The City of Woodstock will hold the first of several meetings Aug. 20 to provide input on updating its 2002 Town Center Livable Centers Initiative for the historic downtown area.
A decade after Woodstock began a revival process for its downtown area city leaders are undertaking a review of its results this month that is intended to provide a plan for future improvements.
The original plan was the result of collaboration by the City of Woodstock, the Downtown Development Authority, Greenprints Alliance, Elm Street Arts Center, Main Street Woodstock and Cherokee County, said Joel Reed, a planner with Pond & Company.
Examples of successful projects implemented from the 2002 LCI cited by Reed include:
- An infill residential and mixed use downtown development that was a winner of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Development of Excellence award,
- Improved brick sidewalks,
- New streetscapes with planters, and
- Revitalized storefronts along Main Street.
The Town Center area is bordered by Highway 92 to the south, I-575 to the west, Dobbs Road and the utility corridor to the east, and on the north by Haney Road and Woodstock Elementary School.
The team from Pond & Company’s Studio for Better Communities, which includes retail consultant Gibbs Planning Group, is working with the City to conduct analyses of the retail mix and parking in the area to analyze current and future demand, as well as what type of parking is needed and where, Reed said.
The first Community Meeting for the Woodstock Town Center Plan on Aug. 20 will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Chambers at City Center, 8534 Main St., Woodstock, 30188. Residents, business owners, and other community members are invited to attend and learn about the planning process and overall goals of the project.
The community is also invited to attend a Design Charrette on Aug. 21 and 22 at Acru Money + Life, 400 Chambers St., Woodstock, 30188. Reed said the charrette will be an interactive design session where attendees will participate in developing future land use and transportation plans. Additional meetings will be held throughout the fall, with City Council reviewing the final plan in December.
For more information about the Woodstock Town Center Plan, visit www.woodstockproject.wordpress.com, or call Woodstock City Planner Brian Stockton at 770.592.6000 x 1601.
