Acknowledgements

Preface

Study Area

Existing Site Situation

Previous Studies

Public Private Investment

Project Goals and Purpose

Selected Design Concepts

Design Guidelines for Development

The Next Step – Program for Implementation

Figures

Figure 1 – Study Area

Figure 2 – Cochecho Riverwalk Project

Concept 1 – Low Intensity Design

Concept 2 – Moderate Intensity Design

Appendices

Appendix A - Previous Studies and Recent Construction Projects

Appendix B - Charrette Team

Appendix C - Alternative Design Concepts

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to all those individuals who have given so much of their time toward the betterment of the Dover community. Thanks also to those businesses who have supported this effort through generous donations of goods and services. The enthusiasm generated and direction established will serve to make Dover a better place to live.

 Chamber of Commerce Long Range Planning Committee

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I. Preface

"Opportunity is not a roaming wanderer that blesses households at random. It seeks only those individuals that are well prepared to meet it."
Reed Thomas

Waterfront Represents Opportunity for Growth

This report represent the efforts of many volunteers and civic leaders who have worked together for several years to prepare the City of Dover for the opportunities that exist on the City-owned land along the Cochecho River in downtown Dover. The river, and this waterfront area, serve as a common thread between the original settlement of Dover in 1623, the growth of the Port of Dover in the 1800’s, and the creation of
a vibrant manufacturing economy from the 1800’s into the early 1900’s. The community is now turning again to the river and the downtown waterfront area as an opportunity for economic growth and public access.

 Partnership Guides Planning Effort

In December 1994 the Dover City Council created the Cochecho Riverfront Partnership for the purpose of overseeing and coordinating efforts associated with the redevelopment of the City-owned land. This group was made up of representatives from the City Council, The Dover Economic Development Corporation, the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce, City staff, and individual citizens. Initially this group decided that the most appropriate way to redevelop this 35-acre waterfront parcel would be to work in partnership with a private developer to be selected through a Request for Proposal process. However, the Partnership was concerned that the developer be subject to development guidelines consistent with the community’s vision for this land. In order to make this vision a reality, the partnership agreed that a team of local and outside design experts should work together in an intensive design effort. This design effort, known as a Charrette, would help provide the basis for the design guidelines for a prospective developer.

Once the guidelines were established, the city would then seek a qualified developer.

 Design Charrette Results in Two Conceptual Plans and Development Guidelines

The Charrette team prepared two (2) conceptual plans that represent alternative approaches to redevelopment of the waterfront rather than blueprints for construction. Although the approaches differ in the intensity of development, each offers an orderly and cost effective approach to the redevelopment effort that is compatible with the existing downtown. The Partnership recognizes that the actual timing and intensity of redevelopment will in large part be market driven. However, the proposed Design Guidelines (Section V) and Program for Implementation (Section VI) of this report should be followed to the greatest extent possible to ensure that the community’s vision and expectations for the waterfront are met. The Design Guidelines are intended to ensure that the future development guidelines address: (1) the scale of development and allowable uses, (2) environmental quality, (3) circulation and access for pedestrians and vehicles, and (4) management of development.

The Program for Implementation is intended to provide a schedule of activities and investments by the City. These actions are intended to be manageable, but important steps to maintain the progress made to date by the community and to prepare for development opportunities.

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 II. Study Area

During the past two decades, the City of Dover has embarked on an aggressive campaign to redevelop and revitalize its central business district. The City has been successful in its endeavors and generally has a much lower vacancy rate among retail, residential and office space in the urban core than many similar mill communities. In fact, the 400,000 square foot Pacific Mills complex, once vacant for many years, is now more than 95 percent occupied. 

During this same period, one of Dover’s most valuable assets, the Cochecho River, has been neglected. Once a thriving port with deep water access, the riverfront has been left to decline with limited boat traffic and virtually no public access to this beautiful river.

 Existing Site

The study area for the Design Charrette and subsequent Program for Implementation, show on Figure 1, p. 4, is bounded generally as follows:

On the North by Portland Avenue and Cochecho Street

On the West by Pacific Mills

On the South by Henry Law Avenue

On the East by City owned land, including the Public Works complex and Maglaras Park

What makes the Riverfront area particularly attractive for redevelopment is that it consists of large tracts of publicly owned land. In addition, privately held land in the area generally consists of underutilized land and buildings.

