CROSSROADS CHARACTER HAMLETS & HAMLETS 110 AREA Chapter 4: County Character Area Plan Lewis County following locations:* following inthe The CharacterArea Hamlets Planidentifies & Crossroads features. industry ornatural linkedtochurches, with thisidentitynotably areas, the surrounding and to itsresidents both identity strong hamlets Thelarger by aneasily havea definedneighborhood. created place Areasisasense andcrossroadsCharacter of hamlet no more of than afew structures. to all collection dozen Typical a are instances and inmost intersection, a single around areasaresmallerinscale,typically focused character. These rural orcrossroads maytake onamore thoroughfare, otherhamlets While thevillage-likehamletsmay be locatedalongamain villages. the criticalmasstoemergeasnotable achieved never yetlikely farmsteads, surrounding for crossroads important were these centers Historically, identity. enclave’s which wereoftenthe Many alsocontainchurches, source ofthe retail, or civicuse. theoccasionalcommercial, often include these CenterCharacterAreas.However, hamlets like Village commerce activity and node of nothaveastrongcentral and do in nature, areresidential These hamlets predominantly character. use land their between differences yet havenotable villages, with similarities share hamlets developed The more Martinsburg. crossroads with asmallcollection of homes, such as West rural to simple Lake), (Beaver Four suchasNumber communities, county’s areas hamlet rangeinscale smallvillage-like from those that are unincorporated are known as hamlets. The Lewis Countycontainsclusters, numerous smallpopulation and Overview H * October 6,2009 October x x x x x x x x x AMLETS to incorporated villages. Crossroads, assome of these locations share a similar character Character Areas are in some cases relevant to Hamlets and Village Living and Center Village the in Recommendations West Lowville Barnes Corners Naumburg Denmark River Deer Beaver Falls Belfort River Indian Lake Bonaparte NEW YORK NEW &C ROSSROADS x x x x x Lake) Four (Beaver Number New Bremen Watson Martinsburg West Martinsburg C HARACTER A x x x x x x x x REA Osceola West Leyden Talcottville Collinsville Brantingham Greig Creek Otter Glendale C OUNTY C OMPREHENSIVE P LAN small scale retail commercial buildings. commercial retail scale small and buildings, religious library, or center, community firehouse, office, post a as such uses institutional (residential/commercial), buildings use mixed scale small residences, two-family residences, family single for locations appropriate are areas crossroad Hamlet and Uses Land Future small residentialneighborhood. highway, toamore development formalized pattern complete witha ranging from an informal collection of frontagelots along astate following presentsacrosssectionofhamlets within Lewis County, location and the economic history behind their development. The Hamlets takemany different development forms, depending upon their infrastructure. transportation extensive well as more retail land uses, as commercial and includes limited density and development an increased New Bremen has Hamlet Form activity. center of economic rather than a homesand farms, of collection formed as a Route 812 that hamlet along small, low density Indian River the forest areas. dictated largely by form being the development component, with residential established wellas a more infrastructure as service public commercial and Brantingham is a is has Chapter 4: County Character Area Plan AREA 111 HAMLETS & CHARACTER CROSSROADS NEW YORK October 6, 2009 Lewis County Lewis Retain consistent building heights along a street frontage tall 3 stories to ½ 2 than more no be should Buildings yards side or rear in placed be should lots Parking Orient principal entrances to primary streets Connect entrances to sidewalks (if present) traditional with consistent should be Construction materials building materials found in the hamlet Architectural character should emulate traditional or vernacular within styles the North Country New development should include significant landscaping Retain specimen and/or mature trees, especially those along the roadside Utilized only native and/or hearty that species survivewill in the North Country Retain uniform setbacks along a street frontage Reduce or eliminate ‘saw-tooth’ or lots created by vacancies deep setbacks x x Building and entry placement x x x Buildingdesign x x Landscaping x x x Design Considerations Many of the design considerations discussed in the Village Living smaller a at yet Crossroads, and Hamlets to Area also pertain scale. The preservation of small lots, limited commercial building footprints, and architecturetraditional are design goals for hamlet should work and crossroad towns settlements. The County and to extend the existing close-knitpattern of smalland improve lots walkability within targetedthese areas through infill development. Existing architecture should preservedbe wherever possible and new development, both public and private, designedshould in be a style that is consistent and architecturally compatible with the heritage character of area. Lewisthe County hamlets and crossroads have distinctive character, and their unique identity and sense of place should be preserved and enhanced through future development activities. crossroads to hamlets and important Design considerations include: Setbacks and frontages x x Building heights LAN P OMPREHENSIVE C Maintaining Hamlet Character OUNTY C The hamlet at left denotes a pronounced sense of arrival through the clustering of buildings tight to the primary intersection. New development in the hamlet at right has deviated significantly has deviated right at the hamlet in development New intersection. to the primary tight buildings of clustering the through arrival of sense pronounced a denotes left at hamlet The in setbacks in street consistency to maintain strive should boards zoning and planning Town lines. red the by as depicted frontage, street inconsistent an causing line, setback historic the from development. suburban-style and areas living rural from hamlets separates the pattern settlement and character the historic retain to an effort The addition of gateway or arrival signage can enhance the identity of a small hamlet, as seen above for the Hamlet of Ionia, NY. The images at left and right depict the influence roadway influence the depict right left and at images The NY. of Ionia, Hamlet for the above as seen hamlet, a small of identity the enhance can at signage the hamlet to or arrival contrast gateway in of is addition The which shoulders, dedicated no and striping, formalized any have not left does at image The settlement. a of appearance the on can have shoulders and striping corridor. the along travel for pedestrian zone a safety provides and visibility motorist improves striping through roadway the to definition added The right. Hamlets widely differ in form and development pattern. Some hamlets are tightly clustered around a primary intersection, while others extend along a corridor for one-half along a corridor while others extend intersection, a primary clustered around tightly hamlets are pattern. Some and development form differ in Hamlets widely roadway. the and structures between relationship the is unique character a hamlet each that gives element primary the form, historic hamlet’s of a Regardless more. mile or Of particular importance and enhanced. be preserved place should give each a unique sense of characteristics that the over time, and settlements change While communities and height. mass frontage in both street consistent of the maintenance and yards, and building setbacks of buildings, is the orientation Development pressure within Lewis County’s hamlet areas is extremely low. As a result, this section provides recommendations on maintaining and enhancing existing hamlet existing and enhancing on maintaining recommendations extremely this section provides As a result, low. County’s hamlet areas is Lewis within Development pressure settlement. the through travel and their approach on motorists alerting hamlets is most in importance of primary issue An improvements. incremental small, through areas through. pass and quickly hamlet the they approach as travelers for forewarning is little there many instances in and excessive, become ruralareas can in speeds Vehicle live. to as high-quality places hamlets County and help maintain for motorists of arrival the sense can enhance and shoulders striping, Improved signage, Lewis County hamlets each have their own distinctive character and sense of place within the rural setting. Most hamlets formed at the junction of two roadways, junction at the hamlets formed Most ruralthe setting. place within and of sense character distinctive own their each have Lewis County hamlets a distinct creates at these junctions development occurring of density The limited surrounding landscape. the destinations within into intersections these transforming important both character, and identity own has its hamlet each entities, recognized formally not While rural countryside. populated sparsely surrounding the contrast to future. the maintained into should be elements that