Downtown master plan: Citizen input needed

Oct. 24. By Donna Randazzo. There’s still time to provide input on how downtown Cornelius should grow and change over the next 15 years. Go to Cornelius.org/downtown to take the downtown survey and have your opinion heard.

The survey is open until Oct. 31.

“This is an outstanding first step to get the interested parties, the citizen’s, thoughts as for what they would like to see in
downtown,” stated Michael Archer, who lives on Catawba Avenue just west of downtown.

Background

Over the years downtown has morphed from an agriculture and mill community to a hub for arts, community, and commerce. In between there was a long period of decline.

Design charrette

At a recent design open house various photos of other cities’ downtown areas were set up, allowing residents to indicate their preference by placing a sticker beside their favorite photos at each board. The examples ranged from quaint, small town feel to more industrial architectural styles.

“There’s so many facets to what makes a good, healthy town. We’re trying to make sure the trajectory of the town aligns with what we think is great about this town,” stated Chase Marshall as he and his wife viewed the various boards.

One board in particular seemed to be a favorite, asking, “What Makes a Downtown Special and What Needs to Change?” Citizens were able to write down their feedback on Post-it notes and place them on the board.

What Makes a Downtown Special and What Needs to Change?

Many comments focused on keeping the trees, the lack of cohesion in the building architecture, keeping and creating the charm and heritage of downtown, and the disappointment with the brightness of Cain Center for the Arts sign.

Details

The town has retained planning and design experts from Kimley-Horn. Their goal is to work with town planners, incorporating feedback received from residents.

The Downtown Master Plan will ultimately create a road map to develop a downtown that includes history, existing assets and creates space for new ones.

Quotable

“Creating a Downtown Master Plan is important because it will provide the strategic vision for how we identify and attract new businesses that will support smart-managed growth, future economic development and enrich how Cornelius residents live, work and play within our community,” said Susan Johnson, a member of the Cornelius Town Board.

—Photos by Donna Randazzo