Loading...
Existing Conditions_2021-0201Florence Streetscape Existing Conditions ANALYSIS (DRAFT-02/01/2021) Right-of-Way Width The property line on the south side of Main Street in Florence is largely coincident with the edge of the sidewalk. The property line on the north side of the street is often set back from the sidewalks. In general, the right-of-way on the north side of the street is adequate for a pleasant streetscape. On the south side of the street the right-of-way enables a streetscape that meets minimum functional requirements, but it does not allow for a vibrant, or even comfortable, streetscape with no room for expansion of sidewalks. In several cases there appear to be encroachments into the public right-of-way: Cumberland Farms, Starr’s Pizza, the Florence Bank front garden, Florence Bank drive through plantings. The ramp at 100 Main also slightly encroaches into the right-of-way. Sidewalks North Side Sidewalks on the north side of Main Street have a comfortable width from Starr’s Pizza to Maple Street. Sidewalk widths are minimally adequate (5’+/-) between the Cumberland Farms driveway and Cooper’s Corner parking lot and then widen out in front of Cooper’s Corner to a comfortable width. There is a pinch point between Cooper’s Corner parking lot and Wilder Place, where a tree, fence, and utility pole narrow the useable sidewalk space. South Side Sidewalks on the south side of the Main Street have minimally acceptable width—five feet including the curb. On the south side of Main Street between Valley Medical Group and Friendly’s frequent curb cuts and associated cross-slopes for driveways make the comfortable area for walking even narrower. The presence of raised curbs on the front property line at Florence Pizza, Friendly’s and 52 Main Street and 40 Main Street further contribute to the perception of narrow sidewalks and limit stepping onto private property to allow people to pass. Winter snow clearance is problematic on the south side of Main Street. There is no extra sidewalk width or tree belt for snow storage. The sidewalk becomes narrow and often has incomplete snow removal especially at 100 Main Street (in front of the ramp), and between Valley Medical Group’s driveway and Friendly’s. It is not clear whether the problem is lack of snow clearance by property owners’ contractors, that the City repeatedly plows snow onto sidewalks that have already been cleared, or both. Limited melting due to shading may also play a role. With the 4’6” functional width of the sidewalks, there is inadequate space for wheelchairs to pass. It is recommended that passing zones be provided at least every 200’. There is a pinch point at the corner of the south side of Main Street and Chestnut Street (at Florence Towing). The traffic light pole and control box narrow the sidewalk to 31”. The sign for Florence Towing is in the right-of-way with an easement next to the signal control box. There are also a few locations where “No Parking” signs are located within the sidewalk (at Florence Pizza, MurDuff’s Jewelry). Relocating these would increase the functional width of the sidewalk. The sidewalk through Trinity Row Park dead ends at Trinity Row. The grade of the sidewalk here slopes down to Trinity Row, likely exceeding ADA acceptable slopes and there is no detectable warning panel. There is also no crosswalk to connect from the south side of Locust Street to the north side where the sidewalk continues on toward the east. There are numerous locations where sidewalks are in poor condition and several where curb ramps are missing. It is our understanding that the City is currently in the process of improvingsome of these sidewalk areas and curb ramps through a project with Berkshire Design Group, including: Sidewalk Replacement: North Side at Florence Soft Serve South Side at 10 Main Street New Sidewalk alignment and curb extension at Main and South Main Streets Curb Ramp Upgrades: North Maple and Main Street Keyes Street and Main Street Wilder Place and Main Street Plymouth Ave and Main Street We recommendthat future fixes are coordinated with a long-term vision—considering locations where future tree pits might be placed or where sidewalks can be widened within the right-of-way. Crosswalks The crosswalk at Keyes Avenue (between Valley Medical Group and Florence Bank is used frequently, including by bus-riders. Moving the cross-walk to the east side of Keyes Avenue and adding curb-extensions would shorten the crossing distance, improve visibility of pedestriansand provide passing space for wheelchairs on the south side of Main Street. The crosswalk with curb bumpout at Cumberland Farms has improved the ease of crossing, but visibility for cars approaching the bumpout from the west is limited when the parking space adjacent to the bumpout is occupied. The crosswalk at Chestnut