The City of Holly Springs Downtown Renaissance | 2017

The City of

Holly Springs

Downtown Renaissance Fellowship Summer 2017

Partners and Acknowledgements The City of Holly Springs

The Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The Georgia Cities Foundation

The Georgia Municipal Association

Steven W. Miller, Mayor Erin Honea, Main Street Director Nancy Moon, Community Development Director Established in 1906, Holly Springs grew around the train depot established along a Louisville & Nashville Railroad line. The city was once known for its rural farms and the green marble that was quarried nearby. With the expansion of the metropolitan area of Atlanta, particularly around the I-575 corridor, the town has grown to be more suburban. The Holly Springs Town Center Project, expected to begin in 2018, will create a new civic center for the town, surrounded by a combination of residential, retail, and office development.

Perry Hiott, Director of Community Development Founded in 1999, the Georgia Cities Foundation is a nonprofit subsidiary of the Georgia Municipal Association. The foundation’s mission is to assist cities in their efforts to revitalize and enhance downtown areas by serving as a partner and facilitator in funding capital projects through the revolving loan fund. Its services include the Revolving Loan Fund Program, the Heart and Soul Bus Tour, the Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Tour, Downtown Development Authority Basic Training, and the Renaissance Award.

Danny Bivins, Senior Public Service Associate Kaitlin Messich, Senior Designer T. Clark Stancil, Landscape and Urban Designer For 90 years, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia has worked with public officials throughout Georgia and around the world to improve governance and people’s lives. From Georgia’s early days as a largely agrarian state with a modest population to its modern-day status as a national and international force in business, industry, and politics with a population of over 10 million, the Institute of Government has helped government leaders navigate change and forge strong directions for a better Georgia.

Chris Higdon, Community Development Manager Created in 1933, the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) is the only state organization that represents municipal governments in Georgia. Based in Atlanta, GMA is a voluntary, nonprofit organization that provides legislative advocacy, educational, employee benefit, and technical consulting services to its members.

GMA’s purpose is to anticipate and influence the forces shaping Georgia’s communities and to provide leadership, tools, and services that assist local governments in becoming more innovative, effective, and responsive.

The Georgia Downtown Renaissance Fellows Program

The Georgia Downtown Renaissance Fellows Program pairs the resources of the Georgia Municipal Association, the Georgia Cities Foundation, and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government with emerging design professionals from the University of Georgia College of Environment & Design to enhance downtown development in communities across Georgia.

With the assistance of the Georgia Municipal Association, the City of Holly Springs was selected as one of three communities to take part in the 2017 Georgia Downtown Renaissance Fellows Program. Partner cities are selected based on the criteria of strong local leadership, community commitment, and fiscal readiness to act on projects. We thank the people of Holly Springs for their steadfast commitment to community improvement and invaluable role in the partnership.

The College of Environment & Design

Arianne Wolfe, Renaissance Fellow, Project Lead The College of Environment and Design (CED) has been consistently ranked among the top schools in the nation for both undergraduate- and graduate-level landscape architecture. The CED also provides nationally accredited, inventive, and demanding programs in historic preservation, environmental planning and design, an environmental ethics. Students are challenged to explore their unique, individual interest and creatively problem-solve contemporary issues, working with faculty to solve community issues in design charettes. They also interact with clients, community organizations, and planning agencies. The CED aims to connect its students with a large and accomplished alumni network as much as possible. Visiting professors, professionals, and lecturers provide frequent opportunities for students to network with and learn from renowned designers in a broad range of career options.

Arianne Wolfe, a graduate student in landscape architecture from the University of Georgia’s College of Environment & Design, worked directly with Erin Honea, Main Street Director, to address specific programs in the City of Holly Springs. The fellowship ran for 12 weeks, with Arianne working full-time at the Institute of Government’s Spectrum Studio under the supervision of Danny Bivins, Clark Stancil, and Kaitlin Messich.

1

2

Table of Contents Barrett Store Improvements

4-9

Signage and Wayfinding

10 - 21

Streetscape Improvements

22 - 31

Infill Concept

32 - 40

Park Concept

41 - 45

Plant Palette

46

3

Barrett Store Improvements

The Barrett Store is one of three historic buildings in the Main Street District of Holly Springs. It sits at the intersection of Palm Street and Hickory Road, and will be adjacent to the new City Hall development that is planned for downtown. It currently houses a salon and a cigar shop.

