Photosim - Veterans' Bridge

• This photo-simulation represents ideas generated from workshops and meetings in and around this area. Please read the place game results below (as well as the Cottage Street results) to see some of the ideas that contributed to it.

  

• This poster, which you may have seen around town, describes some of the ideas that led to the photo simulation.

  

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Experiment - Pleasant & Main Streets

• Based on workshop ideas and the vision presented below in the Photo-Simulation, an "Experiment" was installed at the corner of Pleasant & Main, consisting of temporary curbing and mulch.
  Read the story about the installation of this experiment

  

• After initial feedback, the experiment was refined, as shown below.

  

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Photo Simulation - Pleasant & Main Streets

• This photo-simulation represents ideas generated from workshops and meetings in and around this section of Main Street. Please read the place game results below to see some of the ideas that contributed to it.

  

• This poster, which you may have seen around town, describes some of the ideas that led to the photo simulation.

  

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Compiled Place Game Results - April 3, 2003

• Click here (pdf) to view the complete findings from the April 3 Workshop.

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Site 1 - Opera House Corner

• (MapIt!)
  
  
• Evaluation (overall score: 1.8 / 3)

  Comfort & Image (score: 2.0 / 3)
  • Clean
  • Scary to stand
  • Crosswalks are poorly lit
  • Traffic moves too fast
  • It’s really a place for cars

  Access & Linkages (score: 1.5 / 3)
  • It’s the gateway to main street
  • Has great potential to be a center of town
  • Good view / vista
  • Poor signage
         o Can’t see historical society
         o Some incorrect information
  • It gives the appearance of being a dead end
  • It’s difficult to cross the street – people avoid it
  • The crosswalks are too long
  • Signage is for cars only

  Uses & Activities (score: 2.0 / 3)
  • Great buildings & architecture
  • No places to sit
  • Busy for cars, but not for people

  Sociability (score: 2.0 / 3)
  • There are no people in groups

• Recommendations:

  Short Term:
  • Flowerbeds & benches at the bank
  • Spring flowers at the town hall flowerboxes
  • Relocate the western crosswalk to make it shorter

  Long Term:
  • No trucks
  • Widen sidewalks
  • Bring back the statue – possibly experiment this summer – research a location that will work for plows
  • Add trees
  • Create a pocket park with seating by the sign
  • Research the consequences of having a truck bypass
  • A roundabout in the intersection

  Potential Partners:
  • Garden Club
  • Florist – Dot Corey
  • DOT for advice
  

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Site 2 - Movie Theater & Church

• (MapIt!)
  
  
• Evaluation: (overall score: 2.2 / 3)

  Comfort & Image (score: 1.8 / 3)
  • Feeling of safety from crime
  • Lighting is uneven, not very effective. Not coordinated with uses
  • Not terribly attractive

  Access & Linkages (score: 2.5 / 3)
  • Unsafe for pedestrians
  • Signage could be better – hard to read
  • Crosswalks are too long
  • Diagonal crosswalk feels unsafe
  • Buildings aren’t well numbered

  Uses & Activities (score: 2.5 / 3)
  • Theater is an asset
  • Great buildings & architecture
  • Not comfortable to sit
  • No pre / post movie activities
  • Generally quiet, with not a lot of activity

  Sociability (score: 1.9 / 3)
  • Not many people in groups

• Recommendations:

  Short Term:
  • Better lighting on the opera house & church to balance the lighting
  • Seating / benches
  • Landscape around the front side of the church
  • More nightscaping on Tilton block
  • Change the diagonal crosswalk

  Long Term:
  • Bulbout sidewalk on corner, with seating
  • Shorten crosswalk
  • Recruit businesses that are complimentary to the Theater
  • Add housing above the stores on the Harrington block

  Other:
  • Bring diverse age groups together to get comfortable with each other

  Potential Partners:
  • Main Street Program
  • Chamber of Commerce
  • Ahead
  

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Site 3 - Bank & Porfido's Market

• (MapIt!)
  
