The Design Committee
Historically, downtown was a physically engaging place.  Buildings and signs communicated style and detail.  Sidewalks, lighting and public spaces created a comfortable, attractive streetscape.  Downtown emphasized pedestrian activity but accommodated vehicular traffic.
Over the past thirty years, however, downtown’s physical environment has deteriorated: buildings have been poorly maintained and/or inappropriately remodeled; streetscape elements have been neglected; and cars have displaced pedestrians.  As its character has diminished, downtown has been become less inviting and, therefore, less competitive.
Design is about restoring downtown’s character and identity as the foundation for restoring downtown’s commercial competitiveness, because these physical qualities are what differentiate downtown from all other commercial districts.  Ultimately, downtown’s marketability depends on its unique “sense of place.”

The Design Committee’s job is:

• Educating yourselves and others about - “what is good design and why is it important?”
• Providing good design advice
• Planning downtown’s future development - guiding growth and reshaping regulations
• Motivating others to make changes - creating incentives, providing tools and targeting key projects