MAGF Downtown Revitalization Project talks continue
An update was given on the Mohican Area Growth Foundation Downtown Revitalization Project during the Loudonville Village Council meeting on Aug. 21.
During the Aug. 21 Loudonville Village Council meeting, Mohican Area Growth Foundation representative Jordan Lance provided an update on the MAGF Downtown Revitalization Project, saying the committee has developed five targeted projects based on feedback over the past year.
He said the committee will continue to work on prioritizing projects in the coming months and hopes to move toward securing funding at some point in the future. He said the committee will test different concepts on a short-term basis, noting, for example, that after the street fair, they may ask council to approve a continued street closure on South Water Street for a short trial period.
He assured council that the committee is committed to working closely with council and the community as they continue to gather input, noting there are a few upcoming changes to the committee members including the addition of Kathy Ayers from Ayers Farms. He said the committee will gain assistance from various individuals in an advisory capacity such as Loudonville Chamber Executive Director Valerie Spreng and Cleo Redd Fisher Museum curator Kenny Libben.
Mayor Jason Van Sickle said the project is not meant to be completed all at once, but rather grant funding may be available for different aspects of the project. Lance concurred, noting the goal of the committee is to do the homework, then present council with various options based on community feedback and research.
Councilman Bill Huffman questioned the number of community responses the committee received during its research, stating he felt it was not enough. Councilwoman Cathy Lance said she did not agree with Huffman, saying there was a tremendous amount of information available to the community throughout the project through various avenues.
Jordan Lance said the committee wants to be in step with council and the community, accepting feedback and questions at any time.
Huffman said he felt the Village Comprehensive Plan completed in 1993 should have been updated and considered, with councilman Tom Young concurring. Young said he has asked questions and received no answers and said he is concerned with the proposed street width.
Cathy Lance disagreed with Huffman and Young regarding the Village Comprehensive Plan, saying if the plan was so important to them, they should have suggested that before they voted with village council to give money to MAGF for the Downtown Revitalization Project planning.
Loudonville Village Architectural Review District Design Review Board chairman Jamie Black said the Village Comprehensive Plan is a project of council, not the Mohican Area Growth Foundation.
Jordan Lance said MAGF was not interested in developing a Village Comprehensive Plan that would “sit on a shelf” but rather “wanted to do something impactful” for the community. He said MAGF’s goal was to develop a targeted action plan for a specific area and stated their 105-page document outlines the “transformational investment in the community that they feel will last a lifetime.”
Van Sickle said OHM’s work on the project is complete, with Jordan Lance noting OHM may assist with grant proposals. Village administrator Garret DeWitt said some of the targeted projects may be combined to include the replacement of older village utilities such as water or sewer lines.
Jordan Lance said council will have full control and decision-making over any targeted projects of the Downtown Revitalization Project and assured council the committee would never endanger events like the street fair, car show or farm equipment travel. Cathy Lance concurred, saying it is up to council to protect the best interests of everyone in the community.
She thanked Jordan Lance for the research and effort put forth by the committee. She said she found the project research exposed the lack of safe pathways to get from downtown to Riverside Park.
Young expressed concern with the proposed lane width and events downtown. Equity manager Jon Spreng suggested the committee consider practicality when considering road closures, saying it would not be beneficial to close South Water to assist traffic flow as drivers can “sneak around on the right” when a vehicle is turning left.
Village solicitor Thom Gilman interrupted to clarify that it is not legal to drive around a car that is turning left downtown. Huffman disputed Gilman’s explanation of the law.
Jordan Lance again said the committee continues to work on traffic and pedestrian pathways. He suggested people visit any neighboring community if they are interested in seeing what a 10-foot to 12-foot lane looks like through the downtown portion of a community.
Village resident Charles Roesch suggested the community focus on attracting additional restaurants to the downtown area. Cathy Lance said while she fully understands the impact the agricultural community has on Loudonville, she also is cognizant of the many businesses in the downtown area that the council must consider as well, noting she feels revitalizing downtown in some way will attract more foot traffic.
She said the car show and street fair are not at risk with the revitalization of downtown, with Young saying they are at risk if the streets are narrowed. Cathy Lance told Young the plans are concepts subject to further discussion and revision based on funding opportunities, community input and council approval.
Young said he feels the village should look at events, suggesting the village hire a parks/recreation employee to focus on events to bring people to town.
Village resident MaryAnn Wigton expressed concern with the possibility that taxes might increase if improvements are made downtown, with Van Sickle assuring Wigton he personally is not in favor of raising taxes and will be mindful of the elder community throughout the planning process. He said to avoid increasing property or income taxes for residents, the village needs to increase revenue from other sources.
Village resident Ellen Black said she has been a part of the community for over 60 years, stating she has witnessed many improvements made by groups and businesses that grew and needed better facilities. She said the Legion invested in a new facility for itself as it grew and further pointed out that the Equity grew from a small building, investing in larger, newer facilities in town because it wanted to grow and improve its business, comparatively saying that is what the community should be considering. She said while the village has lost some industry from years past, tourism should be considered when trying to increase growth and improvements to the community.
Village resident Jolene Palmer questioned whether diagonal parking could be reinstituted downtown, with Van Sickle saying ODOT would not permit diagonal parking.
Upon question by village resident and Architectural Review District Design Review Board member Wende Lance regarding the existing street width downtown, Van Sickle said the lane width is 21 feet, with Wende Lance encouraging compromise with the extra 11 feet per lane that is available for the betterment of the downtown district.
Downtown Revitalization Committee member and village resident Nichole Cutlip reminded the group that the plan is not set in stone but rather continues to evolve as the committee meets with stakeholders, community groups and individuals. She said there continues to be open dialog.
Huffman questioned the return on investment, noting grants essentially come from taxpayers at all levels of government. Jamie Black said there will be zero return if zero investment is made in the downtown.
Spreng said Equity continues to grow and is a good corporate citizen generating tax revenue for the village. He said he would like to see more restaurants downtown and said a streetscape would be beneficial to attract those types of businesses downtown.
He said Equity continues to grow and be an important part of the community and asked council to consider that as the project moves forward. Van Sickle assured Spreng that Equity would be involved in the discussion as any of the targeted projects evolve.