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REDAC Meeting - Feburary 28, 2013
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Breakwater Market Place, 91 Camden Street, First Floor
Please join REDAC for its regular business meeting on Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 4 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Breakwater Marketplace, first floor meeting space. The agenda is as follows:
4 p.m. REDAC Business meeting
- Minutes from January 31, 2013 meeting (5 minutes)
- Economic Development Director's Report. James Smith (10 minutes)
- Comments on Community Development. John Holden (15 minutes)
- Rockland Main Street Report. L Francis (10 minutes)
- Education. G. Terrien (15 minutes)
- Penbay Chamber update. Staci Coomer (10 minutes)
- Camden Street Update. J Lafleur (10 minutes)
- Other Business (10 minutes)
- Adjourn (5 minutes)
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Commercial Corridor Design Study
Eight proposals for design services were received in response to the Request for Proposals sent out earlier in the month. REDAC members, a representative from Rockport and Friends of Midcoast Maine met to score, discuss and select a consultant team to develop illustrative designs for 5 sites and the public right-of-way along the Camden Street commercial corridor in Rockland and Rockport. The contract is currently being negotiated with the final selected consultant team.
Over the next few weeks, property owners who wish to work with REDAC, FMM and the consultant to look at development and design options for their property should contact the City Manager James Smith or Community Development Director John Holden or e-mail REDAC@friendsmidcoast.org for consideration.
A public workshop to further develop the community's recommendations for design in this area of Rockland and Rockport will be held at the end of March. Stay tuned!
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Values Statements for Rockland
On February 11, 2013, the Rockland City Council unanimously adopted the Values Statements developed by REDAC and the community over the past six months of public workshops and meetings. These values statements will be used to guide design recommendations referred to above:
1) We value access to the harbor for our recreational, industrial, economic and cultural identity.
2) We recognize the benefit of serving as a strong and diverse economic and cultural center for the region.
3) We celebrate the vitality, historic character and diverse neighborhoods integrated into the downtown.
4) We embrace the hometown qualities of life that contribute to our comfort and safety including city-wide neighborliness, small town feel, feeling connected and part of the community and knowing our neighbors.
5) We appreciate the availability of comprehensive goods and services including commercial, retail, recreational, educational, religious and cultural.
6) We recognize the strong heritage and legacy of public service and volunteerism.
7) We treasure the beauty and natural resources immediately available for all including year round beauty that we provide, protect and enhance.
8) We benefit from our demographic, economic, social and cultural diversity.
9) We desire enhanced walkability, bicycling, and transit in order to promote personal health, safety, enjoyment and convenience.
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REDAC Camden Street Neighborhood Vision Project
The Rockland City Council also adopted the objectives of the Rockland Street Project, as presented below.
Rockland Camden Street Project Objectives
The overall objective of the Camden Street initiative is to uphold the community's stated values while:
1) Changing perceptions of the area
2) Beautifying the area
3) Creating economic opportunity for redevelopment
4) Planning for the long term
5) Evaluating economic viability and feasibility for redevelopment
6) Enhancing the gateways to downtown and the City of Rockland
7) Enhancing real estate values to support the city services provided
8) Diluting highway focus without diminishing capacity by building a civilized street that enriches the experiences of all users of the corridor including pedestrians, vehicles, bicycles and transit
9) Reinforcing mixed use including residential, commercial and recreational uses
10) Enhancing all networks including wildlife, stormwater, transit, and pedestrian linkages, etc.
11) Planning for future generations
12) Increasing opportunities for the City, the property owners and the residents
13) Providing incentives to make things happen
14) Funding implementation by proposing phasing as well as funding sources and mechanisms, including public, private and public-private partnerships.
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 Workshop #5 with
Lynne Seeley, consultant to GrowSmart Maine
On Thursday, January 31 at 5 p.m., Lynne Seeley of GrowSmart Maine presented research, re-design and analysis of two highway commercial sites in Augusta and Belfast. This was followed by examples from Standish, Falmouth and Yarmouth as well as other communities that are looking at developing a vision and development plan for these areas of each community. REDAC and community members engaged in a lively conversation about these studies and there applicability to Rockland
To obtain a copy of the presentations or handouts, contact redac@friendsmidcoast.org..
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Workshop #4
Walkability Audit Report
On Monday, October 29, fifteen or so community members braved Hurricane Sandy's winds and joined Dan Burden from the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute, Jane Lafleur from Friends of Midcoast Maine and Rockland Economic Development Advisory Committee members in a workshop to look at ways to make the Camden Street Strip in Rockland more walkable. Dan Burden is a renowned expert on walkability and has helped 3,500 communities nationwide to make communities more walk able and livable.
The Walkability Audit final report is now available at Rockland Walkability Audit. REDAC and community members will be taking this information into consideration as they jointly develop a community vision for the Camden Street area of the City, north of Maverick Street.
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Workshop #3 Recap
"The Smart Math of Mixed Use Development" 
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 Workshop #2 Recap Identifying Rockland's Community Values On September 27, almost 50 people attended a workshop to identify Rockland's Community Values as the first step toward developing a common vision for the Rockland Commercial Strip and surrounding areas. Community members identified features in Rockland that they personally love about Rockland and those places and features that the community as a whole values. Over the coming weeks, REDAC members will turn these ideas into value statements that can be tested with the whole community. By using values based planning, community agreement on commonly held values will lead to a stronger plan for the community. Read workshop summary here. Values statements coming soon! |
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New REDAC Member
The Rockland City Council has appointed Cynthia Powell to serve as a member of REDAC. Cynthia works and lives in Rockland.
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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 Advisory Committee (REDAC) also contribute to this six to twelve month project.
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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 and
Friends of Midcoast Maine, Project Partners |
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REDAC
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
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Joanne Billington, Chair
George Terrien
John Jeffers
Tina Plummer
Warren Bodine
Cynthia Powell
Pinny Beebe-Center
Lorain Francis, Rockland Main Street Program
Robin McIntosh, Penobscot Bay Chamber of Commerce
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James Smith,
Rockland City Manager/Economic Development Director
In Partnership with
Friends of Midcoast Maine, Jane Lafleur, Executive Director
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