| 3.8.1 Gateways
This plan illustrates the creation of major
gateways at the entrances to the Village with enhancements
for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. All gateways would
include a "Welcome to Pittsford Village" sign.
North Main Street and Washington Road
gateway:
- Paint the railroad bridge an appropriate
color along with the words "Pittsford Village".
- Reduce traffic lanes on middle
bridge support by constructing a wide stone edged median.
- Include landscaping and flagpoles
on the median.
- Remove the right turn sweep lane
from N. Main Street to Washington Road to create green space.
- Add a pedestrian gazebo structure.
- Install new landscaping and street
trees, lighting and paved crosswalks
Monroe Avenue gateway at the East Side
of the Canal Bridge:
- Generous landscaping (street trees,
green space, plantings).
- Street lighting on each side of
Monroe Avenue would define this entrance corridor.
East Jefferson Road and South Street
gateway:
- New reconfigured traffic calming
roadwork to create an island for a gazebo structure similar
to the one at N. Main gateway.
- Add flagpoles, lighting, landscaping,
street trees, and crosswalks.
- Construct a new roadway entrance to
the ball field.
Village line and State Street, West Jefferson
Road, and South Main Street gateways:
- Add flagpoles, landscaping, lighting,
and signage pylons.
Erie Canal gateways:
- Include large signs (with lighting) at
the State Street Bridge and Monroe Avenue Bridge appropriately
placed for easy viewing by water traffic entering the Village
from the east and the west
3.8.2 Streetscape Improvements
The schematic plan addresses the existing
buildings and potential new buildings along Main Street, State
Street, and Monroe Ave. In general, the intent of new two
story structures along these prime commercial streets would
be to fill gaps in the street facade, hide parking and create
new mixed use income generating property (some of which replace
or amend existing properties); this would result in maintaining
the setback continuity along the public realm pedestrian ways.
A new two-story structure is suggested in
front of (or replacing) the existing property at the Northeast
corner of Main Street and State Street. This structure would
complete the Four Corners streetscape complementing the architecturally
significant historic structures at the other three corners.
Other new and renovated construction could include conversion
of existing one-story structures to two-stories. This would
dramatically enhance the streetscape and add additional income
producing square footage. Examples include Montana Mills,
Hicks and McCarthy, 5 Monroe Avenue, and 19 Monroe Avenue.
(See schematic for "Four Corners intersection" under the Traffic
section).
3.8.3 Additional Pedestrian Features
Additional illustrated pedestrian amenities
include new sidewalks and street trees on Jefferson Road,
Sutherland Street, South Street, and Elmbrook Drive. There
is a potential for neighborhood gazebos at the end of Austin
Park and Jackson Park as well as the gateways at the canal
pathways.
Library
Opportunities exist for expanding the community
library at its present location. A potential addition is illustrated
in the schematic plan. The design could take full advantage
of the canal location by including window exposures to the
canal, expanded basement space, outside reading promenade,
and reconfigured parking lot.
Pedestrian Bridge
Constructing a pedestrian bridge near the
expanded library to Schoen Place would further enhance the
library's prime location and its importance to Town and Village
residents. The bridge would physically link the CBD with the
development along the Canal to encourage people to patronize
businesses and use the facilities along the Canal.
Infill Housing
The Schematic Plan illustrates several infill-housing
opportunities scattered throughout the Village that would
increase the tax base. Housing should follow strict design
guidelines (Traditional Neighborhood Development Concepts)
so that the character complements the best existing housing.
The Village could purchase properties as they come up for
sale or individual landowners could initiate this construction.
Other housing opportunities exist along the south side of
the canal on Plumbs Alley and at the Canal Park Office Building.
Additional potential apartment residential units could be
planned for the second floor of new or existing retail construction.
(See Figure 1-3 Village Schematic, Village of Pittsford)
Schoen Place
Phase I (LWRP) of the Comprehensive Plan
made recommendations concerning Schoen Place. This Phase II
Plan illustrates some of those ideas and makes further recommendations
concerning pedestrian enhancements. The following schematic
illustrates a major pedestrian gateway from North Main Street
adjacent to the canal bridge that could include a narrower
vehicular roadway flanked on each side by a unit paved pedestrian
walkway and a landscaped tree-lined promenade along the canal
from the new pedestrian bridge east towards the State Street
bridge. Bollards could replace the steel guardrail and additional
street lighting could be added. Several unit paved pedestrian
and landscaped access walks linking proposed parking to the
north to the canal plus many crosswalks across the road could
also be considered.