Adding a sidewalk between the front stairs and Hickory Road is an important connection for pedestrians. Unifying this sidewalk with the new brick-and-concrete sidewalks in place throughout the Main Street District will create continuity and begin to define a sense of place.

Currently, the parking lot goes directly up to the edge of the building. Planting beds in the front of the building add beauty to the parking lot and provides an important sense of separation between the car-dominated parking lot and the people entering the building.

Before 4

Additional improvements include resurfacing and re-striping the parking lot, repainting the lower portion of the building and the wall to the left of the building, and relocating the garbage cans.

Barrett Store Improvements After

5

Barrett Store Improvements

Crosswalks

The sidewalks that currently exist at the intersection of Hickory Road and Palm Street are not sufficient for safe pedestrian crossing. With the expected addition of a parking lot behind the depot, pedestrian safety is a key component to the redevelopment in this area. The map to the right shows the locations of proposed crosswalks.

Since the proposed sidewalks are not located at four-way stops, signage will be an important component in making sure that drivers are aware of pedestrians. Placing signs in the middle of the crosswalk is an effective way to remind cars to stop for pedestrians, and would work well for the crosswalks at the intersection of Hickory Road and Palm Street.

6

Crosswalk and Sidewalk Locations

Hickory Road and Palm Street

Crosswalks should be added to the Hickory Road – Palm Street intersection to allow for better pedestrian connectivity along the newly added sidewalks in the Main Street District.

Barrett Store Improvements

Before

In addition to the crosswalks, a sidewalk in front of the Hardin House should be a priority for the city. This would create a safe corner for pedestrians who are crossing the street, and would connect to sidewalks further down Palm Street.

After 7

Barrett Store Improvements

Hickory Road Crosswalk

Adding a second crosswalk on Hickory Road will be important for allowing pedestrians to safely cross from the depot to the Barrett Store and will also allow for easy pedestrian access to the redeveloped lot at the corner of Hickory Road and Holly Springs Parkway.

This location for the crosswalk was chosen because there is currently a striped median that could easily be converted to a planted median. It is also in an area where drivers already often stop, which would make it easy for pedestrians.

The mid-block crossing on Hickory Road should include a sign for drivers on each side of the road, and perhaps even a flashing light that pedestrians can activate when crossing.

8

With the new City Hall development coming in across Hickory Road, there will be an increasing number of pedestrians and cars in the area.

Adding a safe crossing point at the depot will be an important way to create a pedestrian-oriented Main Street District.

Adding plantings to the median will separate pedestrians from the traffic, giving them a sage midpoint while crossing. Since the area is currently striped, adding a curb and some low plants would not change traffic patterns. The planted median also provides an opportunity for simple roadway beautification.

Additional improvements to the area include resurfacing and restriping the lanes. These small maintenance items will rejuvenate the Main Street District.

Barrett Store Improvements

Before Above: Existing conditions.

Right: The new crosswalk along the rail line shows what the planted median could look like. Low-growing plants would make pedestrians feel separated from the traffic while not obscuring any views for drivers. This rendering shows pink muhly grass in the median.

After 9

Signage and Wayfinding

As the city of Holly Springs grows and the City Hall development moves forward, signage will be an important way to create a sense of place. Creating a sense of arrival for the new Main Street District is important to establishing this area as the heart of the town. Unifying the signage for the city will help strengthen the experience of this corridor. The examples shown here from Georgia and Alabama illustrate what signage for Holly Springs could look like.

Norcross, Georgia

Images from www.asdsky.com/signage-wayfinding#/norcross

10

Chamblee, Georgia

Images from www.asdsky.com/signage-wayfinding#/city-of-chamblee

11

Signage and Wayfinding

ASD|SKY is a design firm with offices in Atlanta that has completed signage and wayfinding projects for several Georgia towns including Chamblee, Decatur, and Norcross. These are all examples of city signage that relate to the history of the towns. To see the portfolio of their signage work visit their website at www.asdsky.com/signage-wayfinding. To find contact information for the Atlanta Office, visit www.asdsky.com/atlanta.

