Overview:
The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Downtown Coordinator, Christian LaPlante, is seeking feedback from residents and visitors on ideas for improving the downtown area through a survey. The survey, which has received 340 responses so far, aims to gather suggestions for the Rural Downtown Revitalization Project and will close on Nov. 15. The Turners Falls Downtown Working Group will review the responses and incorporate them into their early ideas for branding and marketing the area. The project is a yearlong pilot program testing a model for economic development in coordination with business owners and municipal leaders.
TURNERS FALLS — An ongoing survey is seeking feedback from Turners Falls residents and visitors on what ideas they have for the downtown, continuing the efforts of Downtown Coordinator Christian LaPlante
The goal of the survey is to take the responses, and have them available to the Turners Falls Downtown Working Group and LaPlante as the Rural Downtown Revitalization Project progresses in Turners Falls, and in Shelburne Falls and Northfield.
According to the survey page hosted by the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, respondents have the chance to “influence downtown improvements” that can make downtown Turners Falls “10% cooler.”
“So far, it’s approximately 340 responses already, which is a very good response,” LaPlante said about the the survey since it opened in October. “We’re very happy so far, but we want more.”
The survey will close on Saturday, Nov. 15. The survey remains anonymous, but respondents can share their information to enter into a contest to win a prize package that includes two tickets to a show at the Shea Theater Performing Arts Center in Turners Falls, a Nova Motorcycles sweatshirt and a $25 Franklin County Gift Card redeemable at participating local businesses.
The survey questions ask a variety of multiple choice and open-ended response questions. The questions ask about the respondents’ frequency in visiting Turners Falls, what activities they engage in in the downtown, and ways in which the downtown can be improved.
LaPlante said the Turners Falls Downtown Working Group will review the responses once the survey closes, and he will put together the responses for the group of local business owners, property owners, non-profit leaders and local government officials to review.
LaPlante said while specific survey responses haven’t been reviewed yet, the Working Group has already brainstormed some ideas.
“The working group is very focused on the branding of Turner’s Falls and also the marketing of the area, and making sure that we’re bringing people that are interested in shopping and stopping at restaurants to the area,” LaPlante said about the current visioning, mentioning these ideas will incorporate the comments from the survey.
Moving forward, more community input opportunities will be available for Turners Falls and the downtowns of Shelburne Falls and Northfield, LaPlante said.
The Rural Downtown Revitalization Project is a yearlong pilot program that will be tasked with testing a model for economic development in these downtown areas in coordination with business owners and municipal leaders. LaPlante was hired for the job in July, and is housed inside the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, which awarded the Franklin Regional Council of Governments the contract for the project in the spring.
The survey is available on the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce website at https://tinyurl.com/3uf34x97.
