General

Next Step Implementation

A community revitalization effort is necessarily a partnership between the public entities and the private business owners and residents. The preparation of the Town of Halifax revitalization plan has been a model of community cooperation, with continuous involvement of both the Town of Halifax and Halifax County, which commissioned the study, as well as the efforts of numerous dedicated community members. This type of dedicated and committed involvement leads to implementation efforts even during the planning process. Recognizing that a plan is a snapshot in time, and that the Town will continue to evolve and change, as it has in the past, is fundamental to successful improvement efforts. The Town and its citizens during the planning have begun improvement of the buildings, are considering private proposals in light of long-range goals, and are working on a cooperative plan for addressing parking needs and management. In addition to designing, funding, and constructing necessary improvements, the following issues should be addressed in the near future and on an on-going basis:

Parking Management. It is critical that the Halifax County courts, the Town of Halifax, and the private business owners and property owners in the downtown area develop an overall parking management plan. This should address maintenance, directional signs, parking time limitations, a distribution of shorter-term customer parking in convenient areas, and guidance on court day long-term parking. Enforcement of parking time limitations is critical to the success of the management plan.

Downtown Overlay District and Design Standards. The Town of Halifax, through the "Downtown Preservation Sketchbook" as well as the recommendations of this plan, has guidance for the preparation of a Downtown Overlay District with associated design standards and zoning regulations. In order to guarantee the quality of design and construction in the future as well as to guide appropriate land use changes, zoning ordinances that support the design goals established in this plan should be implemented.

Community Gateways

Several gateway areas were identified during the planning process, including major gateways into the downtown area, but also including community gateways located on the major highways at the Town of Halifax boundaries. The plan recommends a simple sign consistent with the overall public sign design themes at the Town boundaries on all of the major roads into the Town. In addition, three major gateways into the downtown area were identified.

Mountain Road Gateway at the intersection of Mountain Road and Main Street
Northern Gateway at river bridges
Southern Gateway north of Toots Creek and railroad crossing

Mountain Road Gateway. This gateway is the primary entrance into the downtown from the west. The Mountain Road Historic Area is an extremely attractive entrance into the downtown, but the approach to Main Street from the west and the intersection are badly in need of improvement. The area has inconsistent curbs, confusing traffic patterns, too many signs mounted in ways that impede pedestrian movement, inadequate pedestrian crossing markings, and poor building presentation. The recommendations of the plan include:

Reduce the number of highway identification and directional signs as much as possible, and organize them in groupings with attractive supports in order to reduce the visual clutter of the corner.
Relocate the overhead utilities around the Veterans Memorial and the Intersection of Mountain Road and Main Street.
Improve the Town of Halifax parking lot on the north side of Mountain Road with additional frontage greenspace and trees.
Improve the site conditions of the buildings at the intersection, reducing the curb cut length and adding greenspace enhancements. The buildings themselves require only minor façade improvements, but the sites present an expanse of pavement and undefined curb line.

An alternate recommended improvement for this gateway area is to close the connection of Maple and Mountain Road, providing access to Maple only from the connection to Main Street north of the Mountain Road intersection. This would improve the appearance of the intersection area, and more importantly, would increase the safety of the intersection for vehicles and pedestrians by removing one of the offset intersecting streets. It would also reduce cut-through traffic in the Maple Road neighborhood.

Detail plans of the recommended gateway improvements as well as of the alternate Maple Avenue closure follow.

Northern Gateway. The Northern Gateway to the downtown is identified by the two bridges crossing the river and reservoir at the Town boundaries. These are attractive natural and cultural features that establish a good sense of place and character for the Town. Gateway treatments at these locations can be simple and attractive. The following are the recommendations for these locations:

Provide a gateway sign on the Town side of each bridge.
Organize existing highway identification and directional signs to reduce visual clutter.

StreetscapeSapproch Southern Gateway. The Southern Gateway to downtown was first considered to be located at Toots Creek and the railroad crossing. The plan recommends, however, that the formal downtown gateway be located on Main Street north of the railroad crossing. A curve in the road at the transition from the more intensive gas station and restaurant businesses to a more residential character provides a better transitional area into the downtown.

