Pilot program would add downtown coordinator for Shelburne Falls, Turners Falls and Northfield

Three Franklin County communities — Turners Falls, Shelburne Falls and Northfield — are set to be part of a pilot program adding a shared rural downtown coordinator position to lead revitalization efforts.

The Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) received a $100,000 Rural Development Fund grant to support the pilot program, which has been discussed with town officials, business owners and other stakeholders over the past two weeks and will continue to be discussed in the weeks ahead.

The project’s origins date back to 2023 when FRCOG was awarded a $171,000 Efficiency & Regionalization grant to explore models of rural downtown management. The Rural Downtown District Management Study, conducted by BSC Group, includes research focusing on the three communities across various areas like business development, infrastructure, arts and culture, and marketing and communication.

The first meeting occurred last year with a preliminary discussion about downtown business needs, according to Montague Town Planner Maureen Pollock.

The research indicated there needs to be a more sustainable program that gets foot traffic to businesses and improves coordination. A rural downtown coordinator, the study found, would be beneficial to offer consistent support to downtown businesses in Turners Falls, Shelburne Falls and Northfield.

“It’s a project that originated from the recognition that a lot of our downtowns and village centers in rural communities don’t have a lot of support … to make those downtowns dynamic and exciting and generating foot traffic for businesses,” Jessica Atwood, FRCOG’s director of planning, told the Northfield Selectboard during a Jan. 7 meeting.

The rural downtown coordinator would be a paid, fully benefited position that would last for at least 12 months and would be hosted by a regional organization, alleviating an extra administrative cost for each of the three communities. FRCOG has issued a request for proposals (RFP), which closes on Feb. 3, to find a host organization.

“We anticipate a job description going out probably, I would hope, early February,” Atwood told the Northfield Selectboard.

With grant funding to support the position for the first year, FRCOG is seeking a $4,000 contribution from each of the three communities with an eye toward extending the pilot program longer. Additionally, the municipalities would need to set aside funding allocated to them through FRCOG’s District Local Technical Assistance Program, and Atwood said the goal would be to raise another $3,000 from businesses and property owners in each municipality. The regional host organization would commit at least $10,000, according to Atwood.

“The overarching theme is to create a downtown coordinator and the proposal is to keep it in an existing organization,” BSC Group Senior Planner Jeff Bagg said during the Turners Falls stakeholder meeting, held at the Shea Theater Arts Center on Tuesday.

Bagg explained that one benefit of having a dedicated, full-time person in the role would be reducing burnout on volunteer boards, such as a downtown business association.

“That’s usually not their primary job or career,” Bagg said of volunteers, “and so by creating this dedicated position, it’s really going to hopefully sustain this model moving forward.”

Although Turners Falls is unique because it has a dedicated Planning Department along with the municipal arts and culture program RiverCulture, Bagg said not every community has this staffing, and not every idea or concern a local business has can be addressed with existing personnel. Similarly, Atwood said, Northfield has Grant Development Director Leslie Roberts, meaning every community is in “a very different situation” and “the needs of each downtown could be slightly different.”

The rural downtown coordinator would support businesses, community groups and volunteers, and would be expected to help further existing downtown initiatives and future projects while seeking state resources and opportunities to meet the vision of the three communities.

On top of this plan for a coordinator, two $25,000 Massachusetts Downtown Initiative (MDI) grants were awarded to Montague and Northfield. Pollock wrote in an email that in Montague, the grant can be put toward a variety of possible district management organizational models, such as a Business Improvement District, the creation of a new municipal position, or expansion of an existing one to better support the downtown business community of Turners Falls.

Northfield, which had its pilot program stakeholder meeting on Jan. 13, can put the MDI grant toward downtown goals. Both towns will be working with consultant Ann McFarland Burke on this initiative.

The Shelburne Falls stakeholder meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 28, at Trinity Church, at a time to be decided.

Turners Falls feedback

With buy-in from members of the community necessary for the pilot program to be successful, there was lengthy discussion after the speakers presented the project at the Shea Theater on Tuesday, along with questions from attendees.

Montague Selectboard member Matt Lord and Planning Board member Bob Obear asked about the direct responsibilities of the downtown coordinator and how much that person would be doing to help business owners. While specific skills weren’t detailed, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jessye Deane noted the coordinator could be a reference point for business owners seeking services.

“I think where I see this position kind of putting its weight,” Deane said, “is you could call them and they could refer you.”

Christopher Janke, co-owner of The Rendevous at 78 Third St., inquired about what a successful pilot phase would look like.

“I think it really depends on what each community decides are the benchmarks for success,” Deane said. “So I think it’s different in every community that is participating. What I’d like to see is that we have clearly identified metrics, so that at the end of this 12 or 18 months, you can look at this and say, ‘Is there a value proposition here?’”

Two separate opinions emerged about the pilot program, with John McNamara of LOOT found + made, at 62 Avenue A, saying, “I support this.”

“I think we have an opportunity to show up and make it what it’s going to be,” McNamara said.

On the other hand, Janke said he is unsure someone could successfully work with the needs and wishes of the three communities, but he hopes the project can prove him wrong.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.