Tifton, Georgia

Signage and Wayfinding

Signature Design is a design company based out of Atlanta that has worked on a number of signage and wayfinding projects. They worked with the city of Tifton, Georgia, to create welcome and wayfinding signage, and won the 2010 Best Design Improvement Program Award from the Georgia Downtown Association for their design. To find more information on their portfolio, visit their website at thesignaturedesign.com/ projects/exhibit-design. To find contact information, visit thesignaturedesign.com/contact.

Images of signs from http://thesignaturedesign.com/projects/exhibit-design/tifton-downtown-signage

12

Decatur, Alabama McComm Group is a communications group based out of Decatur, Alabama, that works with many forms of communications including wayfinding and directional signage. Their portfolio includes work for the City of Decatur to create cohesive wayfinding signage. To view this project and more examples of their work, visit mccommgroup.com/project/decatur-wayfinding-signage. For contact information including pricing, visit mccommgroup.com/contact.

Signage and Wayfinding Images of signs from mccommgroup.com/project/decatur-wayfinding-signage

13

Signage and Wayfinding

Holly Springs, Georgia

Looking to these examples for inspiration, there are several opportunities that the city can easily implement. The design of these signs should reflect the history of the town as well as the future.

Pulling design details from the architecture of the historic depot would help to provide unity to the signs. It will also be important to complement the color palette and materials that have been selected for the Main Street District.

Recommended Sign Types: Lamppost Banners Installing these on the new lampposts in the Main Street District would create an arrival sequence for the downtown and bring cohesion to the area.

Main Street Welcome Sign To be installed at the entrance to the Main Street District, this sign would be consistent with other pedestrian-scale signage throughout the district. It would be located next to the sidewalk and would be visible to drivers and pedestrians.

Gateway Sign This larger sign that would be targeted to drivers, and located at the entrance to the city rather than the Main Street District.

Map of proposed locations for signage.

14

Main Street Signage

The city has recently installed new sidewalks and lampposts in the Main Street District. The concept signage proposed below is intended to create a sense of place for this new district.

This detail on the lampposts is taken from the Italianate brackets on the depot.

The colors selected for these signs came directly from the Benjamin Moore historic color palette, that has been chosen by the City of Holly Springs for the district.

HC-121 Peale Green HC-27 Monterey White

15

Signage and Wayfinding

The historic depot is the heart of Holly Springs. We highlight this iconic building by turning it into the logo for the Main Street District.

Gateway Sign

Signage and Wayfinding

The proposed gateway sign is inspired by the Norcross sign designed by ASD|Sky. The materials have been changed to reflect the historic buildings downtown— the brick is reminiscent of the Barrett Store, while the wood is inspired by the depot and the Hardin House.

In contrast to the horizontal orientation of the existing gateway signs, this vertical sign would be appropriate to place closer to the town center without obstructing the views for drivers or to businesses. This pillar would also be appropriate to use in the center of town to announce arrival into the heart of the Main Street District.

16

Gateway Sign

Signage and Wayfinding

Before

After

These images show the before and after of the gateway signage at the proposed locations on Hickory Road and Holly Street. In addition to the sign, these images show plantings to mark the arrival in the Main Street District.

Before

After 17

Welcome Sign

Signage and Wayfinding

This page shows the proposed welcome signage for the Main Street District of Holly Springs. There is currently no welcome signage except for the large gateway sign north of town, close to I-575. Including a smaller welcome sign like this one at the entrance to the Main Street District is an important way to begin creating an identity for the area.

Before After

The smaller scale of this design is intended to feel appropriate to pedestrians, while remaining visible to drivers.

After 18

Before

Main Street Billboard

The billboard located next to Braun Automotive is another opportunity for community wayfinding and branding. Instead of having advertisements that can be a distracting eye-sore in the Main Street District, we propose that the City of Holly Springs use the billboard to promote the city.

Since there is currently space for two billboards, the top sign could be used for the welcome sign, and the bottom billboard could showcase events coming to town, or any other messages that the city wants residents to be aware of.

These examples are historic billboards that could be used for inspiration for the design of a Holly Springs welcome billboard.