Within the waterfront area there are a total of 176 acres of land. Of this number, 57 acres are vacant, 50 acres are considered underutilized, 45 acres are used for recreation, 13 acres are residential and 11 acres are commercial.

The largest parcel is owned by the City on River Street. Consisting of 35 acres, the site currently houses the City’s public works operation and the recently closed wastewater treatment plant. Both facilities are earmarked for removal, making the entire parcel a prime area for development.

Two marketing studies completed in 1991 by Applied Economic Research of Laconia, NH and R.K.G. Associates, Inc. from Durham, NH, have indicated that the site is well suited for a mixed use development such as a 100-slip marina, a 200-seat restaurant and conference facility, 50,000 square feet of office space and residential units.

Given the large number of acres in the riverfront area that are either vacant or underutilized and the limited number of landowners controlling the parcels, large-scale new development may become a reality. Conservative estimates using local and national standards indicate that over 400,000 square feet of new commercial/residential space could be supported within the riverfront area. Employment from such growth could be substantial and, depending on the mix, could be well over 1,000 additional employees.

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Recent Public and Private Investments in the Waterfront Area

Since the late 1980’s, more than $1.1 million of City and Community Development Block Grant funds have been expended for infrastructure improvements and other projects aimed at achieving the recommendations of these studies. The following projects have been implemented to date. See Appendix A for further detail on these projects.

Reconstruction of Cochecho Street

School/Mechanic Street Rehabilitation and Associated Parking

Upgrade to Maglaras and Henry Law Parks

Dredging of portion of Cochecho River

Creation of Immigrants Park

Portland Avenue Parking Area

Miscellaneous infrastructure Improvements on Main, Washington Streets

Preliminary Marketing and Environmental Studies, City-Owned Land

In addition to the above, more than 34 million dollars in public funds has been expended on the construction of a new secondary wastewater treatment plant. The location of the new facility further downstream allows for the future demolition of the City’s primary facility on River Street.

Significant investments have also come from the private sector. More than $2 million dollars in improvements have been made to buildings within the study area, particularly the Pacific Mills and One Washington Center. Pacific Mills has been completely rehabilitated and today houses more than 1,000 employees of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. One Washington Center, formerly Clarostat, has had almost two-thirds of its 300,000 square feet of floor space reconstructed. This building, acting as an incubator space for a variety of several small companies, has more than 200 employees, with another 250 expected by Spring, 1996.

Recently, development of the riverfront has taken on an increased priority. The City, in cooperation with the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce, has initiated the Cochecho Riverwalk Project. The proposal involves a $350,000 multi-phased program aimed at enhancing pedestrian traffic and development on the riverfront area. See Figure 2, p. 8

Phase I of the Riverwalk has been completed. More than $100,000 has been expended on the creation of a 1,400 feet of new sidewalks
immediately adjacent to the river, a cantilevered lookout, picnic shelters,
Victorian lighting and park benches. Phase I is scheduled to begin in the
Spring of 1996 and will include the creation of a brick plaza next to the
parking area behind Butterfield Gym and the construction of a pedestrian
bridge across the river at the end of the Washington Street sidewalk.

Funding for Phase II comes primarily from the $130,000 private fundraising drive conducted by the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce. The city has pledged an additional $250,000 for construction of the pedestrian bridge and the demolition of the old wastewater treatment plant.

In summary, the revitalization of the riverfront is in full swing. The
private and public sectors have teamed up to create an environment
primed for capital investment. Additional infrastructure and physical
improvements still need to take place to insure the expansion of long-term opportunities.

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III. Project Goals and Purpose

Public input solicited prior to and during the Charrette process generated several goals for redevelopment and reuse of the City-owned property.

Place 35 acres of prime waterfront property back on the tax rolls

Fully utilize city-owned land

Enhance ongoing revitalization of the downtown business area

Provide opportunity for greater public activity and
waterfront access

Make Dover a destination for cultural tourism by incorporating the City’s historical character and heritage into waterfront revitalization

The Charrette team used these goals to create alternative visions for the waterfront, thereby creating the "recipe" to be followed by the City in its efforts to market the property and guide the redevelopment process.

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IV. Selected Design Concepts

 The Design Charrette

The Design Charrette provided an open forum for design professionals and local citizens to brainstorm ideas and concepts for reuse of the City-owned property on the Cochecho River. The Charrette Team consisted of professional and local experts with a wide range of expertise in the fields of waterfront development, architecture, planning, engineering, and economics. An important aspect of the Charrette Team was the inclusion of professionals from outside the community to provide a fresh and unique perspective to the redevelopment effort. A detailed list of the Charrette Team members and their background is provided in
Appendix B.

