Agenda - 08-19-2010 - 1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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24 Putting Smart Growth to Work in Rural Communities Community visioning is Important to helping a community articulate a vision for its future and can provide the basis for comprehensive or master plans. Here, community members participate in a visioning process in Adams County, Pennsylvania. Designated growth areas Comprehensive plans should clearly identify desig- nated growth areas, including hamlets, town or village centers, and neighborhoods, in order to target new growth into the areas that the community sees as best suited for the development of new places. This strategy also prevents haphazard sprawl onto land that has scenic qualities or is better used as productive, working land. Some of these areas may be designated as receiving areas in a transfer of development rights (TDR) program. Infrastructure grid and transportation options Placing infrastructure along a grid is not only effi- cient—it also allows for easy expansion. Assuming annexation policies support it, extending existing grids of roads, sewer, and water networks to new develop- ment land can provide significant cost savings and prevent or limit sprawling growth in the long -term. Good connectivity among roadways enables multiple routes of access and reduces traffic congestion. By considering existing road networks, transit service, and trails networks, the community can make an informed decision about how to utilize existing trans- portation infrastructure and minimize future auto- mobile traffic and the associated pollution. Updating infrastructure plans to encourage compact develop- ment along a grid network can provide communities with significant savings. Horton, a town of just under 2,000 people in northeastern Kansas, has maintained a well - defined street grid and compact town center. Building on the existing infrastructure grid also makes investing in transit more feasible. Transit options for rural communities differ somewhat from those typically associated with urban areas and can range from demand - responsive service to fixed -route bus systems, varying with the size and structure of Z the community. Bozeman, Montana, has successfully implemented a fixed -route bus system, Streamline, to serve residents, commuters, and students and faculty d of Montana State University. A complementary fixed- route bus system, Skyline, now serves the ski -resort community of Big Sky, bringing tourists and seasonal employees to the community.41 Distinctive local character It is important that great new places reflect the cul- tural character of the region. Articulating what makes nearby places distinctive and attractive helps ensure that new development reflects these important fea- tures and supports the region surrounding it. This may include enhancing community design along key commercial corridors, for example, to ensure that the image being projected to visitors is attractive and unique. Pierce County, Washington, has created rural center guidelines for neighborhoods, rural activity cen- ters, and gateway community centers.42 These guide- lines help preserve the distinctive local character while allowing for the development of great new places. Both traditional neighborhood development (page 26) and the Main Street approach (page 18) can be used to help create or maintain a distinctive local character. Transportation options can be difficult to support in rural communities, but building on an existing infrastructure grid and implementing either demand- responsive or fixed -route bus systems can be successful strategies. Bozeman, Montana, has a fixed-route system called Streamline. 113