SECTION 2: GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Borough Core Community Vision The Master Plan for the Baltimore Avenue Planning Area and various other documents and plans contain components of a vision for the Central core area of Mount Holly Springs, including articulated and implied goals and policies. These have been combined with information gained from public meetings, interviews with residents, business owners and property owners, and the Baltimore Avenue Revitalization Committee to craft the vision for this Plan and its long term implementation.
The Four Guiding Principles, Objectives and Recommended Strategies Principle One: Relationships Principle Two: Image Principle Three: Function Principle Four: Mobility The following four (4) Guiding Principles and the various associated Objectives and Recommended Strategies are intended to assist the Borough with future implementation opportunities. Some of those opportunities will involve direct financial investments and others will require individual staff and/or volunteer commitments to accomplish and objective.
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Principle One: Relationships The vitality of Mount Holly Springs and the Baltimore Avenue Corridor will be built upon strong and supportive relationships and partnerships among businesses, property owners, residents, civic associations, state and county government officials, government staff, churches, schools, and the arts community.
Summary: Business owners, property owners and revitalization committee members noted the need to strengthen relationships between and among various groups in the Borough and its residents. There was vocal dissatisfaction with the level of communication, particularly between the Borough and residents/businesses, and there was general agreement that the business community and residents could benefit from better communication. Moreover, as a borough with limited resources, many needs and small taxable base, Mount Holly Springs needs to build relationships in order to leverage new resources. The most promising strategy the borough can pursue – is to make a commitment to achieve its goals by developing partnerships with existing local businesses, nonprofit entities (such as churches, American Legion, VFW, etc.), county and state agencies. Ideas for ongoing communication enhancements were supplemented by ideas for revitalization activities, used as a way to bring the community together and attract more people to the Baltimore Avenue Corridor.
Relationship Objective 1: Build supportive relationships and encourage communication among business owners, property owners, residents, Borough officials and staff, advocacy groups, and the faith‐based community. Advocacy groups include historic preservation and environmental groups, such as the Yellow Breeches Anglers, Harrisburg Bike Association, Trails Associations, the Cumberland County Planning Commission and the Mount Holly Business Association (which needs to be created). Recommended Strategies: 1. Host regular business lunches or events, and invite other stakeholders from the community so that business people get to interact with one another. 2. Work with faith‐based organizations to reach out to the community, so that business owners and residents know what these organizations are doing (or may do) for the community. 3. Ensure that the leaders of the Mount Holly Borough Council are psychologically and personally invested in the community.
Relationship Objective 2: Create and maintain a business‐friendly climate. Recommended Strategies: 1. Establish a welcome committee, and greet new and potential new business owners with a welcome packet.
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2.
3.
4. 5.
6.
Make information on rules and regulations, tools, financial and other resources, incentives, events, and meetings readily available at a site in Borough Hall and on the website. Proactively distribute this information to business and property owners. Establish a process to allow business owners to provide input to the Borough on specific issues, such as regular meetings between businesses and the Borough, or individual meetings with business owners. Encourage existing businesses to be part of the redevelopment and revitalization process. Create a listing of all businesses within the Borough including contact information, addresses, email information, etc. and develop a strategy of contacting all of these businesses at least twice a year with relevant local information. Create local business event activities, training, seminars, etc. that would be of interest to local businesses at least twice a year.
Relationship Objective 3: Encourage residents and visitors to support local businesses. Recommended Strategies: 1. Conduct a survey to determine what type of businesses people in Mount Holly Springs and in the surrounding area would support. Make sure the survey distinguishes between people who live within walking distance of Baltimore Avenue and people who do not. 2. Recruit new business to meet the needs/desires revealed in the survey. 3. Ensure that existing businesses are aware of the survey results, and help them adapt to meet residents’ needs. 4. Market existing businesses. Investigate joint marketing possibilities, including special coupons, shared advertising, etc. 5. Develop a business recruitment and retention plan that recognizes the need for businesses to survive by attracting people who live within walking distance, as well as people who live farther away. 6. Explore opportunities to promote Mount Holly Springs businesses to the greater region.
Relationship Objective 4: Use special events to build relationships. Recommended Strategies: 1. Recruit residents, business, and houses of worship to sponsor and/or organize special events and create a calendar of events for Cumberland County Tourism to promote. 2. Encourage business owners to advertise community events in their windows. 3. Hold country/gospel/rock/jazz music and concerts/festivals in churches or outside at Fire Station No.1 or the Givin Library, Family Dollar Parking Area, etc. 4. Highlight Mount Holly Spring’s diversity with the annual “Holly Days Fest.” 5. Highlight Mount Holly Spring’s mountain biking, fishing and pedestrian friendly nature with a festival in spring or fall of each year. 6. Highlight the heritage area with festivals and other programmatic activities.
7. Hold a regular farmers’ market through the summer and fall growing season. 8. Reach out to Events Carlisle and develop a strategy for Borough businesses to benefit from car show activity. Page 12
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Principle Two: Image The Baltimore Avenue Corridor will project an attractive, vibrant, and unique image that reflects the historic, small town character and charm of Mount Holly Springs. Summary: Business owners, property owners, residents, revitalization committee members and Borough Council members expressed a desire to improve the appearance of the streetscape, gateways, individual properties and building’s and the Baltimore Avenue as a whole. Many people cited the need to upgrade the appearance of buildings, both commercial and residential. Generally, people want to build on the existing historic and small town character and take advantage of the remaining historic buildings in the Borough. There was universal agreement that the Baltimore Avenue Corridor must be free from destressed, or blighted properties, trash and fast moving traffic. The combination of these elements contribute to an appearance of neglect and make people feel uncomfortable. In addition, many people expressed the belief that storefronts that are or appear to be vacant detract from the image of the corridor as a busy place.
