CARRBORO, NC-- September 15, 2001 The Downtown Visioning Charrette walking tour of downtown Carrboro began bright and early Saturday morning at Century Hall. The large group of folks that gathered for the tour was split up into 3 smaller groups, each heading off in a different direction. We were asked to mention things that we noticed, good and bad, along the way. Many of these were day-to-day details that we somehow managed to ignore in our daily routines. We gained a heightened awareness of stuff around us. There were as many ideas and concerns as there were people, each with a different observation, all with varying views. We started in front of the Century Center, noting such details as the architectural style, the texture of the sidewalk, and the placing of the plants around the border in front of the Center. Part of what we discussed entailed changes that needed to be made, which landmarks seemed worth salvaging, and simple things such as the breaks in the flow of the sidewalks on Main St. We headed east up Main, noting the placement of the blue bench and trashcan in front of the Century Center, and the lack of a bench in front of Jade Palace where the bus stop is. Initially, no one in our group was even certain where the bus stop was on this stretch of street. Should the fir tree lot be put to better use? We each had our own opinion. Our group then proceeded up East Main, cautiously crossing Weaver St. to head up toward Lloyd St., where everything from lane reductions to making the parking lot where Cat's Cradle and the ArtsCenter are located more pedestrian friendly, were discussed. The lack of a through street in the Lloyd St. neighborhood was also noted, and why parking isn't allowed at any time of day along that street was questioned. As we headed back, traveling west on Main St. and across to Roberson, half of the folks in our group became stuck in the pedestrian hell at the intersection of Weaver and Main Streets. Dan kept busy entering the results of the previous night into his computer for a slideshow he presented the group after we returned from our tour. Each group had been assigned at least one scribe who took notes that were read aloud upon our return. There was a consensus on several concerns by all three of the groups. Our group noted that the handicap curbs in most places were either too narrow, or built at a slant that would send a wheelchair directly into the line of traffic if the user wasn't careful. We also toyed with the idea of greater usage of Roberson St., which was virtually deserted as we made our way back to the Century Center. The afternoon session afforded the large mass of folks the opportunity to break up into smaller groups and redesign downtown Carrboro, with the only limitations those of their imaginations. There were 13 groups in all, with no budgetary concerns, and the ability to move or raze buildings, if only on paper. Each group then made a presentation of their plan. Common themes included burying power lines and bringing a post office back downtown. Plans also included much more green space, swimming pools, performing arts spaces, linking areas, creating roundabouts for smoother traffic flow, and any number of possible and improbable ideas. The charrette was a huge success with great turnouts for all of the sessions. After the end of the last presentations, my daughter and I began the short but treacherous journey back to our house on foot. As we walked along South Greensboro St., the need for a more walkable community was made abundantly clear. A friend of ours stopped at the crest of the hill and offered us a ride the rest of the way down the hill and up Merritt Mill Road to our ultimate destination. "You could get killed walking along this street." Yes, we know. What happens next? The question now is what do we do with the information gathered? How will it be used to change the look and feel of downtown Carrboro? Will the thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours Carrboro citizens gave for this exercise produce any concrete results? We shall see. The Friday night brainstorming session. The complete Downtown Visioning Workshop schedule. The November 10 follow up meeting. Home | Overview | About Us | Ads | Art | Businesses | Carrboro and Area Stuff | Carrboro Map | Computer Stuff | Downtown Carrboro Map | Events | Prices | Restaurants | UniqueOrn Enterprises