How Much Parking Does Your Main Street Have? The Answer May Surprise You

One of the CONSTANT problems that I have run into during my time as a Main Street Coordinator is parking. Many residents and business owners on Main Streets are convinenced that there is no enough parking available on Main Street.

It's understandable why so many people may think that. After all, when Main Streets were first built, they were meant to accomidate horses and carraiges - not exactly automobiles with parking lots. However, as our society has become more auto-dependant, parking has obviously become more of an issue. The structure of buildings and streets have changed.

A perfect example of this is Hamilton Boulevard. First, think of 9th and Hamilton in Allentown. Street parking is available and parking lots are placed in the back of buildings. As a result, buildings are closer to the sidewalk and the entire area is very pedestrian friendly. These streets are build to encourage pedestrian traffic.

Now go west down the same street into Upper Macungie. Suddenly, buildings are hundreds of feet back from the curb. The speed limit has increased, there are five lanes for traffic and sidewalks are either not used or non-existant. Parking lots are in the front of buildings and always have far more spaces then necessary. These areas were build to encourage vehicular traffic.

As a result, the perception exists that Main Streets do not have adequate parking to meet the needs of its businesses and residents. But here is the question: how accurate is that perception?

In Alburtis, David Kutzor (Chair of the Alburtis Business Revitalization Committee) completed a parking study. Dave counted every parking space available within the Main Street area (Main and Franklin Streets and all streets within one block of this area) for businesses, residents and parking lots.

Within this space, there are 59 properties. For these 59 properties, there are 430 parking spaces. In other wrods, for every property, there are roughly six parking spaces. The conclusion is that there is more than enough parking for businesses and residents.

Kind of interesting, don't you think?

Highly Recommended Reading

To all of our dedicated volunteers,

I have a report that I think you might all be interested in reading. It's called Turning Around Downtown: Twelve Steps to Revitalzation and is published by the Brookings Institution. Basically, it's a guide to downtown revitalization and I highly recommend it. Click here for the link. From the website:

"Though every downtown is different there are still common revitalization lessons that can be applied anywhere. While any approach must be customized based on unique physical conditions, institutional assets, consumer demand, history, and civic intent, this paper lays out the fundamentals of a downtown turnaround plan and the unique "private/public" partnership required to succeed. Beginning with visioning and strategic planning to the reemergence of an office market at the end stages, these 12 steps form a template for returning "walkable urbanism" downtown."

Chamber to seek $4 million for Valley's downtowns

By Jeanne Bonner Of The Morning Call

October 9, 2007

The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce plans to raise at least $4 million for an urban revitalization initiative it announced earlier this year.

The fundraising target is more than double the initial estimate the Chamber made in March. The more ambitious figure emerged after a feasibility study this summer found strong support for a wider role for the Chamber in reducing storefront vacancies and boosting jobs in the downtowns of the Valley's cities and boroughs.

The group could begin disbursing funds to worthy projects as early as this month. The Chamber's foundation, which will spearhead the five-year initiative, received its first seed money last week when it sold the organization's longtime Bethlehem office for $415,000.

Later this month, a fundraising firm the Chamber hired will begin tapping donors, some of whom are expected to not only make sizable pledges but also recruit other companies and individuals to do the same.

''The people we interviewed…told us they were overwhelmingly convinced the Chamber needed to take on this initiative. Most businesses felt the urban cores were lacking in attention,'' said Tom Micelotta, a consultant with National Community Development Services of Atlanta who conducted the feasibility study and is leading the fundraising effort.

Tough tasks remain ahead for the Chamber. For example, many of the 60 leaders surveyed for the study expressed doubt the Chamber could raise millions of dollars, even over the projected period of five years. The Chamber also has its eye on public funds, but it's far from certain whether the state or Lehigh and Northampton counties will contribute.

Others expressed concern about staff turnover at the Chamber and questioned whether the organization has the leadership to take on this initiative.

There's also concern about duplicating efforts. In the confidential interviews Micelotta conducted, some Valley leaders said that if the foundation undertakes economic development in the area's cities and boroughs, it could interfere with the work of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp.