Before

www.postcardy.com/articleSigns.html

19

Signage and Wayfinding

www.terapeak.com/worth/welcome-to-arizona-grand-canyon-statebillboard-c1950s-1bs76/350873077502/

Signage and Wayfinding

Creating a unique sign for this space is an important way to cultivate a sense of place for the city. This is a great opportunity to create a fun, inviting sign for the town that would attract visitors and let people know that they have arrived in the heart of Holly Springs.

The sign is a quick and effective way to advertise landmarks like the depot (and perhaps the Hardin House in the future). It also provides an opportunity to let people know about any big events that Holly Springs will be hosting.

This image shows an example of what the welcome billboard could look like for the town of Holly Springs. This image also shows landscaping opportunities along Holly Springs Parkway including trees and shrubs to help with corridor beautification.

20

After

Holly Springs Billboard Options

e m o c l e W

The options presented here represent a range of possibilities for the Main Street billboard. These examples are inspired by historic welcome signs and postcards of the 1950s–1960s. They are intended to emphasize the iconic train depot and the family-oriented atmosphere of Holly Springs.

to

HOLLy SPRINGS o

et m o c l e W

Signage and Wayfinding

a c ity o n th e r i g h t t rac k

HOLLY SPRINGS

“ B U I L D I N G TH E A M E R I CA N D R E A M ”

East e r Eg g hunt A p r i l 8 th , 1 1 a m

M e m o r i a l Day 5K M ay 2 7 th , 8 a m

Co m m u n i ty Gar d e n P lots Ava i l a b l e

S G N I R P S Ly

Welcome to

L HO a c ity o n th e r i g h t t rac k

21

Corridor Improvements

Holly Springs Parkway

The area designated as the Main Street District is currently a car-dominated street. With the addition of new sidewalks and improvements to the town center, it will be important to make a few changes to the streetscape to make pedestrians more comfortable and to create a sense of arrival for drivers. Adding trees, shrubs, and plantings to the corridor is a simple, economical beautification measure that can make a big difference for the space.

After

Before

Existing conditions next to a storage facility, approaching the main intersection.

22

Option 1: Trees are added to the right-of-way between pedestrians and street traffic.

After

Increasing the number of plants along the sidewalk will help pedestrians feel safer, especially if trees are planted between the sidewalk and street traffic.

Option 2: Wildflowers started from seed planted along the embankment and in the right-of-way create a splash of color on arrival into the Main Street District.

After

Planting wildflowers is a quick, simple measure that has a big visual impact for pedestrians and drivers. Wildflower patches also make great pollinator gardens and could be used for education.

Option 3: Trees are added to the embankment on the outer edge of the sidewalk.

23

Corridor Improvements

Improving the pedestrian experience along the Holly Springs Parkway will increase pedestrian traffic on the new sidewalks. A few simple beautification measures, and more plantings along the corridor can help achieve this. People tend to feel safer when they are separated from traffic. Adding plants to the right-of-way will increase this sense of safety.

Apec Electric

Faรงade and landscaping improvements for several businesses in the Main Street District were a priority for this report. The two most important changes that can make these businesses feel like part of the downtown area are signage improvements and landscaping. It is important for all business signs to reflect a downtown character: lower signs that are closer to the street can accomplish this easily.

Corridor Improvements

The landscape improvements that are suggested here are of a similar character to others suggested for the Main Street District. By developing a unified plant palette and applying it throughout the Main Street District, the city will begin to create a sense of place that people will recognize as they arrive in Holly Springs.

Adding trees to this area will provide shade for pedestrians. Increasing the plantings between the sidewalk and the businesses will help to screen unsightly parking and add visual interest for pedestrians and drivers.

Before

After

Improving pedestrian sfety and comfort along the Main Street District corridor will encourage more people to walk. This is easily achieved through a few simple landscape changes.

A number of small aesthetic improvement to the business are suggested in the rendering: 1. Changing the style of garage door to make the building feel slightly less industrial.

2. Painting the wood surrounding the entrance to match the rest of the building.

3. Decreasing the height of the sign to be more in character with signage typical of a downtown.

24

Retaining Wall An eye-catching mural at one of the entrances to downtown creates a memorable sight and starts to create a sense of arrival for the Main Street District.

