Churchville residents help create vision plan for village

Churchville residents help
create vision plan for village

In what ways can the Village of Churchville revitalize the area with new businesses while retaining a character and theme that reflects the village's small town identity? How can the Black Creek be developed for both recreational and commercial purposes? What steps must the village take in order to ensure that the right balance is maintained between preserving greenspace and economic development?

These were just some of the issues that were discussed at the "Charrette" that the Village of Churchville held on May 5 and 6. The purpose of the Charrette was to allow residents of the village and town to participate and be actively involved in helping Churchville create a vision plan for its future. The vision plan will guide Churchville in addressing the growth of new businesses and residential complexes while ensuring that it retains its unique characteristics.

"All in all, I was so pleased with the participation by so many of our residents, business leaders and people from around our community," said Deputy Mayor Nancy Steedman. "The Charrette was about coming up with ideas to ensure that we maintain the traditional community that we all know and love."

The Charrette
Nearly 100 residents and business leaders attended the Charrette. Larry Mitchell was one of those people. Describing Churchville as a "hidden treasure," and seeing it as the perfect place to spend his retirement years, he moved to the village about nine years ago. "The best part of the Village of Churchville is that you don't need a car to get to where you need to go," said Mitchell. "I can go to the grocery store, the doctors and the post office, as well as get something to eat by just walking."

Mitchell is on the steering committee which organized the Charrette. When asked why he has been so involved in this planning process he said, "It's important to me because I want to make sure that Churchville keeps its rural character while at the same time takes the steps it needs to in order to revitalize the area with new businesses."

The Charrette began Friday, May 5 with featured speaker, Thomas Hylton, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of Save our Land, Save Our Towns. The book encourages local governments and citizens to take the steps necessary to save their cities, towns and countryside from urban sprawl. Hylton said he was impressed by the "old time quaintness" of Churchville and stressed the importance of making sure the village preserves that quality.

On the second day of the Charrette, each participant was placed in a group that contained at least six people. Each group was led by two facilitators who were architects and engineers provided by the Rochester Regional Community Design Center (RRCDC), a not-for-profit organization made up of urban and city planners that Churchville contracted with to help guide it through the planning process.

Each group was assigned to focus on a specific area of the village. These focus areas included the Central Business District (Main Street and Buffalo Street), South Main Street, Route; 490 and Black Creek. For each of these areas, the focus groups went to the site to have a first-hand look at it. They then brainstormed and came up with ideas and designs for the area.

"It was just such a dynamic day. So much energy in one place," said Steedman.

Ideas, suggestions
At the end of the Charrette, each group presented their ideas, drawings and plans to all the other groups.

Donna and John Young have lived in Churchville for 10 years and attended both days of the Charrette. "It was great to be part of the process versus having people plan it for you," Donna said. The focus group that Donna was in designed a "gateway" which will signal to individuals when they have entered the village. Her group also looked at the 490 expressway, and came up with ideas to make certain vacant property in the village less of an eyesore.

Other groups came up with suggestions for improving the business district, and developing the areas along Black Creek with bike trails, stores and restaurants.

One focus group created a complete drawing of a traditional neighborhood that could be developed in the vacant land near the "Gatherings at the Senator's Mansion."

In addition, all the groups provided ideas to improve the aesthetics of the village, such as planting more trees in certain areas, burying utility lines to eliminate poles and forming uniform guidelines for street and store signs that are consistent with the character of the village.

The next step
With the Charrette complete, the RRCDC will review and evaluate the ideas and suggestions, and provide a report to the village in about a month. The village will then present the RRCDC's findings to the community. In the meantime, the village steering committee will meet on its own on May 25 to discuss the Charrette. The village board is also looking to implement some of the suggestions that were made at the Charrette. Ideas that cannot be put in place in the near future may be incorporated into the village's long-range planning.

"We appreciated everyone's participation, as well as their ideas and suggestions," said Steedman. "To see our residents working together to form a vision for the future of the community that we love was wonderful.