With the announcement of a Downtown Revitalization planning grant of $15,000 from the Department of Housing and Community Development and funded by the Community Development Block Grant program, the village of Millers Falls is poised to capitalize on its many assets: a walkable central village with a pending National Register of Historic Places nomination, a state road (Route 63, a designated scenic byway) that delivers a steady flow of traffic, late-Victorian architecture, some of which has already been renovated, an artisan brewery and — ta-da! — a river that runs through it. Together, these elements spell “destination” to a populace restless for outdoor recreation opportunities.
To realize its potential, the village is putting together a 10-year plan to use as a guide for future decision-making and development throughout the village. This master plan, says Montague Town Planner Walter Ramsey, “will be bolstered by a Department of Conservation and Recreation grant to establish a river access point to the Millers River in 2019 and a pending National Register of Historic Places nomination for the village.” Such a listing opens the door to state grants for preservation projects, making renovations more attractive to developers.
The pay-off could be big.
Consider recent moves by Orange and Athol: Both towns now have riverfront parks and nature trails that bring people into town. Orange Town Administrator Gabriele Voelker said recently, “Orange’s success is going to be capitalizing on the river, the Blue Trail joining Orange and Athol, and the efforts to … give people a place to recreate. And that’s what people do on the weekends.” The hope is that revitalizing Orange’s downtown area, while creating new recreational opportunities on the river and developing riverfront walkways and parks, will draw families to Orange who will then spend money in nearby restaurants and stores.
Similarly, in Northfield, some townspeople envision a riverfront park at one end of the new Schell Bridge pedestrian bikeway over the Connecticut River that has secured state funding for construction in 2023, and bicycling events that will attract tourists.
In Turners Falls, another Montague village, town leaders have been successfully implementing a 2013 Downtown Livability Plan. Consequently, a day in downtown Turners can be spent walking along the Connecticut River waterfront, visiting the Great Falls Discovery Center, bicycling along the bike path, catching a bite at any number of Avenue A restaurants and pubs, and attending annual events and festivals.
The creative energy that fueled the uptick for Turners Falls now shifts to Millers Falls, where an outside consultant funded by the grant will join the Selectboard, Town Administrator Steve Ellis, River Culture Director Suzanne LoManto, Library Director Linda Hickman, Ramsey and other stakeholders including the Millers Falls Improvement Association to create the Millers Falls Creative Placemaking Plan. Town officials hope the consultant can start as early as spring.
“The whole idea is to take what we have and attract people to it,” said Orange’s Voelker. For communities lucky enough to have the natural resources for outdoor recreation – and Millers Falls is one of them – it’s a recipe for success.