The two-day intensive effort was managed by the team leader, Paul Buckhurst of Buckhurst, Sigh and Jaquemart, Inc. After a tour of the waterfront area and Cochecho River, guest team members worked individually or in groups to develop sketches  and concepts for re-use of the City-owned property. The local  team representatives worked closely with the guest team by   providing input relative to previous studies, site constraints, and other background information. Detailed descriptions of the sketches and concepts developed during this initial session are
provided in Appendix C of this document.

Preliminary Design Effort

Themes and uses developed during the first Charrette design session were used as a basis for preparation of two (2) selected design concepts.

Common themes included:

Wilderness Areas

Continuous Open Space Belts

Historical Preservation

Cultural Activity Center

Small Scale Development Sites

Tourism

Flexibility for Longer-Term Uses

These themes were carried out by the following sampling of
possible uses:

Indoor (winter) Recreation

River/Mill Museum

Restaurant

Professional Offices

Public Amphitheater

Destination Marina

Housing

Recreation/Open Space and Parking

To develop clearer, more detailed pictures of how these themes and land uses could be implemented, the Charrette Team broke into two (2) groups with the directive to integrate the themes and land uses into overall concepts of varying intensity.

 Selected Design Concepts

The selected design concepts evolved from further efforts by the Charrette Team. While both concepts employ many of the themes and uses noted above, one concept (Low Intensity Concepts as seen in Figure 3, P. 11) proposes a lower density of development than the other (Moderate Intensity Concept as seen in Figure 4, p. 13).

Concept 1 – Low Intensity Concept

 Concept 2 – Moderate Intensity Concept

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V. Design Guidelines for Development

Although each of the selected design concepts was intended to demonstrate different approaches to redevelopment and reuse of the City-owned property, they did bring forward many common themes and ideas. Many of the themes and uses which evolved from the Charrette discussions were interestingly consistent with those of previous studies, confirming the community’s vision of the waterfront and its possibilities.

During the closing discussion, the Charrette Team recognized not only the differences, but also the similarities in the two concepts. While the Team felt that the concepts represented different philosophies to development, it was also recognized that the concepts ere not necessarily mutually exclusive. Each concept offered components which leant themselves to an orderly and economically sound approach to redeveloping the underutilized City-owned land without compromising the existing downtown and without losing sight of maintaining a spectrum of options through phasing of the effort.

Furthermore, it was recognized that although the conceptual plans represent two possible approaches to waterfront redevelopment, they are not intended to be absolute blueprints for the future.

 Purpose for Design Guidelines

This section presents a set of recommended guidelines that are based upon the themes and conceptual plans from the Charrette and are intended to ensure that the future development of the Cochecho waterfront site reflects the goals of the community. These guidelines are intended to meet the following purposes:

1. To encourage mixed-use development and at a scale compatible with existing surrounding uses.

2. To provide appropriate vehicular and pedestrian circulation that recognized the unique historic and waterfront environment of the site

3. To provide opportunities that encourage visitors and tourists to experience the waterfront area as a recreational, cultural and historic environment.

4. To ensure orderly development of the waterfront that will enhance ongoing downtown revitalization and will augment the economic well-being of the City of Dover.

5. To conserve the natural environment through a strategy of
   protection, conservation and appropriate land management.

 Design Guidelines for Development

The development guidelines were organized into the four (4) following categories: scale and land use; environmental quality; circulation and access; and management of development.

 Scale and Use

1. New development should allow for the following types of uses or activities: year-round recreation, museum/cultural center, restaurant, professional offices, public amphitheater, destination marina or similar water-dependent use, housing, automobile parking, open space and scenic vistas.

2. Ground floors of building should be considered for such active uses as restaurants, stores and indoor recreation, especially when adjacent to public spaces.

3. Density pattern of new development should complement current adjacent development and the unique historic waterfront environment.

4. Incorporate building types, architectural forms, materials and colors that are compatible with existing downtown built forms

5. To the extent possible, incorporate the existing historic structure (former County jail) within the new development.

6. Ensure that new development is compatible with adjacent recreation area and green space and provides opportunist for waterfront recreational activities such as public marina, small-boat launch ramp and outdoor public gathering place for cultural activities

7. Locate new structures, landscape features or other uses so as to avoid obstructing view from nearby public roads or spaces and upland area.