Corridor Improvements

Adding plants to the embankment above the retaining wall creates a beautiful scene and hides the unsightly “back of house� utilities behind the Farmers Insurance building.

Before

Painting the retaining wall turns it from an eyesore into an asset.

If the mural is not desirable, then painting it a dark color would detract attention from it.

After 25

Strip Shopping Center

Corridor Improvements

A few simple measures will make the area more pedestrian-friendly: adding shade, creating more visual interest, and providing a barrier between the sidewalk and traffic.

Trees are added to the right-of-way, providing a barrier between pedestrians and traffic, and adding shade during the hot summer months.

Plantings such as wildflowers or perennials add interest to an area that is now a wide expanse of pavement.

Small changes like repaving the parking area make the space feel cohesive and well-maintained, which makes pedestrians feel more comfortable. Adding the Main Street District banners to the lampposts is a quick way to unify the area.

Before 26

Corridor Improvements

After After

27

Poore House Creating a destination in this location draws people to the Main Street District and encourages them to stay and visit other businesses nearby.

Corridor Improvements

Adding trees between the sidewalk and the street creates a sense of safety for pedestrians by separating them from traffic.

Before

After 28

Planting perennial shrubs along the embankment will help with erosion control and provide visual interest to pedestrians and drivers, in addition to requiring less full-time maintenance than grass. Trees along the sidewalk also provide shade to pedestrians.

Farmers Insurance

Before

Corridor Improvements

After

On the corner of such a busy intersection, it is important for pedestrians to feel they have as safe place to wait for the light.

Adding trees to shade the sidewalks makes the walk and wait more pleasant during the hot summer days.

Adding plants near the foundation of the building helps to hide the bright brick and trick the eye, while plants along the sidewalk create visual interest for pedestrians. Trees on all sides of the building help to separate the business from the street, creating a more pleasant environment for customers as well as pedestrians.

Since the parking lot is the first thing one sees at this business, resurfacing it would improve the look of the whole building and make it appear more well-maintained.

29

Corridor Improvements

Medians

The intersection of Holly Springs Parkway, Hickory Road, and Holly Street is the largest in the Main Street District. There are currently raised concrete medians in the crosswalks, but the intersection still feels almost too large to cross comfortably.

Converting these to planted medians would provide low-cost beautification at the intersection and would also make pedestrians feel safer during their crossing by further separating them from traffic.

Simple maintenance such as restriping the crosswalks and repairing the asphalt would improve the feel of the intersection.

30

Before

After

Welcoming Green

The large sign in the heart of the Main Street District becomes a landmark for visitors to Holly Springs.

Corridor Improvements

Plantings help to beautify the corridor, and announce one’s arrival into the Main Street District. They help to blend this empty lot into the park next door.

Before

After 31

Diagrams Noise

Site Analysis

Park

Infill

Noise from the busy intersection, truck traffic, and the railroad is better modulated by a building than plantings.

Exhaust Park

Exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide are best controlled through a building’s air filtration system.

32

Infill

Economics Park

Infill

Initial Cost

$

Initial Cost

$

Jobs

$

Maintenance

$

Rent

$

Taxes

$

Site Analysis

A park will always require maintenance. An infill building will generate income for the city through taxes or sale.

Safety Park

Safety for pedestrians is limited to the crosswalks with an infill building, and poses a much greater risk for children playing in a park.

* **

Infill

* ** 33

Infill Concept

Concept Sketches

Standing at the entrance to the City Hall development, an infill building in this location anchors the new development and signals to drivers along Holly Springs Parkway that they have arrived in the heart of the Main Street District. A building like this that interacts with the street more than a setback building gives the area a downtown feel and slows the speed of traffic in this area.

34

Infill Concept 35

Infill: Back View

Infill Concept

This building has been designed to address the topographic challenges of the site, and interacts with the corner and engages pedestrians. It is intended to have a mix of commercial uses, and includes areas that would be ideal for a restaurant or event space that would overlook the new development and the historic depot.

This rendering shows the back of the infill building from in front of the depot. It shows how the building interacts with the corner and some of the parking behind the building.