Image Objective 1: Celebrate the historic, small town character of the Baltimore Avenue Corridor in Mount Holly Springs as a regional and Cumberland County community asset. Recommended Strategies: 1. Enhance the northern and southern Gateway’s to Mount Holly Springs with entrance signage and landscaping. 2. Implement roundabouts at Pine and Mill Street intersections to slow traffic and define a “Sense of Place” between the two primary intersections. 3. Create bump‐outs, raingardens and textured cross‐walks at the following intersections to “calm” traffic and reduce pedestrian exposures: Church Street, Butler Street, Harman Street, McElwee Street, Stuart Street and Watts Street. 4. Use pavement treatments, street furniture, and civic art to complement the core of Baltimore Avenue’s historic image. 5. Design a banner that reflects the historic community and arts and entertainment district, to demonstrate the unity of the Borough community and connection with other Gateway elements. 6. Explore programs for façade improvements and design work to assist local property owners. 7. Create a design for public sector signs that reinforces the unity of the Borough. 8. Encourage a unified appearance throughout the corridor through signage and façade improvements.
Image Objective 2: As often as possible, protect historic buildings from demolition, neglect, inadequate maintenance, and deterioration, and incorporate historic buildings into new development and redevelopment. When a conflict does arise, judge the project in question on its own merits. Note: This Plan prioritizes both preservation and enhancement of historic buildings, as well as redevelopment consistent with the vision of this Plan. Although these are generally compatible and mutually Mt. Holly Springs – Baltimore Avenue Corridor Study / Final Report
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reinforcing priorities, this Plan also recognizes that the potential for conflict does exist. The intent of this Plan is to achieve both preservation and redevelopment goals in Mount Holly Spring’s to create a vibrant core community. Recommended Strategies: 1. Secure the services of an architect(s) to assess historic buildings, so that owners know what needs to be done in order to make their buildings commercially viable and attractive. 2. Prepare/provide a list of local architects who would be suitable for property owners to consult. 3. Identify all historically significant structures in mount Holly Springs and encourage owners and tenants of historic buildings to maintain and renovate buildings so that they are commercially viable. 4. Promote federal, state, and local historic preservation tax credits as an incentive to renovate historic buildings. (Note: Portions of Mount Holly Springs are suitable to be considered to create a National Register Historic District. Currently, there is no local historic district in Mount Holly Springs. 5. Establish a policy to prohibit demolition of historic buildings to create new surface parking lots.
Image Objective 3: Create inviting and walkable public places, gateways, sidewalks, and core boutique commercial areas. Recommended Strategies: 1. Ensure personal safety and comfort by installing attractive, pedestrian‐oriented, and historically appropriate streetlights on sidewalks (especially at intersections), traffic calming elements (bump‐ outs and cross‐walks), parking areas, and other public places. 2. Encourage building owners and business owners to incorporate attractive, pedestrian‐oriented lighting into their entrances and facades. 3. Establish a program within the Department of Public Works to upgrade existing crosswalks and ensure that new crosswalks are accessible, reflective, well‐marked, and signed. 4. Provide amenities such as shade structures (pergolas), interpretive signage, benches, swings, trash containers and drinking fountains for pedestrians along Baltimore Avenue. 5. Establish and seek funding to support a program to use public art to make the area attractive and functional. 6. Initiate a volunteer program to plant healthy and appropriate street trees throughout the Baltimore Avenue corridor. Engage the services of a landscape architect to identify appropriate street trees. 7. Do not allow long walls without windows and doorways along Baltimore Avenue. Blank walls create uninviting spaces along sidewalks and detract from curb appeal and human scale. 8. Establish a policy within the Borough Department of Public Works and property owners to ensure timely sidewalk replacements, including widening, buffering, and use of alternative materials where appropriate. All sidewalks must meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. USDA funding options should be organized and provided to property owners to assist with repairs when needed.
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Image Objective 4: Provide a pleasant environment, free of physical blight, cluttered signage, litter, graffiti, and poorly maintained buildings. Recommended Strategies: 1. Enforce laws that require owners of commercial and residential property to keep the area between the property line and curb free of litter and weeds. Further, consider establishing requirements for businesses to maintain a greater area outside of their establishment, which require businesses to maintain a minimum area two feet beyond the sidewalk. 2. Maintain public spaces, plazas and sidewalks so that they are attractive and free of litter, debris and snow. 3. Conduct a public education campaign on litter, including encouraging students to meet community service requirements by engaging in projects to combat and raise awareness of litter. 4. Review and create an updated signage ordinance that addresses the look and feel desired for all signage in the borough including digital displays. 5. Ensure property maintenance through strict and prompt code enforcement and licensing for all buildings, particularly rooming houses, absentee land lords, and transient apartments.