8. The aggregate impervious cover, including buildings, parking areas and roadways shall not exceed 30% of the site.

9. Any water-dependent use proposed for the immediate shoreline
   shall not exceed 15’ in height.

10. No building within 300’ of the shoreline shall exceed 25’ in height.
    Beyond 300’, building heights shall not exceed 35’ and shall minimize the impact to the visual environment.

11. All site lighting shall be consistent with the style and height as installed along the existing Riverwalk in Henry Law Park.

12. All new development shall be integrated into the existing landscape so as to minimize its visual impact and maintain the natural beauty and environmentally sensitive shoreline areas through use of vegetative and structural screening, landscaping and grading.

13. Fences utilized within the site and along walkways shall be harmonious with those heights and styles found along the Riverwalk.

14. Length of contiguous structures shall be planned so as to establish and protect view corridors to the waterfront and to preserve access routes from upland areas to the waterfront. Coverage and building height requirements may be modified in specific instances so long as the overall development is consistent with goals and other design guidelines.

 Environmental Quality

1. Recognize the transition from a "wilderness-like" river environment to an urban waterfront.

2. New landscaping should include strategic placement of shrubs and trees to ensure that new development maintains and enhances the visual quality of the shoreline and overall waterfront site.

3. Employ environmentally sound land management practices during land development and long-term maintenance of the waterfront parcel.

 Circulation and Access

1. Incorporate a waterfront walkway within a 50-foot vegetative buffer for the full length of the shoreline. Where other uses may encroach upon this walkway, ensure provision of continuous pedestrian circulation along the waterfront.

2. Work with Dover Heritage Walk Group to prove interpretive signage at appropriate locations along the riverwalk or in public spaces.

3. Ensure that signage motif is compatible with that established in the Henry Law/Cochecho Riverwalk project.

4. Link waterfront environment with upland area by establishing pedestrian routes and maintaining the natural corridor at the eastern portion of the site.

5. Off-street parking shall: (1) be based upon existing and/or historic ratios as provided in such publications as: Offstreet Parking Requirements, American Planning Association, Planning Advisory Service Report #432 and The Dimensions of Parking, 3^rd Edition, Urban Land Institute and the National Parking Association; (2) may be provided off-site within a reasonable walking distance; and (3) incorporate appropriate landscape features to break up the expanse of pavement. (See Framingham, MA, Route 9 Design Guidelines section of Site Plan Review Regulations).

6. Internal roadways shall be designed in a curvilinear fashion in order to take advantage of existing topography and encourage low vehicle speeds.

7. Internal roadways shall not exceed 28’ in width and shall maintain a parkway appearance. No parking shall be allowed on the primary circulation roadway.

8. Walkways shall be of brick and/or granite in keeping with the
   surrounding downtown.

9. All pedestrian walkways shall be separated from roadways by
   landscaped areas, where possible, or granite curbing, at a minimum.

1. For purposes of reviewing any new development on the waterfront
   sites, a Waterfront Development Review Committee shall be
   established by the City Council. Such Committee shall be comprised of five (5) members, one of whom shall be a registered professional architect, and one of whom shall be a professional landscape architect. Such committee shall review proposed development to ensure that it is consistent with these guidelines and shall make a recommendation to the City Planning Board for approval, approval with conditions, or denial.

2. Any proposed development shall conform to existing City of Dover site plan regulations for:

• Drainage and stormwater management

• Grading and erosion control

• Noise, vibration, odors and similar concerns, and

• Natural resource protection

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Appendix A - Previous Studies and Recent Construction Projects

Previous Studies

The Pacific Mills Master Plan, 1984, made the following recommendations:

• Encourage and promote private and public development of the Cochecho Riverfront including the creation of a new riverfront park, marina and public boat access.

• Market a portion of the City-owned land for residential and mixed-use development.

• Relocation of the sewage treatment plant and department of public works facilities.

• Construct a new Washington Street bridge over the Cochecho River.

The City of Dover Master Plan, 1988, recommended the following:

• Restoration of the Cochecho Waterfront to optimize open space,
  recreation and water access, with a private development scheme.

• Relocation of the wastewater treatment plant and department of public works facilities.