It is critical, however, to clean up and enhance the Toots Creek bridge and railroad crossing area. A major issue with the appearance of the approach to the downtown area is the Roller Mill located on the east side of Main next to the railroad. While the structure is of considerable historic interest, it is very dilapidated and has a negative effect on the perception of the Town. Although there has been some consideration of renovating the building for a new use, it is difficult to reuse the building due to the lack of parking for business use. It is important to go beyond stabilizing the structure, and to actually improve the appearance or else to remove it.

The following plan view and photo enhancement illustrate the recommendations for the major Southern Gateway entrance to the downtown. The recommended improvements are summarized as follows:

Provide a wide median in Main Street with a gateway sign, trees, and seasonal planting.
Slow traffic with chokers along the parking lane south of the median island and sign, including enhanced plantings along the front of Hardees and the residence on the east side of Main.

Signs and Facades

A coordinated sign program is essential to improving the functionality and appearance of the Halifax downtown. There are two elements to address in order to accomplish sign improvements, one regarding the public signs, and the other for the private business signs.

Public Signs. An inventory of signs throughout the downtown area reveals an enormous problem with sign clutter, particularly regarding roadway identification and directional signs. There are many good examples of signs in the community, but there is great inconsistency in the character and type of public signs. Public signs should present a consistency of color and style in order to provide a clear signal that the sign includes public direction and identification.

It is recommended that the County Courthouse and facilities within the study area as well as the Town itself utilize a uniform motif for their signs. Size and specific design should be varied to address the particular purpose and importance of the specific sign. Styles and character of existing signs and architectural features were inventoried and analyzed in order to develop a uniform sign style for public signs.

Private Signs and Facades. Private signs in the downtown area should have a character and materials consistent with the historic character of the community, but should also have variety in size, color and presentation to avoid the appearance of a suburban strip shopping center. The "Downtown Preservation Sketchbook" presented excellent guidelines for private signs as well as for the improvement of building facades. Some of these basic guidelines include:

Large projecting signs are not appropriate; small street-level signs are
Long horizontal signs on buildings are appropriate; use multiple signs of varying design to give multiple messages
Use serif letter styles in signs.

Several signs on downtown businesses have been constructed consistent with these guidelines, serving as a model for the improvement of other less desirable signs. As a part of the façade improvement program, improved signs can be provided.

Corporate signs are another issue to be addressed within the district. Corporate signs, such as gas station and chain restaurant signs, present a challenge to historic communities. While the sign style and colors are considered critical by most corporate entities, there are many precedents for adjustments in size and support of the sign that can create compatibility with the community standards. It is essential that the Town adopt an overlay district with design standards, design review, and design assistance that includes control of the replacement and installation of new corporate signs as well as the construction of individual business signs. The Exxon station on Main Street will be updated in the near future, providing the potential for establishing an appropriate corporate sign type. The establishment of enforceable design standards will be essential for continued sign improvement in the downtown.

A façade improvement program for the Town of Halifax will be initiated through a façade grant program as a part of the Community Development Block Grant application. This program provides a 50% match for improvement of blighted façade and site conditions in the CDBG area. Design and bid packages for the improvements are included in the grant. A preliminary review was prepared of façade conditions, and the buildings were categorized into three divisions for façade improvement budgets, high, medium and low, depending upon general visual review of conditions. During the design phase, all the buildings in the CDBG area will be visited by the consultants and façade recommendations will be developed to guide bidding and construction of improvements. A sample of front and rear façade improvement drawings is provided as Exhibit Q.

High level budget estimates are in the $10,000 - $20,000 range and include buildings with most apparent structural problems, requiring extensive work on brick or other materials along with sign, door and window improvements. Medium level budget estimates are in the $5,000 - $7,500 range and include extensive door and window improvements as well as signs and finishes. Low level budget estimates are in the $2,000 - $2,500 range and consist largely of sign improvements and / or painting or other finish upgrades and minor repairs. A chart in the Phasing and Budget section of this report provides a tabulation of the structures.