Image Objective 5: Encourage and facilitate coordinated renovation, infill development, and redevelopment that retain and complement the historic character of Mount Holly Spring’s. Recommended Strategies: 1. Ensure consistency with design guidelines in the Mount Holly Springs that require new development and redevelopment to be sympathetic to the setbacks, height, facade, materials, bulk, and scale of historic buildings and complement the Borough’s street‐fronts. 2. Identify areas in which increased building height is desired in order to define the space—this can include new construction and additions to existing buildings. 3. Organize and hold building improvement seminars for tenants and property owners. 4. Provide property owners and developers with information on low‐impact development and green building techniques, as well as State/County incentives for use of these techniques in new development and redevelopment projects. 5. During land assembly negotiations and renovation planning, make every effort to accommodate existing businesses in renovated or new buildings. 6. Encourage cooperative renovation, maintenance, safety enhancement. For example, hire a contractor to work on several projects, for economies of scale.
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Principle Three: Function The Baltimore Avenue corridor will serve as a civic, commercial, and residential center for Mount Holly Springs and surrounding communities. Summary: Business owners, property owners, residents, revitalization committee members and members of Borough Council expressed the need for a greater mix of businesses in the Baltimore Avenue Corridor in order to better serve residents and the surrounding area, reinforce patronage of existing businesses, attract tourists, and encourage people to walk between businesses. In particular, people noted the need for more anchors, businesses that generate foot traffic, and boutique businesses that help to establish a niche for the core area of Baltimore Avenue. Businesses that generate pedestrian activity should occupy the ground floor of buildings, and residences and business offices should occupy the upper stories.
Function Objective 1: Promote traffic calming elements in the Baltimore Avenue Corridor to slow down traffic and improve pedestrian safety and activity. Recommended Strategies: 1. Work with the Cumberland County Planning Commission, Tri‐County Planning, Harrisburg Area Transportation Study Technical Committee (HATS), and PennDOT to explore funding options for detailed engineering, and implementation of traffic calming elements of the Baltimore Avenue Corridor Study. 2. Work with Borough Council to develop priorities and yearly budget for phased implementation of priority traffic calming items to reduce speeds on Baltimore Avenue. 3. Secure support letters from local businesses, property owners, politicians and other stakeholders to assist with grant application and support. 4. Work with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Natural Recourses (DCNR) in order to define projects for future grant funding and establish a bi‐yearly approach to applying for DCNR grants to supplement transportation funding and improve pedestrian activities. 5. Continue to raise community awareness of facts related to traffic calming and environmental elements of the plan. (Roundabouts and rain gardens).
Function Objective 2: Promote stormwater improvements on public roads, right‐of‐ways, private properties and along the Mountain Creek drainage corridor. Recommended Strategies: 1. Develop a Borough wide MS4 strategy to improve storm water quality through the use of raingardens, bump‐outs and riparian buffers, before being discharged into Mountain Creek. 2. Educate local residents, businesses and property owners on how they can do their part to improve storm water quality. 3. Develop a plan for improving known flooding areas and other areas with drainage problems. Page 16
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4.
Create a pilot program site, such as the Givin Library location, to construct a demonstration project to illustrate the benefits of rain gardens.
Function Objective 3: Promote “Sustainability” in Mount Holly Springs for a strong sense of community; good governance; a vibrant and open local economy; life sustaining environment. Recommended Strategies: 1. Place the people of Mount Holly Springs and their long term needs at the center of all decision making in the borough. 2. Create a community that enables people to enrich and enhance their lives without damaging the natural environment. 3. Create a community where decision making does not endanger the living conditions of other people now, or in the future. 4. Provide residents with quality air, water, available food and housing. 5. Provide residents with opportunities for quality life‐long education and satisfying job opportunities. 6. Create safe public places that meets the needs of young, old and the disabled.
Function Objective 4: Ensure that the Borough has a mix of uses and variety of retail anchors/activity centers located to encourage pedestrian traffic throughout the Baltimore Avenue corridor. Recommended Strategies: 1. Identify specific properties for development as anchors, and recruit anchors, such as a bank, local fresh food grocery store, hardware store, bike shop, coffee shop, outdoors fishing/hunting store, restaurant(s), higher education satellite location, thrift shop, government and civic facilities. 2. Market the Baltimore Avenue Corridor. Provide banks and potential investors with important facts about the Borough and surrounding areas. Highlight positive trends and developments, and recent successes, such as the banner grant, Veterans Park, etc. 3. Use the Borough Hall and/or Fire Co. No.1, or Givin Library property as an anchor and place for interaction by hosting regular community events and activities. Establish a policy to allow private and non‐profit use of the site(s) for public events. 4. Develop a Main Street program to focus on design, organization, promotion, and economic restructuring. 5. Define what destination retail niche Mount Holly Springs would like as a focus (art, car show themed shops, mountain biking, hunting/fishing, healthy life‐style themed, paper making and crafts) and recruit businesses that reinforce the niche retail concept you desire to create. 6. Expand the Mount Holly Givin Public Library in a way that maximizes its potential to provide public services and to increase its activity level so that it provides a greater “spinoff” value for nearby businesses for workforce development and career training for PPG, Vectron, Land‐o‐Lakes, Ahlstrom, Mount Holly Springs Specialty Paper, co., etc. Mt. Holly Springs – Baltimore Avenue Corridor Study / Final Report
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Functional Objective 5: Promote an Outdoor Living Life‐Style (biking, hiking and fishing/hunting), Arts & Entertainment function and cultivate an identity as a Gateway Community to Cumberland County, based on this theme. Recommended Strategies: 1. Market Mount Holly Spring’s as an Outdoor Living destination for outdoor enthusiasts, using the Holly Marsh, Mount Holly Preserve, Mountain Creek, the future Old Anglers Lodge, etc. as key selling points and the catalysts for future core area development. 2. Create and adopt a Baltimore Avenue Development Plan and Guidelines to encourage a comprehensive approach to creating a sustainable Life‐Style focused on outdoor living activities. 3. Ensure the commercial success of businesses in the corridor through a business recruitment and retention program and community marketing website with help from the Cumberland County Bureau of Tourism. 4. Establish a policy within the Department of Public Works to ensure that certain infrastructure upgrades, such as benches, plaza spaces, street trees, parks and parking areas, are well maintained and where appropriate, incorporate art.