• Development of a comprehensive strategy for the public lands
  adjacent to the Cochecho River

• Conversion of the Clarostat building.

The Land Acquisition and Protections Study, 1989, made the following recommendations:

• Public access to the Cochecho River should be a high priority,
  particularly in downtown Dover or the immediate area. The City-owned parcels were recommended for this use.

• An existing pipe bridge which crosses over the Cochecho River
  between the City-owned land and the end of Washington Street
  should be upgraded to allow for pedestrian and possibly vehicular traffic.

• The city may need to dredge portions of the Cochecho River in order to provide increased boat traffic.

The Cochecho River Harbor Management Plan, completed in June of 1990, made 37 recommendation regarding harbor management in the study area, including the following:

Finally, the Cochecho Waterfront Master Plan, completed in July of 1991, made several recommendations regarding the City-owned land on River Street.

• Relocate the Public Works Facility.

• Provide boat access and marina facilities.

• Expand recreational fields.

• Design new access to the parcel.

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 Recent History of Construction Efforts

The City has embarked on an aggressive campaign to redevelop and revitalize its Central Business District and adjacent waterfront areas. Private developers and local businesses have joined with the City in a public/private partnership. The goal of this partnership is to fully utilize the Cochecho River’s significant waterfront development and recreational potentials by developing an integrated, coordinated strategy which takes into account future water and land issues and protects the environment at the same time.

Below is a more detailed description of some of the investments that have already taken place in the waterfront area:

Reconstruction of Cochecho Street - $375,000

The project involved replacement of water lines,
drainage lines, realignment and widening of the street, new curbing and construction of a retaining wall.

School and Mechanic Streets - $209,000

The project included re-configuring of School Street, linking School Street with Mechanic Street, installation of drainage lines and sidewalks, and the creation of a sixty-six car parking lot.

Upgrade to Maglaras and Henry Law Parks - $175,000

Project involved road upgrades, recreational equipment, playing fields and handicapped accessibility measures.

Dredging of portion of Cochecho River - $200,000

A 750-foot section of the Cochecho River adjacent to George’ Marina an the City’s riverfront parcels was dredged in 1984

Creation of Immigrants Park - $40,000

A large, condemned structure was torn down in order to create an open green space enhancing several more historic buildings.

Portland Avenue Parking Area - $20,000

A forty-five (45) car parking area was created at the intersection of Portland Avenue and Portland Street.

Miscellaneous Infrastructure Improvements - $30,000

Miscellaneous infrastructure improvements, including sidewalks, curbing and lighting, on Main, Washington, and Portland Streets.

Preliminary Studies, City-owned Land - $25,000

Preliminary environmental and marketing studies have been conducted on the City-owned parcel on River Street.

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Cochecho Waterfront – Charrette Team

The Charrette Team was comprised of guest team members from throughout the New England region and local team members from Dover. The following is a list of Charrette Team members and a brief summary
of their background and/or areas of expertise:

 Guest Team:

Paul Buckhurst, Leader – Founding principal of Buckhurst, Fish & Jaquemart, Mr. Buckhurst has worked on a variety of urban development/design studies, including open space, waterfront and tourism-related studies throughout the USA. Mr. Buckhurst has been a member of the Design Committee of the New York Parks Council since 1991. He is currently Chairman of the American Planning Association Waterfront Committee for New York City.

Bissera Antikarov, Architect & Planner – Currently employed by the
City of Cambridge, Massachusetts Community Development, Ms. Antikarov holds a Masters in Architecture from the University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Sofia, Bulgaria, and a Masters of Science in City and Regional Planning from the Pratt Institute.

Michael Lassel, Architect – Mr. Lassel is the principal and founder of
Lassel Architects, Berwick, Maine. In addition to providing architectural
services to private and public concerns throughout New Hampshire and
Maine, Mr. Lassel has acted as a facilitator for the New Hampshire Office
of Statewide Planning Community Stewardship Program.

John Copley, Architect/Landscape Architect – Mr. Copley is founder
and owner of John Copley and Associates, Boston, Massachusetts and
has extensive professional experience in site planning, design, and
implementation for projects throughout New England, including waterfronts and parks.

Douglas Greiner, Landscape Architect – Mr. Greiner is a principal of
Sherman Greiner Hallé Ltd., Concord, New Hampshire. His experience
spans 21 years in land planning, design and landscaping architecture and includes a number of awards and civic/professional affiliations.

