Community Improvement Plan considered for Port Elgin's downtown

Town Council

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The Community Improvement Plan (CIP) committee met Tuesday night in Saugeen Shores' Town Council Chambers.

The CIP committee is looking at ways to improve and enhance the downtown core of Port Elgin in order to encourage residents and visitors to shop at local retailers and use local facilities such as the downtown restaurants.

It is anticipated that a Streetscape Plan and Facade Improvement initiative will help provide a guideline for local businesses to enhance their individual business storefront.

The mission statement of the CIP is "...to enhance the downtown as an accessible and sustainable hub of the Port Elgin community mindful of the downtown's character, heritage and environment and taking into consideration its attractiveness to residents, visitors and businesses."

The CIP committee has set out a number of objectives as a method of achieving its mission some of which include:

• to create public roads & spaces consistent with the downtown character
• to encourage continued vitality & economic viability of the commercial core
• to promote and support continued development of the downtown as one of the traditional commercial centres of the town
• to encourage consistency in urban design while recognize the importance of diversity and character of the existing built form
• to promote & improve pedestrian access
• to create opportunities for businesses to expand their markets
• to promote the beautification of the downtown
• to conserve the heritage of buildings & promote improvements that complement the existing heritage buildings

The Streetscape Plan is being developed to "...provide direction for public improvements ... " that focus on cosmetic improvements such as lighting, tree guards, bike racks, street furniture, vegetation including the use of native species.  It also includes incorporating environmental enhancements such as the use of permeable surfaces to minimize storm water discharge.

The committee is recommending that a landscape architect/consultant be brought in, subject to Council approval, to provide the expertise that will be required.

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Tuesday, March 23, 2010