Functional Objective 6: Promote street level occupancy by commercial businesses on Baltimore Avenue that generate pedestrian activity. Recommended Strategies: 1. Encourage businesses to have outdoor seating and tables on the sidewalks adjacent to their establishments for dining. 2. Encourage businesses to display their goods, where appropriate, outside during the spring, summer and fall months to create an active appearance of retail welcoming. 3. Work with representatives of land uses that do not generate daily traffic but are located at the street level to find more suitable space for their activities, or to develop a plan for more regular use of their space. 4. Design new buildings, when they are proposed, so that the first floor is oriented toward the street with shop windows and entrances that create a comfortable and attractive pedestrian sidewalk environment.
Function Objective 7: Ensure that public utilities and infrastructure are adequate to support land uses and future needs. Recommended Strategies: 1. Examine the utilities in the Baltimore Avenue Corridor to make sure that they are capable of handling new development. 2. Work with utility companies as they replace lines to consider relocating those lines to the ally areas behind the Baltimore Avenue Frontage in a long‐term effort to remove overhead utilities from the corridor.
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3.
4.
Create a Stormwater Management Plan that identifies key stormwater management projects such as raingardens and bio‐retention swales/basins, to which developers can contribute in lieu of on‐site improvements. Work with Cumberland County to establish a land bank for targeting distressed, blighted or underutilized properties, in order to better control the appearance of the community and to create development opportunities for private investors.
Function Objective 8: Use vacant and abandoned buildings as an opportunity to create business diversity. Recommended Strategies: 1. Create and maintain a roster of vacant and abandoned buildings in the borough. 2. Contact, via letter, phone calls and personal visits, absentee landlords and owners of vacant buildings about incentives for fixing up and using their buildings and about the penalties (fines, condemnation) for not doing so. 3. Work with building owners to develop a vacant building plan for reuse of vacant street level storefronts, or for the sale of the building. 4. Create vacant building laws, and the enforcement of these laws, to better achieve the elimination of vacant buildings. 5. Enforce existing law related to vacant and abandoned buildings. 6. Do not allow street level storefronts and business spaces in new and existing buildings to remain vacant for extended periods of time. Storefronts occupied by closed or inactive businesses are considered vacant.
Function Objective 9: Support and reinforce the existing single‐family neighborhood so that it remains a key element of the Baltimore Avenue fabric, and so that residents and businesses can coexist harmoniously. Recognize the unique situation ‐‐ problems and opportunities – of single‐family housing in and adjacent to a commercial district and identify ways to minimize problems and seize opportunities. Recommended Strategies: 1. Reduce the impacts of commercial uses on residential uses. (See recommended strategies to ensure personal safety and comfort under Image, objectives 4 and 5.) 2. Help low‐income household’s secure financial assistance to complete residential repairs. 3. Develop a network on community volunteers to assist low income, or elderly persons with home repairs.
4. Identify key properties that need repairs and talk to property owners about resources. 5. Develop a shared parking strategy for shared use properties between commercial/business users and residents.
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Principle Four: Mobility The Baltimore Avenue corridor will provide a variety of safe and convenient transportation alternatives, including walking, bicycling, and driving. Summary: Business owners, property owners, residents, revitalization committee members and Borough Council expressed universal concern over the volume and speed of traffic in the corridor. Special concerns exist related specific to truck traffic. They also expressed a miss understanding with parking in the Baltimore Avenue Corridor, but issues and solutions varied. Some business owners dislike the thought of limiting parking in any way on Baltimore Avenue and enforcement, for example, while others were more concerned about the availability of parking in general. Others noted that parking requirements might impede new business startups. The corridor study therefore proposes no change in the number of existing parking spaces in the corridor.
Mobility Objective 1: Provide a safe, convenient, and accessible circulation network for walking to and through the Baltimore Avenue Corridor by incorporating bumpouts and raingardens to shorten street crossing distances and incorporating roundabouts at the Pine and Mill Street intersections. Recommended Strategies: 1. Work with PennDOT, Cumberland County, Tri‐County Planning, HATS and local businesses to secure funding for improvements. 2. Provide education opportunities for the public and property owners to better understand the traffic, environmental and safety benefits of roundabouts. 3. Provide a variety of walkable destinations throughout the Borough to attract tourists and visitors. 4. Create a signage system to make it easier for people to locate various destinations within Mount Holly Springs. 5. Ensure safe, direct, well‐lit, and inviting pedestrian access to parking (rear access, alleyways, and connectors), building entrances, retail destinations and public spaces. 6. Improve traffic controls for pedestrians. Provide an enhanced, more visible, pedestrian crossing at the Givin Library Building, and investigate the possibility of a mid‐block crossing at Baltimore Avenue between Church and Butler Streets. 7. Reduce speeds on Baltimore Avenue through the use of traffic calming measures such as textured crosswalks, bump‐outs, raingardens, signage, banners, street trees and enforcement. 8. Use signs and other devices to alert drivers to the proposed roundabouts at Pine and Mill Street intersections, so that they can slow down in advance of the circle.