3.8.4 Parking
The Village Business District schematic
illustrates the benefits of removing the barriers between
existing parking areas that are behind the commercial and
retail buildings on Main, Monroe, and State Streets. Besides
the potential to increase parking capacity, (by 100 to 200
cars) reconfiguring the many separate parking areas into a
unified whole. This will also eliminate many curb cuts, thereby
further increasing the capacity for on-street parking. As
important, the pedestrian experience will be enhanced. Better
lighting, landscaping and clearer signage will give pedestrians
additional comfort and direction and mean less conflict with
automobile traffic.
Shared parking would require eliminating
selective access driveways. These corridors could then become
landscaped pedestrian access walkways leading from the parking
areas to the main streets of the CBD or could be in-filled
with new building construction. In some areas (south side
of State Street for example) this plan requires the demolition
or relocation of existing structures.
Diagonal parking in front of the Spiegel
Center (Lincoln Avenue) and St. Louis School (Rand Place)
could be considered to increase the number of parking spaces.
3.8.5 Traffic
The slowing down and management of the
automobile is a prime concern. This plan illustrates potential
traffic calming techniques. One option alternative is to remove
right turn lanes at the Main, State, and Monroe intersection
in favor of unit-paved bumpouts. In addition, decorative unit
paved crosswalks and center circle could be added. Coupled
with additional landscaping and enhanced traffic control devices,
these items would serve to create an enhanced and safer experience
for the pedestrian at this critical area.
Unit paved pedestrian crosswalks with "auto
stop" signs are illustrated at several key points down North
and South Main Street, State Street, and Monroe Avenue. Additional
crosswalks (painted a warm brick color and edged in cream
color) occur at all intersections throughout the Village plan.
At the North Main Street, State Street and
Monroe Avenue canal bridges, traffic lane widths could be
reduced to slow traffic. The resulting wider pedestrian sidewalks
are shown with unit pavers. Additional landscaping and lighting
should be considered at these enhanced pedestrian walkways.
In general (shown selectively in the Village
Schematic Plan), automobile lane width should be narrowed
to help slow traffic. The intersections at Golf Avenue/Washington
Road, Eastview Terrace/South Street, Boughton Street/South
Street, South Street/Jefferson Road and Sutherland Street/Jefferson
Road have been reconfigured to help slow traffic and create
public green space.
3.8.6 Northwest Quadrant
The Northwest Quadrant is the largest single
opportunity for development in the Village. Any development
should follow traditional patterns of neighborhood design
including a variety of housing types: traditional neighborhood
retail, narrow streets and alleys, natural and recreation
areas, a common, opportunities for public transit, gateways,
and linkages to the existing CBD and Canal. Phase I (LWRP)
also includes a similar design concept for this critical area.
The Figure below illustrates a different option, updated to
support the requirements of this Comprehensive Plan. This
concept could include relocating the Village Department of
Public Works facility.
Figure
3-1 Vacant Land- NW Corner
Village of Pittsford
3.8.7 Monoco Oil Site
The Monoco Oil site (adjacent to the railroad
tracks, with industrial use across the canal), with its proximity
to the Erie Canal has the potential to be a gateway to the
Village.. There are many options for this crucial property
that is shared by the Town (approximately 6.5 acres) and the
Village (approximately 1.5 acres including access to Monroe
Avenue). The Town and Village will work together to support
appropriate private development of this valuable property.
Figure 1-2 illustrates the potential for traditional-planned
rental apartments or single-family townhouses in traditional
Village fashion positioned along the canal similar to those
on the Northwest Quadrant. Retail, office or other such commercial
uses should be carefully considered to ensure they do not
become a detriment to the Village Business District.
Figure
3-2 Former Monoco Oil Site
Village and Town of Pittsford
Figure
3-3 Village Schematic
Village of Pittsford
Figure 3-4 Village Business
District Schematic
Village of Pittsford
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Copyright
©2006, Village of Pittsford