THE YEAR 2004 -

Penfield, NY 25 Years of Planning

At a recent meeting of the Four Corners Focus Group, we worked to identify the group’s priorities. Attendees, who have included business owners, residents and property owners, listed the projects and activities they think would benefit the Four Corners business district the most. The group listed ideas for development, traffic and roadway improvements, parking, aesthetics, booster opportunities, pedestrians, signage, and communication. The results are intriguing, and have really shed some light on the direction this group may be headed over the coming weeks and months.

Ideas that drew the most support were to enforce speed limits through the area, implement a Four Corners area plan for development, enforce the Town code for the area, design a unified parking plan for the southeast quadrant, install left turn signals and turning lanes, improve the maintenance of trees and flowers, create an identify for the area, promote local businesses, improve signage for public parking, and enlist the help of state representatives.

I have brought these priorities back to the Town staff and the appropriate departments who may one day play a role in some of these projects and activities. However, in the meantime, the Four Corners Focus Group will continue to meet and discuss the many ways the businesses, residents and community leaders who have a stake in this important area of Penfield can continue to drive this effort.
 

Categorization and Combination of Brainstorming Ideas

(1/21/04)

Pedestrian Friendly Improvement Opportunities

Longer signal light cycle time to allow safer pedestrian crossing

Install a pedestrian bridge

South leg of Five Mile Line Road is not pedestrian friendly - students walking to school

Southeast quadrant - senior living traffic issues

Parking Improvement Opportunities

Advertise parking locations in the Four Corners

Need a unified parking plan for the southeast quadrant

Better utilization of existing parking is needed

Zoning code requires changes to parking requirements to make them more flexible

Need public parking

Traffic/Roadway Improvement Opportunities

Enforce speed limits/ Enforce traffic control devices

Install left turn signals and queue pockets on the north and south of Five Mile Line Road

Install traffic light at the corner of Route 441 and "Old Penfield Road"

Install rumble strips on Penfield Road eastbound coming off of the highway portion of Route 441

Narrow Penfield Road as it approaches the Four Corners to slow down traffic

Booster Opportunities

Have concerts in the pocket park, tie in businesses

Create an identity for the area - historical village atmosphere, main street theme

Linear Park/mill theme, Irondequoit Creek

Penfield pride

Promote local businesses

Hire an outside agency to promote identity

Country Fair Days should be moved to a park location - Linear Park?

"Old town" - have a special "light" night

Signage Improvement Opportunities

Better signage to direct drivers in/out of parking areas

Better post Linear Park/ Need better signage for attractions - Motts Lane, etc

Better signage needed on Route 490 east directing drivers to the Penfield Four Corners **

Zoning code sign requirements need more flexibility

Aesthetics Improvement Opportunities

Properly maintain new trees and flowers

Get rid of weeds along the roadways

Need better road maintenance/debris clean-up

Use Town code to enforce aesthetics/appearance of the area

"Adopt" a corner garden club

Get rid of above-ground utilities

Communication Improvement Opportunities

Town presence in the Four Corners - Town office - involve high school students

Get representatives from the State - elected officials and appropriate agency administrators (e.g., DOT) involved in implementing Four Corner improvement projects and meetings

Supervisor need to be a strong advocate for Four Corner improvements

Residents of the Four Corners should be directly involved with project implementation

Share plans/codes with residents

Tell us what Town staff does

Get media involved

Letter writing by schools to state

Development Opportunities

Utilize National Trust for Historic Preservation's Main Street Program to make improvements to the Four Corner's area

Do something with the empty buildings (e.g. the Fox house)

Implement Four Corner Plan

Four Corners needs a bookshop and an ice cream shop

Designate the area an Empire Zone to attract more businesses

Foundation funding is needed to restore historical buildings

Designate the area a historical district

Create low interest loans/subsidies to make it easier for owners to re-invest in their property

Benchmark with other towns

HISTORIC PENFIELD FOUR CORNERS

Look What is Underway!

Jan 2004 Town Focus Group - Four Corners - Partner with either private developers, owners of land in the Four Corners or major Penfield Corporations (i.e. Paychex or Nalge) along with the Town of Penfield and any other level of government to implement the "Four Corners Master Plan".

1. Create Penfield Economic Development Corporation to pursue partnering ideas.
2. Create "façade" program to help businesses improve the outside of their businesses.
3. Utilize the National Trust For Historic Preservation's Main Street Program to give residents a greater voice in the decision-making process regarding changes/improvements to their neighborhoods.
4. Work with existing owners of businesses in the southeast quadrant to establish more parking in the southeast and northeast quadrants.
5. Work with the State of New York DOT officials to increase safety of pedestrians from one quadrant to another by special crosswalks and possibly a median at certain spots in the Four Corners area.

Focus group ideas handed out at Jan 15, 2004 meeting

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