Mobility Objective 2: Encourage and facilitate bike riding as an easy and efficient alternative to the car. Recommended Strategies:
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1.
2. 3. 4. 5.
Identify routes for bike lanes or marked bicycle routes in the Baltimore Avenue Corridor, and bike routes and paths that connect the core area with residential areas in Mount Holly Springs and neighboring communities like Carlisle and Boiling Springs. Identify locations for bicycle parking, such as Borough Hall, Givin Library, parking areas, and the restaurants and retail destinations. Use functional art for bike racks. Provide amenities such as public drinking fountains and gathering spaces for bicyclists. Provide bicycle support services such as sales and repair shops, convenience stores, and snack shops. Develop an economic strategy focused on outdoor living and cycling and the proximity of the Borough to Holly Gap Marsh Preserve, Pine Grove Furnace, Fuller Lake and Michaux State Forest.
Mobility Objective 3: Work to increase the availability of public transit, and probable future need, as a means of reducing congestion and providing a destination to benefit local businesses. Recommended Strategies: 1. Work with Capital Area Transit Authority and Cumberland County to revise the bus schedule/routes to provide linkages and service to Mount Holly Springs. This will make a potential bus stop a stronger anchor and the use of a roundabout at Pine Street would allow the bus to efficiently turn and head back towards Carlisle. 2. Consider using parking area at Fire Company as a commuter parking lot to increase stopping/shopping activities in the corridor and a park‐n‐ride site for commuters going to/from Carlisle, Mechanicsburg and Harrisburg. 3. Ensure that the Baltimore Avenue transit stop is readily identifiable and easy to reach. Provide safe and comfortable spaces for people waiting for buses. Ensure that transit routes and schedules are readily available and visible. 4. Work with Cumberland County’s Transportation Planning Division to investigate ways to provide and increase use of transit: smaller buses, and trolley cars.
Mobility Objective 4: Provide for parking needs of businesses and residents. Recommended Strategies: 1. Educate the residents and property owners that improvements will not result in the reduction of the number of parking spaces along Baltimore Avenue. The number of existing spaces will be maintained. 2. Determine parking areas/spaces for use by Borough visitors, such as the Fire Company Parking Ares. 3. Identify opportunities for shared parking, and work with property and business owners to craft formal agreements. 4. Improve the appearance and design of existing and new parking areas, with good lighting, trees, and clear directional signage, so that people can easily locate parking, feel safe in parking areas, and feel comfortable walking to and from parking areas. 5. Establish flexible parking requirements that do not hinder renovation and reuse of buildings. 6. Improve parking management and control measures. 7. Create and work with a Mount Holly Springs Business Association and business owners to increase understanding and cooperation with respect to parking issues. Mt. Holly Springs – Baltimore Avenue Corridor Study / Final Report
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SECTION 3: RECOMMENDATIONS / IMPLEMENTATION The following actions are considered critical for the implementation of this Plan. It should be noted that all of the recommended strategies outlined in the Plan may not be achieved, because the Baltimore Avenue Corridor is a dynamic entity and the revitalization of the corridor will be an ongoing, evolutionary process.
Public Policy Amendments Work with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Borough Council and Planning Commission, Cumberland County, Tri‐County Regional Planning, PennDOT and HATS to ensure that this Plan is consistent with the proposed long‐range community planning and transportation efforts. This Plan shall be adopted to help establish a policy to enable the borough to pursue traffic calming solutions, environmental enhancements and MS4 strategies and to encourage renovation of historic buildings. Establish a policy to ensure that sidewalk replacements include widening, ADA compliance and buffering where appropriate. Establish a policy to ensure that lighting replacements are attractive, pedestrian‐oriented, and historically appropriate. Establish a policy to allow private and non‐profit use of the Borough Hall, Community Fire Company plaza for public events.
Preparing for Change 1.
Identify and organize the transportation funding priorities needed solve traffic issues in the Borough by creating a committee whose focus is developing a relationship with PennDOT, the County and to identify and secure funding.
2.
Install traffic calming techniques in conjunction with PennDOT.
3.
Examine the utilities in Baltimore Avenue to make sure that they are capable of handling new development and work with utility companies to develop a plan to relocate overhead lines to rear allies.
4.
Craft a Stormwater Management Plan for the Borough, starting with Baltimore Avenue, that identifies key stormwater management projects and MS4 solutions.
5.
Create and maintain a roster of vacant and abandoned buildings, and contact property owners about incentives to fix up and use their buildings, and about the repercussions for not doing so.
6.
Identify areas in which increased building height is desired and would be compatible to increase density along Baltimore Avenue.
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Resources and Staffing 1.
Identify a sustainable source of funding for full‐time staff to work on business development, grants and promotion and to serve as the primary contact/outreach person for the Borough. It is believed that a full‐time manager is critical to the long‐term sustainability of the borough.