RECOMMENDED SIGNAGE

{rokbox thumb=|images/stories/revitalization/StreetscapeSigns_th.jpg|}images/stories/revitalization/StreetscapeSigns.jpg{/rokbox}
click for larger image

The "Downtown Preservation Sketchbook" provides excellent initial guidance for the improvement of facades. Starting from these guidelines and principles, a sample façade design for both a Main Street and a Houston street face was prepared. The major guidelines for façade improvement include:

Single story structures are not in scale with existing downtown buildings - any new construction should recognize existing building scale
Desirable rhythm created by two or more buildings together
Stucco/plaster, plastic and porcelain are not appropriate - existing appropriate materials for Halifax are brick and wood
Contrived colonial details are not appropriate; foreign stylistic design elements such as mansard roofs are not appropriate; use details appropriate of turn of the century
Metal awnings are not appropriate; canvas awnings are most appropriate
Large horizontal paneled windows are not appropriate; old character is vertical proportioned windows
Large panes on windows should be divided to give a vertical impression
Do not paint existing red brick; paint major wood and accent elements off-white, use brighter accent color on narrow trim elements

Pedestrian Circulation

Improved pedestrian circulation is critical to the success of the parking improvements as well as to providing increased safety and an attractive downtown streetscape. Attractive, direct pedestrian walkways between the improved and existing parking areas and the courthouse and Main Street businesses are essential. The pedestrian improvements are depicted on Exhibit D, the core area master plan, and also diagrammed on the following pedestrian circulation exhibit. Some primary improvements include:

Overall improvement in walks along Main Street by improving grades; curb definition and walking surface. Removal of overhead poles will also increase safe walking width, since the sidewalk space is narrow.
Enhanced pedestrian crosswalks across Main Street at Cemetery Street, in front of the Town Hall, and at Mountain Road. The primary crosswalk at the Town Hall includes a median "rest area."
A pedestrian walk continuing from the Town Hall crosswalk between the buildings on the east side of Main Street to the Houston Street parking area.
A pedestrian walk in the open area between the Town Hall and the Exxon station to the regional jail public parking.

Pedestrian Circulation Recommendations

Connect Public Parking Areas to Main Street
Create Safe Pedestrian Crosswalks
Create Public Plazas
Tie to Overall Greenway Plan
A pedestrian walk behind the Town Hall to the Edmunds Boulevard entrance to the Courthouse Green.
A pedestrian walk between the retail shops and Patient Transport opposite the Mountain Road intersection to provide direct access to the Houston Street parking area.

The pedestrian circulation diagram also includes a diagram of proposed greenspace walking connections to the downtown area. Halifax has considerable historic interest and a beautiful walk in front of the historic houses along Mountain Road. A greenspace walkway that would connect this walk to the downtown area would not only encourage residents of the Town to walk to the downtown, but would also provide an activity for visitors to the region, allowing the Town to benefit from the increased interest in heritage tourism.

Another important element of pedestrian circulation is the provision of "public spaces" along the streetscape. The Town has the beginning of a series of these spaces with the new Memorial Park at the corner of Main Street and Mountain road and the historic Courthouse Green. The Courthouse Green should be made more accessible visually and physically by the removal of the brick wall that was not part of the original building concept. The County is also considering other improvements to the circulation and design of the Green itself.

During the planning process the desire for a location for public events was expressed. The recommended location for this function is the space between the Exxon station and the Town Hall. This underutilized space was the drive-through for the bank that previously utilized the building. The drive area directly adjacent to the Exxon station extending from Main Street to the regional jail provides access to the Town police parking lot and needs to remain open. The proposed design for the public plaza is shown on the following exhibit. Major features of the design include:

Removal of the canopy and the paving throughout the site.
Realignment of the police parking lot to allow pedestrian access to the Courthouse Green behind the Town Hall.
Development of an open lawn area with ornamental trees and seating areas on the perimeter. The open site will allow space for public events.
A developed paved seating area along the front of the site continuous with the plaza in front of the Town Hall. This will provide a major seating area directly on Main Street.
Stamped asphalt paving on the through drive aisle providing an enhanced signed access to the regional jail public parking area. This should be the primary access for court visitor and workers to reach the parking area. The drive may be closed off for special events, providing a large gathering area, since the police parking lot also has access from the rear.
Planting screening between the Exxon site and the new public plaza.