  
• Evaluation (overall score: 1.7 / 3)

  Comfort & Image: (score: 1.9 / 3)
  • Safe & Clean, but not attractive
  • No place to sit
  • Bank doesn’t have enough presence – its dark, reflective windows are uninviting – it’s a negative influence on the center of town
  • Buildings are disappointing

  Access & Linkages: (score: 1.8 / 3)
  • Identifiable – time & temperature sign is good
  • Good location in center of town, with access to money & groceries
  • Signage & information is unclear from a distance
  • Sidewalk is in disrepair
  • Hard to cross the street to get to adjacent businesses
  • Too many cars in front of Porfido’s market - Cars backing out are dangerous for pedestrians

  Uses & Activities: (score: 1.9 / 3)
  • Good mix of stores & activities, and economically vital
  • Very busy – lots of uses
  • Library front lawn is underused

  Sociability: (score: 1.1 / 3)
  • Good sense of pride – it’s clean
  • Not too many people around, but a good mix of ages
  • No evidence of community involvement
  • Overall poor sociability – you don’t want to hang around there

• Recommendations:

  Short Term:
  • Add murals
  • More windows along the sidewalk
  • Advertise town activities in school windows
  • Experiment with raising the curb at Porfido’s market
  • Add parking & seating instead
  • Identify public restrooms

  Long Term:
  • Façade improvements to the bank
  • Do something with the adjacent lot
         o But be mindful of safety issues
         o Bring to grade
         o Maybe a market
         o A park
         o Terrace the hill, with gardens
         o Swings, slides, etc.
  • More parking
  • Trees & planters
  • Bump back wall, add a covered walkway with a colonnade for window shopping
  • Combine with corner lot, and turn the whole corner into a great place
  • Widen sidewalk & add a crosswalk

  Other:
  • Need to remember to address kids’ needs

  Potential Partners:
  • Need to connect with owner of vacant lot to promote community use
  

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Site 4 - Library

• (MapIt!)
  
  
• Evaluation: (overall score: 2.4 / 3)

  Comfort & Image: (score: 2.1 / 3)
  • Library has “majestic” set back presence
  • Beautiful buildings
  • Feels safe
  • No place to sit
  • People don’t use trash cans

  Access & Linkages: (score: 2.2 / 3)
  • It’s accessible and centrally located
  • Poor, non-identifiable library signage
  • Path to Pollyanna isn’t clear
  • Stairs are daunting

  Uses & Activities: (score: 3.0 / 3)
  • Library is a great use
  • Pollyanna statue
  • There’s good potential for improvement
  • Good mix of activities
  • Library is busy
  • Many library users are from other towns
  • It’s economically vital, with influx of visitor dollars

  Sociability: (score: 2.3 / 3)
  • No place to sit

• Recommendations:

  Short Term:
  • A historic sign telling the story of Pollyanna with a path
  • Remove dead bushes in front
  • Emphasize signage and face to pedestrians – point out handicapped access and parking
  • Screen off commercial signs with bushes
  • Emphasize walkway to back – create a garden path
  • Add a bulletin board with library events and hours, at street level
  • Program activities on the front lawn
         o Readings at Pollyanna
         o A terrace

  Long Term:
  • Set back the front wall
         o Add accessible seating
         o Previous seating was too secluded by shrubs
         o Teens like sitting on the wall
  • Put back the benches
  • Enhance the ambiance
         o Distinguish the area as a destination, photo-op, and place to be
         o Emphasize the great view

  Potential Partners:
  • Garden Club
  • Pollyanna
  • Library
  • H.S. kids
  • Possible partnership between library and Porfido’s, the market, and other businesses
  

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Site 5 - Marketplace & Thayers Hotel

• (MapIt!)
  