According to the study, one respondent asked, ''How will this conflict with LVEDC's efforts?''

That's partly because under its previous president, Beth Gorin, LVEDC was exploring a larger role in urban development.

''When it comes to the downtowns and the cities, we are leaning toward letting the cities and the Chamber work with that,'' LVEDC spokesman Joe McDermott said Friday. ''The Chamber and the cities are in the best position to work on downtown issues, particularly as it pertains to retail and small businesses.''

People involved in the day-to-day struggles of the downtowns say the cities and the boroughs need all the help they can get, and it's essential that the business community gets behind revitalizing the urban cores once and for all.

Alan Jennings, executive director of the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, an anti-poverty agency, said it would not be a problem if the Chamber and LVEDC -- ''the two 800-pound gorillas in the business community'' -- competed to take the lead in revitalizing the area's cities and boroughs.

''That's progress,'' he said in an interview last week.

The Chamber's leaders see revitalization of the Valley's cities and boroughs as a moral and economic imperative. The Valley's population and economy have grown at a near-record pace this decade, but most of the expansion has occurred in suburban office parks and housing subdivisions.

Between 1998 and 2007, the collective tax base of the region's three main cities grew 4.2 percent. By contrast, the tax base of all of the Valley's townships grew 39 percent in that period, according to assessment data gathered by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.

The Chamber also sees it as a logical segue to the organization's push to become the regional voice of the business community. The organization, originally the Allentown Chamber of Commerce, spent the late 1990s and the early part of this decade merging with smaller chambers and other business groups. With 4,800 members, it's now the second-largest chamber in the state.

In 2003, the Chamber turned its focus to revitalizing the area's cities, with a pilot program in Allentown. The group has provided staff to work with downtown merchants on events such as musical performances on Fridays in the summer.

Two years ago, the Chamber helped Easton land a five-year state Main Street grant, which seeks to revitalize downtown commercial districts. The Chamber also helped orchestrate an ongoing $90,000 state grant to pay the salaries of downtown managers in nine boroughs.

There's been progress, but longtime residents, especially in the small boroughs, hunger for new businesses. Chamber officials say small programs and grants are not enough.

''What's always frustrated me is we have this leadership and this focus on downtowns, but we have no funding to impact change. It's all rhetoric and no dollars,'' Chamber President Tony Iannelli said in an interview last week. ''What I like about this is, we can put our money where our mouth is. Instead of cheerleading and building boards and organizations, we can raise money and make a change.''

Providing matching funds for state revitalization initiatives such as the Main Street program will probably be one of the foundation's goals. That's needed assistance because the state funding is minimal and because guidelines often require the municipalities in the program to find matching funds, Jennings said.

He also wants them to aggressively market the ''concept of downtowns'' through the Valley. The foundation is also exploring the possibility of creating a loan pool.

Northampton might be one of the first recipients of money from the foundation. The borough has approached the Chamber about buying and installing banners in the borough, officials said.

Bethlehem has asked for money for a transportation study. It also might tap the foundation for help with its Elm Street program, which seeks to revitalize older neighborhoods near downtowns, said Tony Hanna, the city's director of community and economic development.

Hanna said of the organizations involved in economic development, the Chamber is possibly the only group that has ties to small and large businesses, retailers and boroughs and cities.

''I think the foundation truly makes the Chamber relevant,'' Hanna said. ''It gives the Chamber a connection.''

At the end of this month, Micelotta will contact about 40 community leaders who were identified during the feasibility study as possible fundraising campaign coordinators.

Among those names is Hank Barnette, chairman emeritus of Bethlehem Steel. Barnette, who was interviewed as part of the feasibility study, said if asked, he would help with fundraising.

''If a group of well-intentioned civic leaders gives a problem such as this strategic thought and devises a tactical short-term implementation plan, and they are willing to address the problem, we should support that, and give them the benefit of our support,'' he said.

Others sounded more caution.

In a brief interview on Thursday, Mike Gausling, co-founder of OraSure Technologies in Bethlehem, said he was not aware of the Chamber's foundation and its urban revitalization initiative.

He said he does not know if he will give money to it or not, because he recently launched Originate Ventures, a venture capital firm. He's been refurbishing a former firehouse in south Bethlehem where the fund is based.