Laurence R. Goss, Jr, Ph.D. – Dr. Goss is principal and owner of Northern Economics Planners where he is responsible for projects involving economic and community planning ad development strategies, development feasibility studies, resource economics, and tourism research.

Kenneth R. Rhodes, P.E., Civil Engineer – Mr. Rhodes is an associate
and project manager with Costello, Lomasney & deNapoli, Inc., Manchester, New Hampshire. Mr. Rhodes’ responsibilities include management of land development projects throughout New Hampshire.

Local Team

Steve Stancel - City of Dover Planning Director

Dean Peschel – City of Dover Conservation Officer

Michael Bobinsky – City of Dover Community Services Director

Beth Thompson – Dover Economic Development Corporation

George Maglaras – George’s Marina

Jack Story – Executive Director, Greater Chamber of Commerce

Renny Perry – Former Mayor, City of Dover/Downtown merchant

Ron Cole – Dover Planning Board Chairman

Roberta Woodburn – Landscape Architect, Woodburn & Associates Landscape Designer

Thomas Minter – Gardens With Style

Jack Mettee – Planner, Appledore Engineering, Inc.

Dana Lynch - Civil Engineer, Civilworks, Inc.

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Appendix C - Alternative Design Concepts

The Charrette format provided for an informational tour of the Downtown and Riverfront areas during the afternoon of Friday, July 14^th. This tour included an overview of ongoing City projects and plans presented by Steve Stancel, City Planning Director, and an update on the combined efforts of the City and Chamber of Commerce relative to planning, construction and funding of the Henry Law Park upgrade, the Cochecho Riverwalk, redevelopment of City property, and Cochecho River dredging.

The Charrette team was then escorted along the "downtown" side  of the riverfront area by Cathy Beaudoin, Local historian, and guided through an historical perspective of the significance of the riverfront
in Dover’s economic growth and development. This portion of the tour
terminated at George’s Marina, where the Charrette team was given a
tour of the river by George Maglaras from the marina to the confluence
of the Cochecho, Salmon Falls and Piscataqua Rivers. The Charrette team disembarked at the City Public Works/Bus Storage side of the river and was escorted through the City property by Michael Bobinsky,
Community Services Director. The tour concluded at the City Hall
Auditorium, where the team set to work immediately.

Paul Buckhurst asked that the entire guest team begin with a "brainstorming" session by working individually or with other team members to develop a sketch of ideas and concepts for reuse of the City-owned property. All possibilities were open for discussion and presentation. The following section focuses of the ideas and discussions, which evolved from this effort.

Concept A – John Copley and Mike Lassel

The emphasis of this collaborative effort focused of the importance
of the existing downtown area. The authors of this concept felt that the downtown area needs to be strong and that real development needs to occur in this area prior to new development on the City land in order for the reuse or redevelopment to work.

This concept also pointed out the disparity between the wilderness
character of the majority of the length of the river and the stark and
somewhat deteriorated appearance at the terminus in the area of the
City property. Accordingly, the authors felt that reuse should include
open space development and opportunities to maintain wilderness up
to the potential boat landing area opposite George’s Marina. Natural area would provide diversions between various uses (i.e., between recreation and commercial areas). These uses included, commercial, residential, historical and marina uses.

Throughout this concept, the focus was the quality of life of the
community and its relationship to the river. Towards this end, the following components were predominant:

• Gardens/park area on riverfront

• Reuse of the old jail as a cultural center surrounded by meadows
  and large areas of vegetation

• Make visual connections with the existing downtown (i.e., views
  of City Hall, Garrison Hill, and St. John’s)

• Develop a strongly historical and "wharfy area" (buildings should
  look historical)

• Work with historical and cultural aspects in developing landscape
  treatments

Transportation was also a focus in this concepts, particularly the
development of a multi-model theme which incorporated a Chestnut
Street train station, adequate vehicular patterns and parking facilities,
and enhancement of river transportation possibilities. Links were
emphasized which reinforced pedestrian use and the existing downtown
center. Within the redeveloped City land, parkways would provide limited, low speed, low volume vehicular links between waterfront and recreational uses.

Concept B – Bissara Antikarov

This schematic proposal focuses on blocks of reuse/redevelopment within
the City land with an emphasis on internal vehicular and pedestrian links.
The main access and "gateway" to the property would be a bridge,
which served pedestrians and vehicles. The perimeter of the project
would feature a pedestrian walkway with numerous corridors or access
points to the river. A commercial area with marina, restaurant, and public
plaza is a major component of this concept, as is a strip of two-story
office buildings with offices on second floor and retail/office space on
the first floor.

