Downtown Master Plan

In a traditional process, a long-range plan – such as the Downtown Master Plan (DMP) Update – would be adopted with the expectation that its policies, programs and conceptual projects would be implemented over many decades and as funds become available. The original DMP was adopted in 1986 and implemented over three decades.

Unique to this effort, the Town has an allotment of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant funding that can be used to advance one or two projects in parallel with the long-range plan development process. At its Study Session on June 16, 2022, the Town Council considered a technical analysis of three candidate projects identified in the Draft Downtown Master Plan (DMP) for ARPA funding.

As part of its deliberations, the Town Council took into consideration the main messages from the nearly 1,500 community survey responses, which included a desire to focus on Hartz Avenue, provide more outdoor gathering spaces that are not associated with restaurants, more lighting, and additional traffic safety measures to slow vehicle speeds.

In addition, the Council recognized that the selected project must be of a limited size and scope so that it can be completed within a time frame stipulated by ARPA funding requirements.

After careful consideration of community feedback and ARPA constraints, the Town Council provided consensus direction to advance a portion of Project B (Theatre Plaza) and Project D. Combined, these two project components would activate the Arts District and construct raised intersections and sidewalk bulb-outs at key intersections along Hartz Avenue. This project would achieve key community objectives:

1. Reduce vehicle speeds
2. Enhance pedestrian safety by shortening the crossing distance at key intersections.
3. Advance an age-friendly strategy identified in the Danville Age-Friendly Roadmap by elevating the intersection to the level of the sidewalk.
4. Enlarge the public plaza at the intersection of Hartz and Prospect Avenues for community gathering and recreation programming.
5. Add specialty art lighting at these new intersection bulb-outs to enhance pedestrian level lighting.
6. Create a flexible pedestrian plaza space in the Arts District activating the underutilized between the Town Meeting Hall and Village Theatre.

The project is summarized on Slides 40-42 and an example of a raised intersection is shown on Slide 15 of the presentation.

In the upcoming months, the Town will pursue two paralleling actions. The first is to complete the updated DMP document which will contain long-range goals, policies, programs and projects. The second is to further design and develop Project D.

The community outreach survey concluded on February 14 with nearly 1500 Danville residents, business owners, and visitors offering their opinions and feedback on Danville’s Downtown Master Plan Update. The survey was available between January 7 and February 14, 2022, and sought community input on how businesses and residents envision improvements to Danville’s treasured downtown spaces.

This project aims to reimagine some of the public spaces within the downtown to provide essential connection and engagement while balancing the need for adequate public parking, drainage facilities, accessibility to all businesses, and essential services such as trash pick-up. The Town and its urban design firm SWA will now review and coalesce all the input from the community survey and develop strategies for the Town Council to review.

“We are thrilled with the number of responses the survey received. We know that the downtown is a treasured place, so it was important for us to get this feedback from the community,” said Jill Bergman, Business and Economic Development Director for the Town. “We want to thank everyone who took part and encourage people to follow the progress of Downtown Master Plan Update on the project website at www.DanvilleTownTalks.org.”

View video here.

View video here.