2.
Increase frequency of borough council members and mayor in business recruitment and development of a business plan for the borough.
3.
Explore the possibility of sharing staff with adjoining Townships, or other boroughs.
4.
Coordinate with existing local, regional, county, and state organizations and projects to better leverage resources.
Encouraging Upkeep and Renovations 1.
Identify key residential properties in need of repair and contact property owners about their options.
2.
Establish and encourage participation in the County’s Commercial Area Revitalization Effort to upgrade building facades.
3.
Create and promote a Mount Holly Springs property tax credit to encourage rehabilitation and restoration of historic properties.
Communication 1.
Establish a mechanism to improve communication between the Borough and various stakeholder groups. This should include updated website, social media platforms and a quarterly borough newsletter.
2.
Establish a welcome committee and packet of materials for new businesses.
Establishing Community Engagement Goals This section introduces the five primary engagement goals that the Mount Holly Springs leadership will want to consider: informing, consulting, involving, collaborating, and empowering. Each of these goals provides Borough leadership with an opportunity to assess what’s most important to the Borough’s engagement efforts as well as the ability to develop the strategies and tools necessary to make these efforts successful. Inform ‐ At its core, ‘informing’ is the most elementary and simplest goal of an engagement process. Consult ‐ The second level of engagement entails stakeholder consultation – in essence providing some mechanism to gather input on the issue, problem, or process you are concerned about. Mt. Holly Springs – Baltimore Avenue Corridor Study / Final Report
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Involve ‐ The third potential goal of your engagement efforts is to involve stakeholders, to the degree appropriate, in decision making. Collaborate ‐ Collaboration refers to the engagement of stakeholders in order to create an environment conducive for solving complex issues with plausible solutions for which they take responsibility – and catalyzing the contributions and assets of stakeholders into action. Empower ‐ Empowerment is frequently seen as the penultimate goal of an engagement effort. Ultimately empowerment refers to placing either the decision making authority or the responsibility for implementing a particular solution in the hands of stakeholders. The leadership of Mount Holly Springs, whether through the Revitalization Committee or Borough Council, must have the ability to control and lead community engagement in order to foster real and tangible community solutions to community problems.
The Role and Importance of Building Trust The role and importance of trust in all your engagement efforts cannot be under‐estimated or under‐valued. Without a purposeful and consistent effort to foster trust and build strong relationships at every step of the way, even the best‐designed and thoughtful engagement processes will almost certainly either fail or fall far short of the success Borough leadership may seek to achieve. While there are a number of keys to building trust within any group, it’s important to realize that this ethos should permeate every aspect of the Mount Holly Springs revitalization program. The challenge of course is that we have entered an era of declining trust (though to varying degrees) in government and institutions of all types and across most nations. As has been widely documented, this poses serious challenges to the Borough seeking to engage its constituents in an effective discussion, decision‐ making and participation processes. Several drivers contribute to this decline in trust – many of which highlight issues that an effective engagement process should be designed to anticipate and/or address. These include:
Perceptions of bias of those convening or facilitating the process, or in the information available Limited engagement with lack of understanding of the processes and expectations of engagement Political polarization and the reliance on ‘proxy attributes’ guiding pre‐conceived perceptions Persistence of wicked issues Increased distance between professionals and citizens as governance processes and activities become increasingly specialized and complex.
The Keys to Building Trust Several key imperatives are found throughout the trust building process. Each of these can be enhanced – or conversely undermined – in a number of implicit and explicit ways. They include:
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Effective communication. This includes before, throughout, and following your formal engagement efforts. If pursued effectively, the more citizens and business/property owners understand the process, the goals and intended outcomes, the information they need to make an informed decision, Mt. Holly Springs – Baltimore Avenue Corridor Study / Final Report
the perspectives of each other, and their role(s) and stake in the process and issue, the more trust the engagement efforts will engender and be able to build from in the long‐run. Respect. While this sounds obvious, it is absolutely essential that the tone, content, and facilitation of the engagement efforts genuinely respects the input of all participants or members – even if it’s sometimes difficult. Transparency of processes. The entire engagement effort should be clear and well‐understood by all stakeholders, devoid of ‘hidden’ or alternative agendas (personal, political, or informational), and honest about the role and influence citizens will have in either the decision‐making or implementation of solutions. Many community engagement efforts have failed in this regard. Sharing information widely. Effective engagement and trust requires that everyone involved is working from a common understanding of the issue and each other’s perspectives as possible. If participants or residents feel that information is only shared with some members or does not do justice to all perspectives on an issue, you are very unlikely to be able to create the trust you need for effective or sustainable engagement. Engaging stakeholders in meaningful ways. Although closely related to respect, stakeholders will show greater trust in the engagement efforts that account for their perspectives, view their contributions, and employ their skills in a manner that they feel is consistent with their perspectives of these attributes.
In developing your strategies and tools to enhance trust, there are ‘five waves of trust’ that are worth considering. A brief summary highlights: Self‐trust. The Principle of Credibility…………… In its simplest form: “Do you trust yourself and are you someone that others can trust?” It is critical that you can honestly answer ‘yes’ to both these questions. Relationship Trust. This is all about consistent behavior in all of the Borough’s relationships with others. People judge us on our behavior not our intentions. Organizational Trust. The principle here is alignment – in essence does the Mount Holly Springs organizational structures, policies, and systems engender the trust the Borough leadership wants to achieve? Market Trust. This refers to the Borough’s overall reputation – a trust that can be built or destroyed at incredible speed. Societal Trust. This is based on the principle of contribution – do stakeholders see Mount Holly Springs as having a past record of accomplishment and contribution to the things they care about?
