AGE CENTER DESIGN CHARRETTE
DRAFT FINAL REPORT
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 3
Overview
Purpose of the Report
Planning Process
CURRENT CONDITIONS and ISSUES FOR THE FUTURE ............................. 5
Description of Focus Area
Existing Conditions and Community Issues
WORKSHOP SUMMARY ...................................................................................... 10
Concepts and Recommendations
DESIGN REPORT .................................................................................................. 16
Recommended Design Alternative Description
IMPLEMENTATION .............................................................................................. 17
Agency Coordination
Cost
Funding Sources
APPENDICES
A. Unit
Costs of Principal Elements ................................................................. 21
B. List of Charrette Attendees ...................................................................................
22
FIGURES
Figure 1: Existing Conditions
Figure 2: Recommendations S
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SCITUATE HARBOR VILLAGE CENTER DESIGN CHARRETTE
FINAL REPORT
Overview
This is a summary of an important public planning and design initiative that was undertaken to enhance
the visual character and economic vitality of the village of Scituate Harbor. The goal of this initiative
was to create a basis for community actions and private investment necessary to create an improved
streetscape and open space network along the waterfront and within the Village Center. These
improvements should reinforce the towns historic links to its maritime past, contribute to the vitality of
the business district, and enhance the quality of experience for all residents and visitors to Front Street.
This charrette and follow-up report was funded by a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
through the Department of Housing and Community Developments Massachusetts Downtown
Initiative. This program provides towns with technical assistance in:
identifying community needs,
envisioning a revitalized downtown,
reviewing solutions other communities have applied to similar problems,
developing specific design actions and
understanding the implementation steps necessary to realize the vision.
The emphasis in this revitalization effort must be on developing a shared vision for the future of the
Harbor among the public and private interests who are the stakeholders in the community. For this
reason, the public participation workshop was the most important element of this planning effort. The
Cecil Group, Inc., a design firm with expertise in urban design and landscape architecture, provided
professional assistance to the Town of Scituate in the preparation of this report.
Purpose of this Report
The purpose of this report is to provide design concepts that could help advance townscape improvements
desired by the Town, and to link these concepts to action steps for implementing positive change. This
report is intended to address key issues of concern to the stakeholders as expressed in the charrette
session by exploring design options in order to establish a favorable combination of improvements to
Scituate Harbor. The goals of the community for Scituate Harbor were to enhance the visual quality,
safety and image of the village while developing a compelling vision of the harbor as a focus of commercial
and recreational activities. The report also includes recommendations on design implementation.
Planning Process
The planning process for the workshop began with a review of relevant background documents, including
the Scituate Harbor Access Study prepared by the Urban Harbors Institute in December, 2000. Sources
included the Town Application for the Department of Housing and Community Development
Downtown Technical Assistance Program. Discussions with the Town Planner, Laura Harbottle, provided
an overview of local planning issues and insights into the concerns of both public agencies and the
commercial sector.
Introduction S
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Base plans were prepared from assessors maps, GIS data files and aerial photographs provided by the
Scituate Planning Office. Design team members visited the area to familiarize themselves with local
conditions and to take photographs of important design opportunities and planning constraints. On
November 14, 2001, a public planning workshop was held in Scituate to solicit issues, goals and design
ideas from interested community members. Prior to the meeting, the Town Planner conducted a
public outreach program to inform as many property and business owners, town residents and other
stakeholders as possible of the planning effort.
At the workshop, the community was shown a photographic slide tour of the existing project area.
The planning team highlighted a number of areas that represented opportunities for visual enhancement
and downtown revitalization. Conditions that constrain the creation of a memorable urban district
were also noted. Examples of other communities successful revitalization efforts and design tools were
shown to illustrate the range of possible solutions available to solve similar problems. Scituate residents
were then encouraged to break into small discussion groups facilitated by team members to mark site
maps with their perceptions of problem areas and design opportunities.
Breaking into work groups a second time, residents were asked to generate design ideas for improvements
to enhance problem areas or underutilized district features on site maps.
The planning team then summarized the principal design ideas heard from the work groups and outlined
resources available to fund some of these improvements. Implementation steps that the community
might wish to undertake were discussed to conclude the workshop. As a final step, the planning team
produced this report which included an outline estimate of the costs of some of the most important
design elements. This was intended to guide the community in understanding the responsibilities and
processes involved in realizing these revitalization visions over time. S
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SCITUATE HARBOR DESIGN CHARRETTE
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Current Conditions and Issues for the Future
Description of Focus Area
The area under study for this project was the village of Scituate Harbor along Front Street, extending
from Beaver Dam Road south to Edward Foster Road. The study area bordered a portion of the
Scituate Harbor waterfront and included the town marina and the public right-of-way/parking lot
known as Cole Parkway. The relationships between the study area and the intersecting residential
neighborhood streets including Harbor Heights Road, Allen Street, Otis Place, Beal Place, and Brook
Street were also considered. S
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Existing Conditions and Community Issues
The key issues for the downtown center of Scituate Harbor, as discussed at the community workshop held
November 14, 2001, ranged from large scale issues such as the identity of Scituate Harbor and the general
street character of Front Street, to specifics such as the addition of public restrooms at the harbor.
Creating an Identity
Separated from much of the Town of Scituate, the Scituate
Harbor Center/Front Street area has a distinct character of
its own. However, there is a perception that Scituate Harbor
hasnt fully developed a coherent identity.
The center retains a historical connection with the water.
Fishing, lobstering and maritime activities are still an active
part of the economy of the town. The location of the town
pier and views to the lighthouse on Cedar Point continue
the maritime legacy of the area as well. However, the
waterfront itself is not developed as a destination, the
connections to the waterfront are not accentuated, and the
nautical past of Scituate Harbor has little physical
embodiment along Front Street. Because the Town offices
and Town Hall are located in another part of the community,
there are no civic uses in the area that help define Front
Street as a Town Center.
Front Streets termini are defined on both ends by the turn
from Beaver Dam Road and the precarious intersection at
Brook Street. The entry points from both the north and south
to Front Street remains unclear. Confusing directional signs,
competing commercial signage, and unattractive landscaping
obscure any focal gateway. There is little indication to the
visitor that he or she is entering a historic maritime downtown
with shops and amenities. Some residents who are averse to
additional visitors may favor a lack of directional signage.
However, many of the Centers businesses also depend upon
patrons from outside as well as inside the Scituate community
in order to be vital and successful.
Improving the Front Street Streetscape
A substantial portion of Front Street, from Harbor Heights Road to Beal Street, is landscaped with
street trees and the storefronts are decorated with flower boxes. While these treatments provides an
attractive pedestrian friendly streetscape in that area, the remaining portions of Front Street are less
consistent in their landscape treatment and, as a result, lose much of their potential for creating a
unifying pattern or for the establishment of a center-wide character and scale.