  
• Evaluation: (overall score: 2.2 / 3)

  Comfort & Image: (score: 2.4 / 3)
  • Safe, clean, and well maintained
  • The buildings are well kept and distinctive
  • The architecture is great
  • Benches aren’t inviting
  • Attractive, but not comfortable

  Access & Linkages: (score: 2.8 / 3)
  • It’s identifiable, walkable, and accessible
  • Good signage

  Uses & Activities: (score: 2.3 / 3)
  • Good mix of businesses
         o Restaurant, organic food, clothing, etc.
  • Oasis restaurant has outdoor music in the summer, on the terrace
  • It’s very busy, and a good economic draw, but there could be more activities
  • Oasis could have better lighting on the stairs

  Sociability: (score: 1.5 / 3)
  • There are lots of people in the restaurants, but not as many on the street
  • There are seniors and children inside, but not outside

• Recommendations:

  Short Term:
  • Add more benches, tables & chairs, and flowerbeds
  • Bring retail outside in the summer – draw people in and out
  • Add a coffee cart outside, or a cocktail lounge at Thayer’s

  Long Term:
  • Improve the transition from marketplace to Community house green area
  • Add lighting, and improve windows at the dark end
  • Light up the columns at Thayer’s
  • Light the historic plaques

  Potential Partners:
  • Main Street Project
  • Garden Club
  • Chamber of Commerce
  • Kids can use volunteer hours to improve spaces
  

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Site 6 - Community House

• (MapIt!)
  
  
• Evaluation: (overall score: 2.0 / 3)

  Comfort & Image: (score: 2.3 / 3)
  • It’s a beautiful location
  • There are big, healthy trees
  • The building is an asset
  • There’s no place to sit

  Access & Linkages: (score: 2.1 / 3)
  • It’s not very aesthetically pleasing
  • The area doesn’t have a good draw, says “stay out”

  Uses & Activities: (score: 1.6 / 3)
  • The lawn is underused, and could be improved with very little effort

  Sociability: (score: 1.9 / 3)
  • Memorial day is a busy, social occasion
  • There’s a good sense of pride

• Recommendations:

  Short Term:
  • Spruce up the booth – make it unique & distinguishable
  • Add a visible “information” sign for cars
  • Add benches

  Long Term:
  • Reposition the wall & booth – move back about 50’ to open up the space and make it visible
  • The community center could program the space
  • Add diagonal parking in front for tourists
         o It would be a nice change that would make you want to wander
  • Add nightscaping
  • Add more art – add to the memorial – maybe a flagpole
  • Move the pine tree and re-landscape
  • Bring sidewalk in to draw in people
  • Create a “warming place” for cold days
  • Possible move statue here
  • Create a pedestrian mall around the booth – 4 fronts for the booth

  Potential Partners:
  • High School

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Site 8 - Dunkin Donuts & Littleton Diner

• (MapIt!)
  
  
• Evaluation: (overall score: 1.8 / 3)

  Uses & Activity: (score: 2.5 / 3)
  • Good mix of uses
  • Very busy & economically vital
  • Infrequent community events

  Access & Linkages: (score: 2.0 / 3)
  • Good access and parking to Dunkin Donuts
  • Good directional signage
  • Lots of parking

  Comfort & Image: (score: 1.5 / 3)
  • Landscaped area on Dunkin Donuts corner is very nice
  • Stark feeling
  • No places to sit

• Recommendations:

  Short Term:
  • Improve Dunkin Donuts parking lot
         o Rework entrances to make more green
         o Replace guard rail and remove meters
         o Create a greenspace with seating
         o a kiosk showing old diner photos looking across the street
  • Expand landscaping, enhance the signage, and create a wall for seating
  • Eliminate an access point
  • Encourage vendors
         o Add vendor space on the sidewalk
         o Encourage fish vendor
         o Market vendors could sell there on off days
  • Add a historical interpretation area about the diner

  Long Term:
  • Redevelop the Dunkin Donuts lot
         o It’s a tear-down opportunity
         o Great location, access, not an architectural gem
         o Would maintain architectural continuity on main street
         o A big building would fit there
         o Move it forward to the street
  • Restore mansard roof on diner
  • Create a permanent space for temporary business

  Potential Partners:
  • Redevelopment Association
  

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Site 7 - Post Office & Laconia Bank

• (MapIt!)
  
