Downtown Advisory Group Learns About Main Street USA Program

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Downtown Waterville Advisory Group Learns About Main Street USA Program

By JENNIFER KIERSTEAD, Co-Chair, REM Communications Committee (May 5, 2000)

WATERVILLE--A group of 17 community and business leaders met at Colby College on Tuesday, May 2 to exchange updates on revitalization work currently underway in downtown Waterville and hear about the Main Street USA program.

This is the last of the advisory group meetings to be chaired by outgoing Colby College President Bill Cotter before he leaves this summer to lead a Boston-based charitable foundation. The advisory group has been meeting every three to four months over the last 18 months.

The group heard reports from three committees, Downtown Beautification, New Business, and New Events. Jon Laitin of the Waterville Intown Business Association also reported on a recent meeting he attended in Boston regarding the Main Street USA Program.

Downtown Beautification

Joe Karter of Jokas' Discount Beverage reported on efforts to clean up the city, with a focus on the downtown area. He said block captains have volunteered to help clean up parts of the city two times a year, and that volunteers from the citizens' group REM will assist in areas where there currently are not block captains.

"The purpose of the clean-up is to have more people involved in the downtown," said Karter. Their observations can help direct city attention to problems, such as use of downtown receptacles for household trash. Staff from the city's Public Works and Parks & Recreation Departments "have been great" to work with, he said.

Jennifer Bergeron, owner of Earth Bound women's clothing store on the Concourse, reported that the number of flower boxes in the downtown area will be doubled this year, from 25 to 50, and tubs of flowers and hanging plants added in front of City Hall. (Editor's note: As this article went to press, the number of boxes increased to 65 in addition to the plants in front of City Hall. Catalyzed by the Waterville Rotary Club, this project is a collaboration between Hammond Lumber, Fairfield, which donates the lumber for the boxes; students of Mark Champagne's class at Mid-Maine Technical Center, who build the boxes; Dick Chasse, of Belgrade, who designs the plantings; Longfellows Greeenhouses, which plants the boxes; and Jim Toner and staff of the Waterville Parks & Recreation Department, who water them twice a week. Bergeron raises funds from business owners to fund this project.)

A new set of seasonal banners will be ready within four to six weeks, added Laitin.

Rotary Club President and REM Beautification Team Co-chair Peter Garrett invited everyone to attend an Arbor Day celebration to be held Monday, May 22 at noon at the Veterans' Memorial Park located kitty corner from the Waterville Public Library. Waterville used to be a "Tree City USA," but must plant trees, participate in an Arbor Day celebration, allocate money in its budget for tree-planting, and have a tree ordinance in order to renew this affiliation. A software-assisted inventory of where trees are and where they are most needed is underway. Property owners will be notified when tree planting begins, and asked to assist in protecting young trees while their root systems become established.

"The idea is to get many more trees into the Waterville area," he said. "We'd also like the program to extend into the built-up parts of Fairfield, Winslow and Oakland."

Downtown property owner Bill Arnold questioned whether the name "Elm City" still applies to Waterville and whether another name should be selected instead. Garrett noted that about 100 elms were planted as part of a Rotary project which began 10 years ago. He emphasized the need for a city-wide plan for planting that takes modern needs and public participation into consideration and which will include many different species of trees.

New Events

New events planned for the summer and fall include a Jazz Festival in the fall (date undetermined), a Head of the Falls festival called "Voices of the Kennebec" on June 3 to coincide with National Trails Day, mini-concerts in Castonguay Square in the summer, an October Fest in the fall (date not yet determined), and the Nevola Symposium at the Center on June 13. Waterville's Bicentennial is coming up in 2002; a committee has just been appointed by Mayor Nelson Madore to begin planning for the event.

The "Voices of the Kennebec," which celebrates the area's diverse heritage, could become a yearly event, noted Mayor Madore. A walk is planned along the proposed riverfront trail extending from Mill Island in Fairfield to the Head of the Falls, said Garrett. A bus will leave from the north end of the Concourse at 12:30 p.m. on June 3 to begin the walk from Mill Island.

The first public hearing in April on Kennebec riverfront development at the Head of the Falls "went well," said Madore. About 85 people attended to hear site assessment reports from Sam Coplon of Coplon Associates, a landscape architecture and planning firm in Bar Harbor, and his colleagues. There will be two more hearings, one in June and another in early fall, before a plan will be brought before the City Council for adoption. Based on that, the City will apply for grants from state, federal and private foundations to get the proposed work done, said Madore. Coplon Associates will provide a list of funding sources, he said.

Accountant and REM co-founder Jim Nicholson thanked Mayor Nelson and City Administrator Ron Singel for inviting people via individual letters to attend the hearing. REM members involved in previous riverfront visioning and Concourse development efforts received a letter from Singel. Nicholson attributed the outstanding turnout to the care taken to invite these people individually.

