SHELBURNE FALLS — Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) held a second community meeting this week to discuss the 10 projects proposed as part of the Local Rapid Recovery Plan Program for Shelburne Falls.
Created by state Department of Housing and Community Development, the program aims to aid downtown and village center business communities in economically recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This meeting, hosted Wednesday on Zoom, gave FRCOG representatives the opportunity to discuss with community stakeholders the final recovery plan that will be presented to Buckland and Shelburne Select Boards and submitted to the Department of Housing and Community Development by Oct. 8 of this year.
Similar to the first community meeting (hosted in-person at Buckland Town Hall), FRCOG Economic Development Program Manager Jessica Atwood went over key findings in its research of Shelburne Falls, including the area’s customer base, business environment, physical environment and administrative capacity.
This meeting, however, Atwood and FRCOG colleagues presented the 10 recommended projects to be included within the final plan. The final 10 projects were a result of the first community meeting in June, when community members, business owners and other stakeholders narrowed what used to be 20 possible projects down to 10 by way of a vote.
The final 10 are the projects the community believed would best enhance Shelburne Falls’ pandemic recovery.
In between the two community meetings, a number of Zoom meetings were held by FRCOG throughout the summer.
“Over July and August, we held six meetings altogether on those topic areas so we could get feedback and figure out how we could flesh out these different projects,” Atwood reported.
That input helped develop rubrics for each of the 10 projects determined. “Rubrics” include descriptions, next steps and funding sources for each individual project, which have been grouped into topic areas: Infrastructure projects, village center spaces, coordination and arts, and village connections.
The 10 recommended projects are as follows:
■Design and construct the Buckland Railyard parking area and outdoor green space for pedestrians;
■Structural improvements to the Bridge of Flowers;
■Build staff capacity for project implementation and enhance communication;
■Update and maintain ShelburneFalls.com website;
■More cultural events/activities;
■Create more opportunities for outdoor dining and selling/events;
■Improve/develop public spaces with seating areas (such as a pocket park);
■Establish publicly accessible restrooms;
■Better connect locals and visitors in the study area to the Shelburne Falls Farmers Market;
■Advance walking trails that connect the Village of Shelburne Falls to and near the Deerfield River.
Question and answers periods were held between project presentations. Community members present on Zoom discussed with town government and FRCOG members their concerns relating to specific projects, including farmers’ market signage and walking trail plans.
The question of approval from the Conservation Commission with regard to the trails arose, as well as the issue of making the farmers market more visible to visitors and residents alike. It was determined that the Conservation Commission would be consulted, and that Trinity Church (the property owner of Farmers Market space) is open to placing a more permanent sign on its land.
“Feedback from today will be put into the plan itself and presented to Shelburne and Buckland Town Select Boards and with their approval, meet the early October deadline getting it into the Department of Housing and Community Development,” Atwood said.
To learn more about project specifics, go to https://bit.ly/3BjYj6. If questions or additional feedback arise, contact Jessica Atwood at jatwood@frcog.org.