Similarly, Tim Holt of Air Products and Chemicals in Trexlertown, one of the region's largest employers, was named as a possible leader for the campaign. Holt, who sat for an interview for the feasibility study, was unavailable for comment last week.

Laurie Gostley-Hackett, the corporation's manager for community relations and philanthropy, said while the company is happy to be part of the foundation's development council, Air Products will take a wait-and-see approach.

''We don't know enough about the foundation yet, so it's too early to comment,'' she said in an e-mail. ''As we learn more about the foundation and the initiatives, we'll be in a better position to study each project on its merits and then make the decision on our involvement.''

Micelotta, who will be living in south Bethlehem for the next year while he works with the foundation, brushed away the doubts as a natural reaction to a brand-new campaign.

''I call it cautious optimism,'' Micelotta said.

jeanne.bonner@mcall.com

Main Street & Elm Street Training

Better develop your Organization and Economic Restructuring Committees!
Meet with fellow Main Street & Elm Street volunteers to share ideas!

Geoff Brace, PA Downtown Center Eastern Regional Coordinator, will present the basics in structuring Organization and Economic Restructuring committees and the Borough
Business Revitalization Program team will facilitate volunteer discussions.

Thursday, November 1, 6 – 8
Northampton Community College
Fowler Family Southside Center, 511 E. 3rd Street, Bethlehem

RSVP
By Friday, October 26
Mark Hartney 610-739-1517
markh@lehighvalleychamber.org


Directions to the Fowler Family Southside CenterFrom East or West: Follow Rt. 378 S to the Third Street exit. Merge left onto Third Street and follow to the 500 block

Northampton County Grants

Since 2006, Lehigh County has run a grant program that gives grants to municipalities. These grants cover streetscape amenities and planning.

I am pleased to say that Northampton County has launched its own grant programs. There are two. First, there is a streetscape amenities grant that will fund up to 50% (up to $5,000) of a streetscape project. Second, there is a planning grant that will go towards the creation of a downtown or master plan. This time, Northampton will fund up to 75% of a planning project.

I am more than happy to provide anyone with additional information.
~Mike

Two Helpful Links

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to pass on two links that might be good resources for you all. Obviously, we are not the only Main Street program in Pennsylvania, or even the country for that matter. These two links should be helpful as they provide information on the Main Street program as well as links to other very valuable resources for anyone involved in a Main Street effort.

First, there's the website for the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. They are the group that is contracted by the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) to administer the Main Street Program.

Second, there is the National Trust Main Street Center. This is the nation-wide version of the PDC and they have a lot of information on Main Street programs throughout America.

Enjoy!

So What Do You Want To Know?

So, I pose a question to all of our dedicated volunteers out there - what are you looking to learn about Main Street? Here's why I ask. One of our goals this year is to conduct at least four trainings - two from the Pennsylvania Downtown Center and two others taught by us. But, here is the question: What areas do you want to know about? In what areas can we help you and your committee grow as a volunteer? Below are some suggestions.
1) Economic Restructuring: This is an area where I many people have said that are confused by. Economic Restructuring - the process by which businesses are maintained, improved upon and recruited - is arguably the most important area of the Main Street program. But it's also one of the least understood
2) Volunteer Recruitment: Some committees have said that they have problems in terms of recruiting volunteers into the program and ensuring that volunteers along Main Street or in Borough government are engaged in the program. This may be an area worth exploring, since an active volunteer base is vital to the continued existence of a Main Street committee.
3) Governance: Of course, one of the goals for our Main Street committees is the continued health and existence of the committee. Accordingly, we want to ensure that our committee can govern itself, meaning possibly hold elections, manage its own money, and/or apply and achieve its own 501c3 status.
4) Fundraising: Any Main Street community needs money to be able to pay for projects! With this sort of training, we can give tips on how to hold successful fundraisers and maximize the amount of money that you can raise.
5) Anything else you want! We are obviously open to suggestions and want to hear your thoughts. Please comment below or E-mail me at MikeS@lehighvalleychamber.org. Hope to hear from you soon!