Parking

Parking is a major issue area in downtown Halifax. A primary driver of the parking problem is the large number of visitors to the downtown on court days. The people attending the court park on Main Street in front of the businesses and in the private parking areas located along Houston Street. Another problem with parking is the large number of signed spaces in the immediate downtown area, creating a shortage of general public parking. This includes most of the spaces along Edmunds Boulevard around the courthouse, the business parking along Houston Street, and the Town parking lot.

A major parking lot is located in the next block on the west side of Main Street adjacent to the regional jail facility. This lot, while available to the public and to workers at the courthouse, is underutilized. In addition, the Town of Halifax owns a lot on Mountain Road northwest of the intersection with Main Street. Most of the spaces in the lot, however, are currently reserved for people renting the space on a monthly basis. Most of the spaces are not currently rented, so the lot is underutilized, but not available for general public parking.

The area along Houston Street behind the businesses fronting on Main Street also offers a substantial number of parking spaces. Most of these spaces are signed for individual businesses, and pedestrian access between this parking and Main Street is extremely inadequate. Some businesses have entrances on both Main Street and Houston Street, while a few businesses and residential apartments are entered only from Houston Street. Retaining and improving parking is a primary goal of the downtown revitalization plan. In order to address the parking problems, three issues must be addressed. First, parking areas need to be redesigned and improved to maximize the number and quality of spaces available. Second, directional signs to the parking and enhanced pedestrian walks to connect the parking to the businesses and the courthouse are essential. Third, a unified parking management plan must be developed, implemented and enforced in order to coordinate courthouse, employee and customer use of the parking spaces.

Improvement of parking along Houston Street is a primary recommendation of the master plan. Houston Street is currently a public right-of-way minimally maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation. The roadway is substandard, and adjacent businesses have various parking configurations along the road, including parallel spaces and perpendicular spaces that back directly onto the road. Some of the private areas adjacent to the road have relatively unimproved stone parking areas, others have paved lots, and there are other relatively level open areas suitable for parking that currently are not used. In order to improve Houston Street, adjacent parking would have to meet current standards and perpendicular spaces would no longer be allowed. This would reduce the total parking available in the area.

The alternative recommended in the master plan is for VDOT to abandon the Houston Street right of way except for a cul-de-sac at the north end access, and for the Town of Halifax to take over the property. The Town and the adjacent property owners will develop a joint ingress-egress and parking agreement that will allow the reconfiguration of the entire area into an organized parking lot with a through lane suitable for semi trailer delivery trucks in the approximate location of the existing Houston Street. Some spaces will be reserved for individual businesses, but a large portion of the spaces will be open for public parking. The parking area redesign includes improved pedestrian access to the Houston Street business and residence entrances. The concept increases the total parking available in the downtown area, and has been endorsed by the business community. The Town is in the process of organizing a joint agreement pending preliminary design of the parking and access.

A parking inventory was prepared throughout the core study area in order to determine the total spaces available. Alternative parking arrangements were studied and the number of spaces available under the recommended master plan was compared to the total existing spaces. The results of this inventory are shown on Exhibit K.

Parking management and enforcement will include providing clear signs from Main Street to the various public parking areas. Court users should be directed to the lot adjacent to the regional jail facility. This should be accomplished not only through signs, but also through parking directions sent out with court notices. Signs for business parking should direct drivers towards the Houston Street lot. The Town lot should be made available for public parking, with the potential for continued limited monthly spaces signed at the rear of the lot. Short term parking restrictions along Main Street should be strictly enforced, perhaps with initial "friendly" notices provided by the merchants, who can generally monitor spaces in front of their shops. Employees should be directed towards more distant parking spaces, freeing up the immediate spaces in front of businesses on both Main Street and Houston Street for customers.