Street is signal controlled and so would not be a priority for improvement. There is no crosswalk between Chestnut Street and Straw Avenue, a length of approximately 1,050 feet. As mentioned previously the sidewalk on the south side of the street dead ends at Trinity Row without a crosswalk to north side of the street where the sidewalk continues to the east. Adding a crosswalk there would improve pedestrian connectivity. We would recommend a high visibility crosswalk in this location and especially a raised crosswalk, which would have the added benefit of slowing traffic entering and exiting Florence Center. Street Trees There are limited street trees on both sides of Main Street and trees in pits have historically had short life spans.Along with the sidewalk renovation previously described, the City is work on improvements to street trees at the following locations: #3 North Main Bird’s Store Entrance – North Maple and Main Between North Maple and Keyes St (4 total) At Wilder Place and Main Street (new tree pit) In front of Cooper’s Store There is adequate right-of-way and sidewalk width to add additional trees in tree pits or tree trenches on the north side of Main Street in a number of locations. There is not adequate sidewalk width or right-of-way space to add additional trees in tree pits on the south side of Main Street. There are several locations where front yard public shade trees could be added. Furniture There is very limited street furniture (including benches, trash cans, bike racks, wayfinding signage, lighting, etc.) along Main Street and what is present is inconsistent in style and materials. If the materials and widths of sidewalks are to remain the same, street furniture presents the biggest opportunity to improve the functionality of Main Street and create a cohesive identity for downtown Florence. In addition, there are opportunities to improve the usability of the downtown for people of varying ages and physical needs by providing additional furniture, particularly regularly spaced accessible seating. The north side of the street has space for additional furniture, while the south side does not, unless it is placed in curb bumpouts or onprivate property. Our understanding is that the City is in the process of adding street furnishings at the following locations: New Bench at #29 N Main Street Upgraded Newspaper box at Miss Florence Diner New Bench at Valley Medical Group New Trash Receptacle at bus stop near Valley Medical Group Lighting Lighting is provided by cobra head fixtures on the north side of Main Street. The light standards are quite tall with a basic highway-type design. The lighting they provide appears adequate for motor vehicles. There are opportunities to add pedestrian-scale lighting on the north side of Main Street, to provide consistent lighting for pedestrians, enhance the identity of downtown Florence, and improve visibility of pedestrians at crosswalks. Because right-of-way space on the south side of Main Street is limited, opportunities for additional pedestrian scale lighting are limited. The addition of pedestrian scale lighting on private property could be a priority for review of future development projects. Commercially available pedestrian-scale lighting for paths and streetscapes is typically between 12 feet and 16 feet in height from ground to fixture. The scale of Florence commercial center is most compatible with shorter 12 to 14 foot height fixtures. The spacing of new pedestrian pole-mounted lights, fixture height, and fixture type should be coordinated by a professional lighting designer to provide an even distribution of light through the center. Spacing of pole-mounted lighting should reflect the pole height, with shorter poles generally requiring less distance pole to pole. A ‘rule of thumb’ is to provide lighting at a spacing of 2.5 to 3 times the pole height. So, 12 foot pole mounted lights would ideally be 30 feet on center. Strong Avenue has short pedestrian lights at approximately this spacing. Existing cobra lights in Florence are spaced 120 feet on center. Adding one additional pedestrian pole between each existing cobra head and attaching a pedestrian scale light to the sidewalk side of each existing cobra light would provide a 60 foot spacing. Giving the existing broad light coverage from cobra-head fixtures and light from storefronts, as well as the configuration of driveways and properties, 60 feet on center appears to be an achievable and appropriate maximum spacing. A 60 foot maximum spacing is also consistent with lighting design standards in other communities in the United States, such as Seattle. Shorter 12 foot lights at 30 feet on center could be used areas of high pedestrian activity without significant light contributions from adjacent buildings, such as adjacent to parklets and parks.