Before 36

After

Infill Concept 37

Infill: Front View This rendering shows the infill building from the front along Holly Springs Parkway. It illustrates how the store fronts interact with the street, suggesting a few commercial opportunities for the building.

After

Infill Concept

Before

38

Courtyard

Infill Concept This rendering shows the back courtyard of the infill building at night.

39

Infill Entrance

Limitations of Infill: The building footprint lies within the 100-foot right-of-way for the railroad. While a variance would be required for this specific layout, the building does not come closer to the railroad than the buildings that were originally on this lot. There are several buildings within the downtown area that lie within the 100-foot right-of-way. Given these precedents, one could argue for a variance.

Holly Springs Parkway

Infill Concept

Rooftop Patio Parking Lot Infill Building

Courtyard

Exit

40

Hickor y Road

Plant Legend

Park Concept

The cornerstone of this park is the grand fountain.

The fountain is inspired by the work of Laurence Halprin in a series of parks in downtown Portland, Oregon, and it is intended to represent the history of Holly Springs. The top of the fountain is the spring, the source of the water, and it runs down the series of faces that were inspired by images of quarries throughout the North Georgia region, similar to the green marble quarries of Holly Springs. The fountain is intended to encourage people of all ages to play in and around the fountain.

Holly Springs Parkwa y

Sunken Plaza

Park Concept

The fountain also serves as a mechanism to draw people into the park and away from the busy road so that children can play safely. It successfully addresses the steep grade change of the site, and its white noise helps to modulate the sound from the nearby traffic. The sculpture shown the renderings is by Yvonne Domenge, whose work can be found at www.domenge.com/portafolio/ splash/?x=&n=24&page=7.

Lawn

Fountain Plaza for Public Art

Down

Plant Legend

Sign

Hickor y R oad

41

x

Park Concept

Park Concept 43

Park Concept

Inspiration

Ira Keller Fountain Lovejoy Fountain

These images show the Ira Keller Fountain and Lovejoy Fountain in Portland, designed by landscape architect Lawrence Halprin.

Limitations of Park: As a large part of this parcel lies within the 100-foot right-ofway for the railroad, some parts of this park design lie within that range. This design tries to maximize use of the areas outside of this boundary, and tries not to place too much infrastructure or heavy plantings within the right-of-way area.

44

Park Concept

This rendering shows the fountain and terraced lawn area of the park.

45

Grasses

Perennials

Trees Plant Palette 46

Redbud Cercis canadensis

Oak Leaf Hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia

Fountain Grass Pennisetum alopecuroides

Dogwood Cornus florida

Russian Sage Petrovskia atriplicifolia

Pink Muhly Grass Muhlenbergia capillaris

‘Natchez White’ Crape Myrtle

Salvia Salvia farinacea

Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium

Citations

p 43 http://landscapevoice.com/ira-kellerfountain-park/ https://concreteandsky.wordpress.com/tag/ ira-keller-fountain/ http://halprinconservancy.org/visit-thesequence/ h t t p s : / / w w w. f l i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s / darrellwyatt/4861476850

p 45 commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Redbud_ trees.JPG

www.etsy.com/listing/191451855/2-hamlengrass-in-4-inch-containers?ref=landingpage_ similar_listing_top-4 pixabay.com/en/dogwood-nature-tree-springgreen-591705/

University of Georgia

201 N. Milledge Avenue Athens, Georgia 30602 (p) 706-542-2736 (f) 706-542-9301 www.vinsoninstitute.org

Danny Bivins

honeybeesuite.com/russian-sage-for-yourpollinator-garden/

Renaissance Fellows Supervisor Carl Vinson Institute of Government dbivins@uga.edu

https://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/ view/?id=3195

Arianne Wolfe

http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/ plants/253/natchez-crape-myrtle/ h t t p : / / i m a g e s. f l o r a n ova . c o m / S a l v i a / Farinacea/ https://www.g reenwoodnurser y.com/ categories/all-perennial-plants-for-sale/ schizachyrium-scoparium-blues

Georgia Downtown Renaissance Fellow, Project Lead UGA College of Environment & Design (p) 843-442-4295 aew85339@uga.edu

Contacts

www.wilsonnurseries.com/plants/jet-streamoakleaf-hydrangea/

Carl Vinson Institute of Government