The following are my remarks, read before the Trumbull Planning & Zoning Commission, regarding the application.*
Introduction
Good evening. My name is Shelby LeVino and I represent Trumbull Walks, a pedestrian advocacy group that believes that making Trumbull a better place to walk, run and ride will have positive long term environmental, social and economic benefits for the town of Trumbull and its residents.We know that Trumbull is a community of walkers -- you need only look at the Tait Road parking lot on a weekend day, which is full much of the time. These people have a strong preference for walking. We know this because many drive to the trail just to get out and walk. They choose to walk along the trail because it is safe, rewarding, convenient and approachable.
These are not just pedestrians, these are regular visitors of the trail, who will become regular customers of the proposed property. They include families with children, young adults and people my senior (I hesitate to call them "older").
I say "they will be customers" but only if they can safely and easily get across the street.
A Vision for Downtown
The complaint I hear most often from residents is that Trumbull lacks a downtown. But what does that mean?Residents want a destination. A place where they get out of their cars and walk. A convenient place where they feel safe and are rewarded for their efforts. A place with destinations that are connected and approachable.
Ask residents to close their eyes and describe what downtown looks like to them. They use words like "sidewalks," "shade trees," "park benches," "open spaces" and "shopping". Perhaps they mention ice cream cones and chatting with friends on the corner.
They are describing mixed-use villages with networks of interconnected corridors that are safe and accessible. A place where they can "eat, pray, love." But also where they can work, learn, sleep and shop. And eat (we like to eat).
I have never heard anyone include the words "strip mall" -- not even "colonial strip mall." There is nothing wrong with a strip mall, it is just not the right look and feel for downtown Trumbull.
They want a Norman Rockwell Main Street, a downtown where they can park and walk, shop, say hello to friends or just sit and relax. They want a "Village" feel like Fairfield, New Canaan and South Norwalk have. Those towns have buildings close enough to the street to be approachable on foot, housing a variety of retail, commercial, residential and of course food.
Show people a picture of Newtown, near the flagpole, and a picture of a strip mall and ask them which is more welcoming...
And Trumbull could have that if this commission were to reject the current proposal but encourage this developer to return with a plan that merely flips the site layout. Bring the stores to the curb, make them combined use, and put the cars -- and car activity -- in the rear away from the pedestrians. Offer the front of the stores to the street with wide sidewalks, benches, shade trees and bike racks, welcoming and encouraging customers who arrive on foot. This is the formula for a vibrant downtown, which is what our neighbors want, and the foot traffic that retailers need.
I ask this commission and the developer to work together to literally and figuratively make this property the cornerstone for the new Trumbull Village.
Specific Site Questions, Concerns and Problems
The traffic consultant spoke about the additional auto traffic and its impact on the intersection. But he did not mention how much foot traffic will come from the trail or how the applicant has planned to accommodate those pedestrians. How will this increased volume of pedestrians activating the walk signals at the cross walks affect traffic at the Daniels Farm and White Plains Road intersection? I would ask the commission to require a multi modal transit analysis that considers pedestrian, bike and transit traffic and not just cars.The current lack of pedestrian infrastructure at Church Hill and Grandview puts our citizens at great risk: it would be much safer if there was a pedestrian crossing light at that intersection. I know there have been accidents at that intersection, there was one just the other day. I have personally witnessed young adults in the crosswalk nearly get run over because one lane of cars stops but the other does not. I have stood there waiting to cross while car after car fails to stop. This is not pedestrian friendly and it is going to get worse.
The existing sidewalk is too narrow and too close to the road to be safe. Walkers on the sidewalk have cars driving literally inches away. The speed limit is 35, dropping from 40, and we know that means drivers are probably traveling closer to 45 or 50. Inches from pedestrians. Please require the applicant to widen the sidewalk and move it away from the street, making it compliant with the most pedestrian-friendly standards. It would also be beneficial to offer a shorter, direct path from the existing Grandview lot directly to the stores.
In fact, why not retain the lot and encourage food trucks to park there on the weekends. This would offer a huge reward for pedestrians to cross the street, bringing them closer to being customers.
How does the site design accommodate bicycle traffic? Through the existing motor vehicle lanes? I would ask the applicant to describe the traffic flow for a family with younger kids on bikes. How will they get in, get through the lot, and park those bikes? Once parked how will those pedestrians get to the stores?
Please require the applicant to maintain the 25 foot building to parking lot minimum. The current proposal of five feet is simply not enough room, especially when you account for bicycles and bicycle traffic from the trail.
Require a fourth crosswalk and pedestrian signal at the lot entrance to allow pedestrians to cross White Plains Road safely (currently only three crossings have marked crosswalks and pedestrian lights).
I thank the commission for their patience tonight and their efforts every night.
* Comissioner Silber raised many of the points I intended to raise (and some that I missed). I edited my original remarks drastically to try to eliminate redundancy. The above is what I would have like to read had I been able to follow all of my scribbled changes.
Postscript:
ReplyDeleteThe applicant has added bike racks to the design but it is not known how many or where they will be located. From comments, I believe they will be on the Grandview side of the building but I am not certain.
The applicant allowed that they would add access (steps, because of the grade change) directly from the area of the Grandview lot to the site. I briefly spoke to the landscape architect after the meeting about including an integrated bike ramp as part of the step design and he said he had been thinking about that.