NEWPORT -- In a showing of community spirit -- and without any antagonism -- about 130 people last weekend tackled the potentially divisive topic of how to improve the city's downtown, according to an organizer of the workshop.
"It was a good turnout. There's no question about that," said Bruce Bartlett, director of the Newport Redevelopment Agency. "Everyone was expressing their opinions and that's what it was for."
The redevelopment agency hosted the two-day workshop, called a charrette, to gather ideas for downtown. Participants included residents, business people, community activists and former and current city officials, Bartlett said.
Among the concepts Bartlett said the group seemed to embrace were:
Constructing a parking garage at the Mary Street site now used as a parking lot.
Preserving the historic character of downtown. They feel that some of the newer buildings don't blend with the traditional buildings, Bartlett said.
Making the area more friendly to walkers by studying how to improve pedestrian access across America's Cup Avenue. Ideas included better signage, reducing the number of travel lanes and improvements to crosswalks.
"There was a very clear desire to improve the relationship between the waterfront and the central part of the city," Bartlett said.
Establishing a harbor walk from Goat Island to King's Park.
Bartlett said one topic did not surprisingly generate a great deal of consensus. That was what to do with the Long Wharf pedestrian mall, a long-standing debate among various downtown interests. Some people have proposed reopening it to automobile traffic, as it once was many years ago.
"Some people felt it should be opened headed westbound," said Bartlett, while others opposed allowing cars through at all. "Some people felt it should look and feel like a visual access from the water up to the Colony House. Some people felt it was desireable to have a long greenway through Eisenhower Park all the way to the water at Perrotti Park."
The workshop was intended to help guide a consulting team, headed by Taylor & Partners of Newport, as it prepares a $25,000 report outlining recommendations for the central part of the city. The report will first go to the redevelopment agency and then be presented to the City Council.
The team will meet with members of the agency in the next few weeks to review the comments made at the workshop, Bartlett said.
The workshop began Friday evening with a two-hour session outlining its goals. On Saturday, participants were led on a tour of the area that is the focus of the study.
Then Dan Burden of Walkable Communities, a nationally recognized consultant and principal member of the Taylor team, gave a presentation on how communities across the country have addressed issues similar to those found in Newport. Later, the participants broke into small groups to discuss their visions for downtown.
Reporter Richard Salit can be reached at (401) 253-1200 or by e-mail at rsalitATprojo.com.
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