In the aftermath of the 2011 spring floods and Tropical Storm Irene, the State of Vermont Downtown Program assembled a team of architects, planners, landscape architects, engineers, branding professionals and recovery funding and organizational experts. The team goes by the moniker V-DAT, the Vermont Downtown Action Team, and this week team members are putting their heads together for the betterment of Waitsfield.
An email sent to community leaders from the Mad River Valley Planning District states:
Waitsfield Village and Warren Village are amongst seven downtowns/villages affected by Tropical Storm Irene that are the focus of action-oriented planning projects focused on strengthening their identity and economic vitality.
V-DAT members visited Waitsfield in June to conduct a primary assessment and community visit. They returned this week to conduct a community "charrette," a session to brainstorm design ideas. The email explains:
Utilizing a charrette process, the consultant team will be available to meet with property owners, community members and staff engaged in economic development, government leaders and other community stakeholders in order to develop four specific items focused on strengthening Waitsfield Village’s identity and economic vitality.
Those four items are as follows:
- Downtown Master Plan that identifies the following: infill opportunities, streetscape where necessary, traffic calming options, connectivity to the river, links between downtown and adjacent neighborhoods and Irasville, opportunities for parks and recreation, and site for workforce housing.
- Wayfinding Plan directing visitors from the Interstate 89/US Route 2 into downtown, and once in the village to major attractions and parking resources.
- Branding for Waitsfield to be used independently of Sugarbush
- Enhance the Mad River Path concept
A public input meeting was held Tuesday evening on the project, and smaller roundtable discussions are being held Wednesday and Thursday. A final presentation will be given at 1:30 Friday afternoon, at the Waitsfield United Church, on Main Street.
