Shurtleff/Bellingham Neighborhood Plan

Planning Charrettes

CND began a multi-year planning and revitalization effort in 2006 by recruiting neighborhood residents to conduct block walks and interviews with neighbors. Participants looked at the conditions of properties, roads, sidewalks, retaining walls, trees, public spaces and commercial properties.

Through this survey, we found that most properties are well maintained. However, each block as at least one problem property, street trash is significant, retaining walls are suffering and improvements to traffic patterns would increase pedestrian safety.

In 2007 CND organized two charettes led by planning consultants of SAS Design. At the charrettes, residents shared what was good and what could be improved in S/B. SAS Design incorporated resident aspirations into a master plan that is available in the CND office.

Pattern Book

In connection with the master plan, SAS Design created a neighborhood Pattern Book. This resource is a useful guide to residents who plan on renovating or enhancing the exterior of their houses. The book offers economical suggestions, but sticks to a certain historical aesthetic so to promote a dignified uniformity to the Shurtleff Bellingham housing stock.

 

Community Enhancement Team

The CET is comprised of attendees of the charrettes. They monthly to carry this work forward into its implementation phase. By the end of 2007, the Enhancement Team will select a key intersection and the streets leading to it as our first area of focus for streetscape and façade improvements, public and private landscaping, street trash reduction,selective redevelopment by CND, and the creation of neighborhood self-management through better neighbor-to-neighbor engagement

The CET is also part of a group of organizations, residents and city officials combating graffiti in the neighborhood and will be planning anti-graffiti information sessions and a paint outs scheduled to take place March-June.