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SECTION 4: CONCEPT DESIGN FOR THE BALTIMORE AVENUE
The Concept Plans The Baltimore Avenue Corridor Study and concept plans are the product of approximately one (1) year process of analyzing the corridor during the day and night time hours, reviewing existing and proposed traffic data and future development plans, meeting with private developers, property owners and residents, PENNDOT officials and 9 months of revitalization committee meetings. Presentations were given to kick‐ off the project to corridor stakeholders, business and property owners. The purpose of these meetings was to review historic context of the community, analysis information and discuss the initial options for concept plans and receive public comments. Those comments received at the planning meetings were then incorporated into the plan sheets and text of this document. The project has brought together some of the key stakeholders in the Baltimore Avenue Corridor to forge a partnership to develop a policy‐based approach for managing transportation and land use decisions. On‐going dialog and communications among the stakeholders, Mount Holly Springs Borough, the general public and others in the private sectors will be necessary to continue the process of implementing the recommendations consistent with this study. The character of this Avenue has long been recognized as a gateway to both Mount Holly Springs and Cumberland County. The Carlisle to Hanover turnpike, the Holly “Gap” and its large stand of mature holly trees are not only unique to the area, but interpret a period in time when Mount Holly was considered a natural refuge and it’s parks hosted regional and national visitors. The preservation of the historic elements in Mount Holly Springs should be paramount while still accommodating future development needs. The Borough should consider having a number of eligible structures placed on the National Register of Historic Places in order to preserve the local character for future generations. The following are a sheet‐by‐sheet summary of proposed improvements:
PLAN SHEET 1 – The Core Area of Baltimore Avenue from Pine Street to Mill Street Plan Sheet No.1 depicts the core areas northern and southern project gateways and the two primary intersections of interest, Pine Street and Mill Street. These are the primary contact points for new visitors and long term regional travelers; as such it is these locations that make the first impression on many who will continue north bound to Carlisle, south to Route 15 or stay to visit Mount Holly Springs. The northern most segment of the sheet depicts the first of a series of two (2) roundabouts intended to create a gateway element and to calm traffic as it enters the Baltimore Avenue Corridor. A central sculptural element is proposed for the middle island of each roundabout and tree lined streets and storm water bio‐retention areas are recommended on all approaches and at various intersections between Pine and Mill Streets. Pedestrian bump‐outs combined with bio‐retention rain gardens are proposed for all street and alley intersections between Pine and Mill Streets and the intersections include textured crosswalks and embossed logos at the
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center of the intersections. The plan suggests the following series of enhancements to this portion of Baltimore Avenue.
The creation of a “embossed” textured logo at the north end of the Avenue at Watts, Butler, Church and Harman Streets;
Expanded street installation on Watts Street to connect sidewalks/trail to the Cemetery and the “Unknown Confederate” grave site;
Create an interpretive/informative historical marker at the Confederate grave site;
Enhanced lighting, new ADA compliant sidewalks and plantings at the railroad underpass between Watts and Mill Street;
A series of green bump out islands to act as rain gardens, traffic calming elements and a green buffer to the core of the borough from Watts to The Holly Inn location;
Creation of a new roundabout at Mill Street intersection;
New street trees on both sides of Baltimore Avenue;
A new gateway signage and lighting;
Textured crosswalks on all approaches to all intersections designated for pedestrian crossings;
Share the road signage for bike traffic;
Interpretive signage to tell the story of Mount Holly Springs, “on the street”;
Way‐finding signage, banners and hanging baskets;
Create banners and village niche’ shopping for streetscape enhancements;
Create long term strategy to relocate overhead utility lines off of Baltimore Avenue and to the rear avenues through the corridor;
Creation of a new roundabout at Pine Street intersection;
Acquire properties and create a pocket park and new retail destination at the southeast corner of the Pine Street roundabout complete with lighting, banners, swings, benches, plantings and a simple spray fountain;
Enhance and restructure properties around the new Pine Street roundabout;
Create North and South bound bicycle lanes adjacent to the drive lanes as “share the road”;
Create a village core mixed use area north and adjacent to Baltimore Avenue to provide new homes in the corridor;
Create pedestrian ADA access ramps throughout the corridor;
Create banners and streetscape enhancements in retail areas
PLAN SHEET 2 – Mill Street from the Baltimore Avenue Intersection East to the Railroad Underpass When traveling from Boiling Springs to Mount Holly Springs, the existing railroad bridge, at the borough line, provides a unique entry/exit gateway for the Borough and should be enhanced with signage and plantings to create a positive entry experience for travelers. The experience should be one of “arrival” or “departure “once travelers pass through the underpass portal. The plan recommends gateway enhancements, including murals on the walls of the underpass with downlights. A defined and visually strong “colonnade” of street trees is proposed for both sides of Mill Street from the railroad underpass to Mt. Holly Springs – Baltimore Avenue Corridor Study / Final Report
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Baltimore Avenue. The existing Mill Street Bridge over Mountain Creek was constructed with a sidewalk only on the northern side, the wrong side, and should be modified to add a cantilevered sidewalk on the southern (upstream) side of the bridge to connect pedestrians to the new Veteran’s Park and the core area of the Borough. The newly proposed Veterans Park is a collaborative effort with the existing property owner, the Borough, the American Legion and others to create a memorial park as an environmental education, trailhead and interpretive area. A self‐guided nature trail is recommended and the potential exists for the conversion of the large warehouse there into a regional heritage, arts, and learning center or potential retail and/or restaurant mixed use facility. Additional recommendations in this area include supplemental evergreen screening of the waste water treatment plant on the north side of Mill Street and improved sidewalks and textured crosswalks to connect the neighborhood on the north side of Mill Street with the Stoll Park baseball field. The plan suggests the following series of enhancements to this portion of Baltimore Avenue.
