Rockland Economic Development Advisory Committee (REDAC)
August 2, 2012

Camden Street by Harbor center  

REDAC News
Greetings!

 

REDAC Camden Street Vision Project

 

The Rockland Economic Development Advisory Committee held its first community workshop on June 21 to begin the community conversation about developing a vision for Rockland Street, north of Maverick Street. Over thirty people attended this workshop. From that meeting a number of ideas were presented. These included: 
 
What people like now:
  • Sidewalks
  • Residential component
  • Traffic flow and 3rd land for turning
  • Street trees
  • Mixed use (residential & commercial)
  • Water views
  • Current number of curb cuts
  • Retail diversity

What people think should change:

  • Improve the overall visual streetscape
  • Improve traffic flow i.e. coordinated traffic lights, turning arrows
  • Increase greenscape while decreasing asphalt square footage
  • Improve the ability for cars to transition from parking lots and side streets onto Camden Street
  • Increase the ability for pedestrian safety around Maverick Street
  • Create more diverse reasons to use the area
  • Create recreational greenscape for children to play as well as host events in this section of the City
  • Reuse vacant buildings i.e. Bonanza
  • Create alternative ways to travel around area i.e. by-pass
  • Strategically incorporate ocean views (view corridor)
  • Consider future developments be taxpayers

 Specific Themes also arose:

  • Create an identity for the area
  • Build partnerships
  • Provide and enhance recreational opportunities
  • Provide streetscape Improvements
  • Improve traffic flow, public transportation, pedestrian access and safety
  • Use codes and ordinances to make things happen including mixed use
  • Promote a variety of new development and building types and uses.

 

As the community moves ahead over the next six months, these ideas will be further developed, refined and amended and a community built vision will be created. The goal is to build consensus around the community values, to develop the Heart & Soul of this area, and find methods to implement that community vision.
camden st bicyclist
More Community Workshops

  

Over the next 6 months, REDAC will be working with community members to develop a vision for the Camden Street strip. This effort will be lead by the REDAC committee with assistance from Friends of Midcoast Maine (FMM). Friends of Midcoast Maine is a regional non-profit that provides technical and planning assistance to communities to build stronger, more vibrant places and to fully engage citizens in this process so the vision is a true community vision that reflects the heart & soul of the community.

 

Each month, REDAC will be hosting events geared to inspiring community members to think differently about Camden Street and Route One. At times, technical assistance from other places will be brought in to inspire you as we work together on this project.

 

The draft calendar of public workshop includes the following:

 

Late August: Identifying Community Values - "Finding our Heart & Soul"

September: Camden Street Walkability Audit

October: The Economic Impact of the Area

November: Place Making and Streets as Places

December: Integrating the Values into Vision - Design Alternatives

January: Integrating Values into Vision - Design Alternatives

February: Refining the Vision

March: Final Public Workshop and final report

 

Camden Street Vision Project Funding
This project has been funded by numerous grants and support to the Friends of Midcoast Maine from the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, the Maine Community Foundation, the Maine Environmental Funders Network and the Orton Family Foundation. In-kind assistance from the City of Rockland  and the volunteer services of the Rockland Economic Development Committee also contribute to this six to twelve month project.
 
Please forward this information to your friends, neighbors and colleagues who may be interested discussions about Rockland's Camden Street area and its future. 
 
Sincerely, 
The Rockland Economic Development Advisory Committee
REDAC
COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Joanne Billington, Chair

 

George Terrien

 

John Jeffers

 

Tina Plumber

 

Warren Bodine

 

Pinny Beebe-Center

 

Lorain Francis, Rockland Main Street Program

 

Robin McIntosh, Penobscot Bay Chamber of Commerce

 

 

Audrey Lovering, Rockland Community Development Director


Technical Assistance
Jane Lafleur,
Friends of Midcoast Maine