Other components of this concept include development of the former
jail site as an historical museum, residential development in the elevated
plateau areas surrounding the property, and vehicular routes in the form
of parkways.

Concept C - Doug Greiner

The focus of this concept was maximum use of the river to entice  tourism. Towards this end, it was suggested that the navigable waterway be terminated as close to the existing Pipe Bridge as possible. The proposed "extension" of the river would include construction of a cove or turning basin called "Dover Wharf" (the proponent recognized the associated permitting issues). The additional water frontage resulting from this construction would be utilized to provide for additional opportunities for mixed-use development along the river. This riverfront development would include a restaurant.

Concept D – Ken Rhodes

This concept included many similar themes to those mentioned above,
as well as some innovative suggestions. In addition to emphasizing a
vehicular bridge connection to create a "main spine" through to Maglaras
Park and Henry Law Avenue, this plan addresses maintenance of a
greenbelt and creation of specific building "Pad" areas. One primary feature, addressed in other concepts, is a public boat launch/ferry landing facility with an "upscale" restaurant and deck overlooking the river.

In recognition of current discussions regarding downtown parking
availability and the need to properly address a flexible built-out scenario for the City land, this concept encourages a multi-story parking garage. This facility would be positioned to provide access from the Washington Street extension and River Street at the lower level, while also providing access from the grade of the plateau above the current recycling/brush pile area. This upper level would provide an interesting vantagepoint for corporate offices. A façade similar to the existing mill buildings would provide a tie to the existing downtown.

Innovative components of this concept tie well into the adjacent
recreational uses, while stimulating activity in the riverfront area over a year round time frame. Two of these components include:

• A health club/indoor activity center to promote activity in the
  evening

• An "all season" recreational area with an amphitheater and hillside
  area for winter sledding and an outdoor skating rink

Concept E - Larry Goss

The focus of this concept was the development of a simple proposal,
which would incur minimal costs to initiate. A vehicular bridge was not
included because of cost, and river dredging beyond required maintenance dredging is also not felt to be cost-effective.

An important component of this proposal was the enhancement of the
opposite side of the river to create a more attractive vista. Toward this
goal, the following suggestions were pertinent:

• City needs to redevelop the parking area across from One Washington Center and remove the pocket of blight by improving parking availability.

• Efforts should be made to obtain a pedestrian trail easement along
  the "downtown" side of the river to parallels the proposed riverwalk extension.

• Higher and better uses need to be sought for vacant or underutilized proper ties associated with the existing marina (this includes the old gas works building)

On the City-owned property, some uses similar to other concepts were proposed:

• Pedestrian trails along the riverbank including exercise stations

• Move parkway-style road away from the river

• If acquired, reuse old prison site as a heritage center

Only two (2) buildings were proposed between the road and the river.
These would include a bathhouse with a restaurant, 100 seats or less,
similar to Burlington, Vermont, and an inn geared toward business and
conferences with 30-50 rooms. Some offices and retail could be
accommodated of the opposite side of the road (away from the river).
One possibility to be investigated would be the locating of the District
Courthouse on the hillside surrounded by offices to support the Court.
Townhouse-style residences could be built into the hillside behind the
current recycling facility site.

Summary – Paul Buckhurst

As team leader, Paul Buckhurst made note of several common ideas in the concept plans:

• Balance preservation with Investment dollars

• Address the historical aspects of the river and shipping as they relate to tourism

• Determine what is marketable in the long term, and make long term decisions

• Maintain open space as a dominant feature along the river edge

• Provide for a 100-foot setback for buildings which allows for
  curvilinear walkways and one (1) restaurant linked to decking
  facilities

• Reuse of the prison building as a museum for historical and cultural uses

• Pursue some form of dredging to allow for increased boat traffic

• Set aside three (3) "pads" for future development

• Extend River Street through the site in a "parkway"

• Provide outdoor community gathering area/amphitheater

To summarize this initial "brainstorming"session, a list of themes and uses was prepared for reference in preparing selected design concepts. As the Charrette Team progressed through preparation of the selected design, each group attempted to incorporate these themes and uses within the context of low, medium, and high intensity concepts.

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