Wall murals with up/down accent lighting at the railroad underpass and on the warehouse building at the new Veteran’s Park;
Enhanced gateway signage, banners and plantings at railroad underpass;
Painted logo on railroad bridge entering Mount Holly Springs with “Welcome” on the east side (arrival) and “Come Again to Visit!” on the west side (departure);
Double colonnade of street trees from railroad underpass to Baltimore Avenue;
Cantilevered sidewalk in the south side of the Mill Street Bridge;
Creation of new Veteran’s Park, parking, interpretive panels, rain gardens, plaza, sculpture and plantings;
Nature trail and interpretive signage at Veteran’s Park along Mountain Creek;
Way‐finding signage on the approach to Baltimore Avenue intersection;
East and West bound bicycle lanes adjacent to the drive lanes on Mill Street;
Decorative street lighting at pedestrian crossings;
PLAN SHEET 3 – Baltimore Avenue South from Pine Street to the Route 34/94 Split Plan Sheet 3 focuses change to the southern portion of the Baltimore Avenue corridor from the proposed Pine Street roundabout to the PA Route 34/94 intersection at Yates Street. The creation of a new intersection is recommended at the Route 34 and 94 split at Yates Street. The plan suggest reconfiguring the obscure angle and vertical gradient of this intersection to create a safe three way, 90 degree intersection design. This will require property acquisition, partnering with Ahlstrom and adjoining property owners, and is without question, the single most important life/safety issue to be addressed by the plan. The plan recommends dedicated bike lanes through this segment of the corridor, from Pine Street south, for the Class “A” bikers who will be traveling to and from Laurel Lake, Fuller Lake and the Michaux State Forest. The speed limit through this segment of the corridor needs to be reduced to 25 mph, and enforced, in an effort to control speeds as vehicles approach Mount Holly Springs from the south and to complement new crosswalk and pedestrian activities anticipated by the development of the Olde Anglers Lodge. The design incorporates those improvements proposed as part of the Olde Anglers Lodge project. In a light‐hearted approach to introducing the corridor and creating a memorable experience the design team has suggested an engineered Page 28
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approach to rumble strips for north bound traffic that would be mathematically cut to create musical rumbles in the form of a tune; in essence, a welcoming song for visitors to Mount Holly Springs and the Cumberland Valley. This unique engineering element would be one of the first in the United States and would be part of a branding process for Baltimore Avenue. The plan suggests the following series of enhancements to this portion of Baltimore Avenue.
Creation of new intersection design and location to create a 90 degree intersection of PA Routes 34 and 94;
Traffic calming warning radar indicators between the Mountain Creek Bridge and the railroad crossing;
New railroad crossing with improved approaches with color pavement and enhanced warning devices;
Mass wildflower plantings from the 34/94 split along Mountain Creek portion of Baltimore Avenue to provide a stronger gateway experience and aesthetic appeal to the stream banks for Mountain Creek;
Musical rumble strips as an invitation for welcoming visitors to Mount Holly Springs;
Separate walking trail/sidewalks to connect to adjacent natural areas the future Olde Anglers Lodge, the Holly Preserve, and the core area of Baltimore Avenue between Pine and Mill Streets;
Replanting and reforestation with native holly trees on the gaps hillsides and stream valley;
Add new pedestrian scale light fixtures with banners at crossings;
Add textured crosswalks to connect Olde Anglers Lodge to parking area;
Create interpretive Gate House Sculpture, images and story at the former location of the Toll House for the Carlisle to Hanover Turnpike;
Create walkway/trail connection from Upper Holly to Pine Street to enable walking to and from town and to improve tourist connections to and from the Preserve, Olde Anglers Lodge, etc.;
Create a new natural interpretive park at Mountain Creek near the bridge and new Lodge;
Add new light fixtures and banners to the Mountain Creek Bridge to reinforce a Gateway experience;
Create two (2) new footbridges at historic bridge locations to connect parking facilities for events on both sides of Mountain Creek working with Mount Holly Specialty Paper;
Nature trail and interpretive signage
Way‐finding signage at 34/94, Olde Anglers Lodge and Pine Street;
New sycamore trees along Baltimore Avenue from the 34/94 split to the Olde Anglers Lodge;
North and South bound bicycle lanes (5’) adjacent to the drive lanes.
Consider working with State, County and private development interests to reconstruct the dam that existed near the bridge location to enhance recreation and fishing opportunities;
Improve the Holly Inn frontage to reduce the “free‐for‐all” access approach and improve the aesthetics with pedestrian scale lighting and banners to address safety issues at this historic landmark.
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