Clyde master plan options for downtown focus on social interaction
CLYDE ― Diverse options were presented for feedback from the public at the second Clyde Downtown Master Plan community open house.
“There are a lot of different options being presented and it’s important that the public see the 3-D concept of it,” Mayor Doug McCauley said April 17. “Small towns struggle. Small towns struggle to maintain and to keep its community together, to keep people here, have activities for them, and that’s part of what this plan is.”
The last major revitalization update was in the early 1990s, according to McCauley.
“Clyde needs a place for social interaction, outside and inside. We’re lacking that right now. ... Why not us? Why do our community members have to go somewhere else to experience that?” McCauley said. “Some of this just needs desperate updating. The last time we did any type of structural redevelopment, other than underground, has been 30 years. Some of that has started to crumble and fall apart.”
He hopes to give people a reason for coming to Clyde and to keep them there for hours at a time with inviting places, such as restaurants and activities. He said it’s typical for small towns.
He credits city Manager Justin LaBenne with the concept for the master plan.
“It’s one of the reasons we selected him as city manager, because of his futuristic views of things. He thinks we can do more and offer more, but of course it isn’t free,” McCauley said.
Work on the plan began in October.
He said they don’t yet have a funding mechanism in mind. However, McCauley said he, LaBenne and several council members will attend an economic summit in Columbus at the end of April. They will participate in a variety of seminars to see how other communities have successfully funded citywide revitalization projects. He knows it will be a mix of public and private funds, with grants at the center.
He said the master plan is the first step.
“You can’t sell a non-idea. You have to have a concept. You have to have an idea. The idea can’t be on a napkin. It needs to be visible and in front of you, and from there you can go to the next phases,” McCauley said. “You also have to have community interaction, and this is the second go-around with this, where community members have different recommendations on what they liked and didn’t like.”
Artist renditions of options for improvements were placed on easels placed around the municipal council chamber. Members of the public were urged to stick notes to the placards with their ideas.
Matt Leasure, from the design firm Designing Local, explained some of the goals behind the master plan, with promotion of foot traffic and an expansion of business opportunities atop the list. It would have the town’s history woven into the framework and built around Main Street, as the “heart and soul of the community.”
Guidelines for signage, lighting and building renovations are also part of the master plan.
“It’s not a formal review process, it’s more assistance for folks. Recommendations. If they have an historic building, and they want to replace windows, for example, the plan will provide some guidance on that, and the city would provide guidance on that as well,” Leasure said.
He said minor changes were made after the first presentation.
McCauley pointed out the city building, which he said has a crumbling front, and while it is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it utilizes a rear entry to accomplish compliance.
“The entire entry just needs to be cleaned up. It’s 45 years old. Things just don’t last that long. You have to rebuild. The structure is strong, but the exterior, the bricks and sidewalks need work, and the longer you go the worse it gets,” McCauley said.
Both McCauley and Councilman Chris Shay are fond of the Railroad Plaza area, which was prominently featured in several possible designs.
“Here’s an artist’s rendition of the Railroad Plaza area," Shay said. "There’s the fountain that already exists. Here’s the shelter, that is very historical, with outdoor seating, near the Eagle’s Nest, with close proximity to the Blue Collar Bistro. It would keep but update the fountains. It would also close Railroad Street.
"It’s not a done deal. These are just concepts.”
He said councilmembers have been to the Bellefontaine area to see city improvements.
“They have really effective signage. Personally, I want to be careful with too much signage. I call it visual pollution, but the way they did it was very artistic. That way, when people come to the downtown area, they might say, ‘Man, I could really use some ice cream.’ When they look up, they would see a sign saying Railroad Plaza is that way, with ice cream,” Shay said.
Shay mentioned that parking is regularly brought up as a problem for the city.
“We’re trying to find creative ways to find places to park. When our people say that there isn’t enough parking, really there is. It’s just a matter of finding a way to encourage them to walk,” Shay said. “It’s important to note that this is just an idea of what could be happening, not that this is going to happen.”
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This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Social interaction a focus for Clyde OH master plan concepts