REM Executive Director Faye Nicholson said renovations are underway for the first floor Forum space in the Center to create "a community living room" open to the public where people can meet informally or schedule events. The Fourteenth Annual Thomas Nevola, MD, Symposium on Spirituality and Health entitled Healing and the Arts is one of these upcoming events. Co-sponsors include: Thomas Nevola, MD Memorial Fund,

Maine-Dartmouth Family Practice Residency, MaineGeneral Medical Center and C. Everett Koop Institute, Dartmouth College.

New Business

David Roy of Kennebec Savings Bank and David Grenier of Peoples Heritage Bank reported on new business loans made through the Colby Downtown Development Loan Program, a $1 million revolving loan fund capitalized by Colby College. Five loans have been approved with another two or three pending. Cotter noted that Colby has helped streamline the application process by asking only one trustee to review recommended applications. Loan applications are available through Kennebec Federal Savings Bank on Main Street in Waterville. The point of contact is Lisa Violette. Loan applications are reviewed by Roy, Grenier, Cotter and Doug Reinhardt. Colby College's President then makes a recommendation to a single trustee, currently Joe Boulos.

Cotter also said the College's Board is considering establishing a new board committee focused on downtown Waterville and economic development. Among potential committee members are Bill Ryan, CEO of Peoples, Owen Wells, head of Libra Foundation, Joe Boulos, a Portland developer, and others.

Laitin said the InTown Business Association's effort to attract new businesses to Waterville is now in its final phase. A four-color flyer is completed and ready to be mailed to over 2000 prospective businesses together with a letter from Mayor Madore and a mail back card.

Main Street Program

Laitin then reported on the Main Street meeting in Boston, which he attended in April, with about 1600 people from the U.S. and other parts of the world. Dwight Lanning and Ron Singel also attended from Waterville.

This program was established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation when many U.S. downtowns became "desolate" in the 1970s. Commenting on the success of downtown revitalization efforts in other parts of the state, such as Portland and Bath, Laitin advocated "organizing a program to bring everyone together."

In his opinion, Waterville has too many organizations, groups and individuals involved in downtown who are "helpful, but not coordinated."

"We need to develop a common vision for downtown," said Laitin.

The four major pieces of a successful Main Street program are: organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring, according to Laitin. A funding mechanism is essential. Typically, one key source is a five percent assessment on all downtown property owners, to be taken out of property taxes already being paid. Other sources include membership dues and annual donations from other corporations and organizations.

Next steps proposed by Laitin included forming a small "kitchen cabinet" to plan where to go from here, and meeting one on one with downtown property owners. Establishing a Main Street program also requires a favorable vote from the City Council. A Main Street board of directors would have to represent all the different interests, he noted.

REM's Proposal

Jim Nicholson and Massaua offered REM's regional, civic organization as a place to establish the Main Street program, and passed out a brief proposal outlining benefits.

Said Nicholson: "One of the founding principles of REM is collaboration. REM is regional in conception but its number one focus from the beginning is that our downtown is the hub for economic activity." REM's number one program priority is "developing a vibrant economy," he noted, and providing a place for collaborative community work to take place.

"We're willing to make it work," said Massaua, who is a new co-chair of REM's economic development team with Thomas College Professor Martin Bressler.

Massaua is one of the founders of Staples Office Supply who is now a CEI business counselor with the Maine Small Business Development Center at Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG) in Fairfield.

Obstacles to a Main Street Program

George Gordon, owner of the Maine Made shop, asked what the obstacles to adopting a Main Street program in Waterville would be.

"The biggest obstacle is getting everybody to work together," said Massaua.

The Mayor said that KVCOG should be invited. Garrett said there should be more communication with neighboring communities to create "a reinvigorated city center with them as part of it." Mayor Madore pointed out that regional strategic planning sessions with mayors and city administrators from seven neighboring towns are currently underway and that Waterville has been asked to lead this effort. The next meeting is Tuesday, April 9 at KVCOG.

Faye Nicholson commented that "there has been a lot of work done in the past four years. A Main Street program could happen faster if it drew upon this work.

"People are very willing to give from outlying areas. This needs to be a 50,000 people effort, not a 15,000 people effort," she said.

Both Mayor Madore and Laitin expressed opposition to REM's proposal before the meeting concluded.

The next meeting of the entire group will be held on July 11. Other people present at this meeting included: Steve Collins, Colby College Public Affairs; Zan Frost, Women for Downtown Waterville; Jennifer Kierstead, Public Service Communications and REM; and Patty Taylor, Hathaway Shirt Manufacturers. Leadership of the Waterville Downtown Advisory Group will be taken over by volunteer co-chairs Joe Karter and John Massaua.