve Fillebrand, Nahida Sherman.

 

 

Feedback/comments on 4/16 public meeting.

 

General discussion of public forum. VPC evaluated notes and summarized key take-aways to share with the engineers. Overall impression was to keep character of the town. Keep it simple. Traffic volume was a distinct concern.

 

Email from Laurie Bryan was read:

 

Some of what has come to the top for me when I think back on that meeting:

 - No crosswalks

- calm the traffic coming from the west by possibly narrowing the road or

causing it to be less straight as you approach the post office

- use the traffic calming on the west end of Main St. to improve the

intersection of the beach, post office and Old Dublin Road

- possibly change the road that connects 123 to 137 by the town office -

this creates a stop at the west end of Main Street.

- keep curbing as natural looking as possible - use granite, avoid sharp

edges and long lines of curbing if possible. Use the curbing where people

will be parking and in other areas only as absolutely necessary for drainage

- Look at possibly expanding parking behind the library as a way to pull

cars off Main St. Library trustees plan to meet with the Selectboard and

Kurt in the very near future to discuss Tombstone Territory Rd.

- If cars are slowed down, it is OK to leave 90 degree parking in front of

the store.

- extend the sidewalk all the way to the fountain

- keep it simple

 

Is it possible to have MLS do rough plans - line sketches - that show how

these changes would look - where the road would narrow, where parking and

curbing would be and bring that back for a May hearing to get input?

 

Those were the pieces that came back to me most clearly.

 

Laurie

 

John Jordan remarked that the state is not likely to allow 90 degree, head-in, parking in front of Fiddleheads & Market.

 

Input from guest, Steve Fillebrown: Numerous accidents have occurred, many of which are not reported.

 

Nahida Sherman input: 60 degree parking much safer.

 

Committee discussed that DOT may be more receptive to reducing speed limit on Main Street as part of the new traffic calming design.

 

Discussed where to extend walkways --- both on the North Side and the South Side.

 

Crosswalks – questions remain whether they are effective. Would they be used? Committee will present to engineers the idea of creating a wide crossing zone in the middle of town.

 

Nahida Sherman input: a wide crossing zone may be too disruptive to traffic.

 

Regarding reconfiguration of streetscape, desire to keep that at west end of Main Street.

 

Input from Steve Fillebrown: possibility of making the street one way around the gazebo.

 

Tom Pistauro: Could the stop sign be moved from 137 to Main St./123?

 

Jim Gamble: We should look at the old curbing on the corner by the Historical Society as a possible model. It’s uneven, unobtrusive, and is effective. Is there any way we can replicate that?

 

More trees on Main Street would also help with traffic calming.

 

Committee agreed to send all feedback, including these minutes, to the engineers.

 

Dave Drasba – we should get feedback from Common Commission

Committee also asked Dave for response from Historic District Commission.

 

Howard Mansfield will invite Common Commission to next meeting.

 

Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 6, 7 p.m.

 

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