Focus area: #2 - Historic Area - North - Preliminary Report

[bonnywithy]

Group 2A
Main topics of concern: Security, Aesthetics and Maintenance, Traffic,
Pedestrian-friendliness, Festival needs, Historic awareness.
 Lighting
o Replace cobra lighting (Clarissa St.)
o Additional on Troup Plymouth
 Crosswalks
o Brick—maintenance
o Raised crosswalks (to decrease traffic speed)
 Plymouth
o Divided with median
o Condition of homes on the West Side
 Atkinson/Clarissa/Adams
o Need method of traffic calming; stop signs are inconsistent
o Ambiguous crosswalks
o School busses
o Clarissa: width, no stop sign
o 4-way stops where Clarissa crosses Atkinson and Adams
 Historical Markers
o Highlighting existing and former points of significance
o Walking tour with audio
o Corn Hill: “The Heart of Rochester”
 Parking
o Plant to obscure view of lots
o Snow Removal, maintenance of sidewalks and driveways
 Preservation Issues
o Be proactive about revolving fund options
o Cobra lighting to be replaced by historic lighting
o Trees
 Remove brick surrounds
 Plant canopy over street (inconsistent tree choices)
 Large trees on Put. Property competing with curb-side trees
o Better litter control; increased number of waste baskets
o “Re-porching”
o
 Security—consider commercial alternative/auxiliary to PAC-TAC
(Police and Citizens Together Against Crime)
 Encourage commercial development (Northwest corner of Clarissa?)

Group 2B
Focus Issues:
 Width of streets—transform
 Connecting streets to SWAN, Waverly, Atkinson, Tremont, Troup
o Roads used to go East—West across Ford
 Green space by church  hedgerow or other plantings to beautiful and
enhance the view (screening).
 Livingston Park—recreate decorative gates
o Use concrete forms that Arnold Park used
 Create some type of commercial area (small coffee shop, grocery)
near:
o Clarissa Street
o Ford Street
o Plymouth (Old motel area; John Trickey’s lot)
 Making owner occupied homes in historic preservation area aware of
monies available for NYS tax credits and rebates for home renovation
 Enlarge area designated as a National Register Historic District
South—more homeowners would be eligible for monies for restoration
 More decorative, visible crosswalks—like on Exchange
 Screening
o Install low hedge rows in front of parking lots, open green area
 Former hotel area on Troup Street
o Decorative fencing/ restore Livingston Park Gates. Some grants
available
o Utilize parking lots or green spaces for Farmers Market
 Green Spaces/Parks
o Re-do Avery Mall
o New York State-owned land near entrance to 490 (Troup St)—currently
we mow and maintain
 Historic
o Reestablish decorative gates
 Re-use molds from Arnold Park
o Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is underutilized—grand
interiors have a potential for greater use
o Most buildings have some level of landmark designation—new program:
single family home can recoup 40% of expense
 Street Widths
o Narrow streets—by narrowing intersections (through bump-outs)
traffic is slowed creating a more pedestrian-friendly zone
o Physically narrow streets by pushing the curb line out, plantings—
widening of the tree lawn
o Bring buildings closer to the street
o Do plantings/hedgerows, in open green areas (i.e. church on the
corner of Clarissa/Atkinson)
 Reconnecting Streets
o through to the SWAN area
o High rises present a cultural and physical barrier—razed when no
longer viable
o Create a commercial area
o Make more intersections/stop-signs—slow down traffic
o Reduce the number of lanes on Ford