  
• Evaluation: (overall score: 2.1 / 3)

  Comfort & Image: (score: 2.3 / 3)
  • People congregate on the Post Office steps
  • Sense of Ownership in building, but not in front of building
  • It’s a natural gathering place
  • Bank’s not as busy as other places
  • No places to sit at the post office

  
  Access & Linkages: (score: 2.3 / 3)
  • The park/plaza by the bank is pretty, but not visible

  Uses & Activity: (score: 1.9 / 3)
  • Overall “fair” rating

  Comfort & Image: (score: 2.6 / 3)
  • Post Office itself is a great asset – a historic building
  • Period lighting is nice
  • Post office is lacking in places to sit

• 
  Recommendations:

  Short Term:
  • Light up the flag
  • Add outdoor tables & benches
  • Landscaping & benches in front of post office
  • Plant colorful flowers
  • Use the bank plaza for art exhibits
  • Start an “adopt a spot” program

  Long Term:
  • Raise the plaza at Laconia Bank to street level, or slope it up.
  • There could be great activities there – bands, people eating outside, etc.
  • Change bank sign
  
  Potential Partners:
  • High school students – to make benches or a flower garden
  • Garden Club
  

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Site 9 - Motel, Social Security Building, & Ahead Building

• (MapIt!)
  
  
• Evaluation: (overall score: 1.8 / 3)

  Uses & Activities: (score: 1.6 / 3)
  • No one walks by it
  • Busy for cars, not for people
  • There aren’t any stores

  Access & Linkages: (score: 2.4 / 3)
  • Convenient location
  • Town “ends” too soon
  • Ample parking available

  Comfort & Image: (score: 1.7 / 3)
  • Beautiful view of the church, good lighting
  • Flower Gardens are great

  Sociability: (score: 1.5 / 3)
  • overall poor sociability
  

• Recommendations:

  Short Term:
  • Camoflage the chainlink fence and dumpster
  • Add shrubs & benches
  • Tables & chairs that are open to the public
  • Move sign to open up view
  • Continue the flowers – talk to land owners

  Long Term:
  • Dress up the Ahead building
         o Shutters
          o Add paintings in recessed areas of the building
         o Window boxes – perhaps made by the H.S. wood shop
         o New color scheme
  • Add a two-sided town sign on the Social Security building
  • Split the motel driveway with an island or flowerbeds, to make more accessible and less imposing
  • Create reasons to go there
         o Food, gazebo, tea house, etc.
  • Lease a portion of the lot to a vendor
  • Add more nighttime uses at the Social Security building – it’s closed to cars after 4:30 pm

  Potential Partners:
  • Gardners
  

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Site 10 - Beal House

• (MapIt!)
  
  
• Evaluation: (overall score: 1.5 / 3)

  Comfort & Image: (score: 1.7 / 3)
  • Great historical value
  • Beal House has great character

  Access & Linkages: (score: 1.4 / 3)
  • It’s a gateway to the town, should be better
  • Great view of the town

  Uses & Activities: (score: 1.4 / 3)

  Access & Linkages: (score: 1.4 / 3)

• Recommendations:

  Short Term:
  • Improve directional & informational signage
  • Eliminate overhead wires
  • Improve lighting
  • Add seating / benches to enjoy the view

  Long Term:
  • Bring a unified architectural theme throughout main street
  • Improve intersection – make it safer
         o Divert traffic – improve traffic pattern
         o Perhaps a roundabout
         o Add a crosswalk
  • Add parking at Beale House
  • Beale house should take better advantage of the view
         o Outdoor seating, patio
  • Improve landscaping

  Potential Partners:
  o DOT
  

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