Ulster County Main Streets: A Regional Approach Ulster County Planning Department — October 2011 Page 1 Ulster County Main Streets—A Regional Approach Table of Contents 1.0 Why do we take a regional approach to Main Streets?.................... 1 1.1 What is the Main Streets Strategic Toolbox?.......................... 1 1.2 Overview………………………………………………………………………. 2 1.3 Regional Main Streets Program: Case Study Approach……… 3 1.4 Port Ewen Case Summary………………………………………………. 5 1.4.1 Port Ewen Assets………………………………………………… 5 1.4.2 Port Ewen Market Data………………………………………. 5 1.4.3 Current Planning and Zoning in Port Ewen and Town of Esopus…………………………………………………. 7 1.5 Milton Case Summary……………………………………………………. 8 1.5.1 Milton Assets……………………………………………………… 8 1.5.2 Milton Market Data……………………………………………. 9 1.5.3 Current Planning and Zoning in Milton and Town of Marlborough………………………………………… 10 2.0 Key Recommendations: Port Ewen and Milton………………………… 12 2.1 Economic Restructuring…………………………………………………. 12 2.2 Planning and Zoning……………………………………………………… 13 2.3 Community Character……………………………………………………. 13 2.4 Streetscapes………………………………………………………………….. 13 2.5 Parking………………………………………………………………………… 14 Page i Port Ewen and Milton Case Studies 2.6 Waterfronts……………………………………………………………… 14 2.7 Organization…………………………………………………………….. 15 2.8 Promotion……………………………………………………………….. 15 3.0 Data Sources and Methodology………………………………………….. 17 3.1 Market and Real Property Data…………………………………… 17 3.2 Zoning Regulations…………………………………………………… 17 3.3 Transportation Networks and Trends…………………………. 18 3.4 Drive Time Data……………………………………………………….. 21 4.0 Specific Economic Trends and Drivers in Ulster County……….. 23 4.1 The Role of the Service Sector…………………………………….. 23 4.2 The Shift to a “Knowledge-based Economy”………………… 24 4.3 The Special Case of the Creative Industries in Ulster County……………………………………………………………. 24 5.0 Port Ewen History and Existing Conditions…………………………. 28 5.1 Geography………………………………………………………………… 29 5.1.2 Demographics……………………………………………….. 32 5.1.2 Corridor Improvements………………………………….. 32 5.1.3 The Port Ewen Commercial Core…………………….. 34 5.2 Land Uses………………………………………………………………… 34 5.3 Land Use and Zoning Analysis……………………………………. 35 Page ii Ulster County Main Streets—A Regional Approach 5.3.1 Building Heights and Architectural Features…….. 36 5.3.2 Building and Lot Coverage……………………………… 37 5.3.3 Density along Broadway/Route 9W………………… 37 5.3.4 Impervious Surfaces………………………………………. 37 5.3.5 Building Frontage………………………………………….. 39 5.3.6 Commercial Uses…………………………………………… 40 5.3.7 Parking…………………………………………………………. 40 5.3.8 Residential Uses……………………………………………. 41 5.3.9 Setbacks……………………………………………………….. 42 5.3.10 Signage……………………………………………………….. 42 5.3.11 Items not Mentioned…………………………………….. 43 5.4 Relation to Rondout Historic District………………………….. 45 5.5 Real Estate Values…………………………………………………….. 45 5.5.1 Vacant Land…………………………………………………… 46 5.5.2 Commercial Property……………………………………… 46 5.5.3 Residential Property………………………………………. 48 5.6 Rental Housing…………………………………………………………. 48 5.7 Market Psychographics……………………………………………… 50 5.8 Market Size………………………………………………………………. 51 5.9 Consumption Trends…………………………………………………. 55 Page iii Port Ewen and Milton Case Studies 5.10 Local Retail Sales Supply and Demand, Leakage and Surplus……………………………………………………………. 55 6.0 Milton History and Existing Conditions………………………………. 58 6.1 Geography………………………………………………………………… 59 6.1.1 Demographics…………………………………………………. 59 6.2 Land Uses………………………………………………………………… 60 6.3 Land Use and Zoning Analysis…………………………………… 61 6.3.1 Architectural Review……………………………………….. 61 6.3.2 Building Heights and Architectural Features…….. 64 6.3.3 Building and Lot Coverage………………………………. 64 6.3.4 Building Frontage…………………………………………… 65 6.3.5 Commercial Uses……………………………………………. 65 6.3.6 Mixed-Uses……………………………………………………. 65 6.3.7 Parking………………………………………………………….. 66 6.3.8 Residential Uses…………………………………………….. 66 6.3.9 Setbacks………………………………………………………… 66 6.3.10 Sidewalks……………………………………………………… 67 6.3.11 Signage…………………………………………………………. 67 6.4 Real Estate……………………………………………………………….. 68 6.4.1 Vacant Land……………………………………………………. 69 Page iv Ulster County Main Streets—A Regional Approach 6.4.2 Commercial Property…………………………………….. 69 6.4.3 Residential Property………………………………………. 69 6.5 Rental Housing…………………………………………………………. 70 6.6 Market Size………………………………………………………………. 71 6.7 Market Psychographics……………………………………………… 73 6.8 Local Retail Sales Supply and Demand, Leakage and Surplus……………………………………………………………… 74 7.0 Community Involvement……………………………………………………. 78 7.1 Port Ewen Community Sessions………………………………….. 78 7.2 Best Practice Concepts for Port Ewen………………………….. 80 7.3 Findings: Port Ewen’s Challenges and Opportunities……. 82 7.4 Milton Community Sessions………………………………………. 84 7.5 Best Practice Concepts for Milton……………………………….. 88 7.6 Findings: Milton’s Challenges and Opportunities…………. 90 8.0 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….. 93 8.1 Port Ewen: Developing a Gateway’s Full Potential……….. 93 8.2 Milton: Promoting an Off-Main-Street Main Street……… 95 8.3 County Resource and Regional Approach …………………… 96 Page v Port Ewen and Milton Case Studies Appendices Appendix 1 Chart 1: Port Ewen Top 10 Types of Businesses, 3-minute Drive Time…………………………………………………………………….. 98 Chart 2: Port Ewen Top 10 Employment Sectors, 3-Minute Drive Time…………………………………………………………………….. 98 Appendix 2 Market Potential Index for Population within 3-Minute Drive Time of Milton Hamlet…………………………………………… 99 Appendix 3 Chart 1: Milton Top 10 Types of Businesses, 3-minute Drive Time…………………………………………………………………….. 100 Chart 2: Milton Top 10 Employment Sectors, 3-Minute Drive Time…………………………………………………………………….. 100 Page vi Ulster County Main Streets—A Regional Approach Boxes Box 1: Drive Time Analysis………………………………………………………. 20 Box 2: Organizational Psychology…………………………………………….. 22 Box 3: Growth in Ulster County……………………………………………….. 25 Box 4: Emerging Trends in Retailing………………………………………… 26 Box 5: The Move Toward “Experience-Based” Retail………………….. 27 Box 6: More Americans Want to Walk……………………………………… 44 Box 7: Market Psychographics…………………………………………………. 52 Box 8: Civic Institutions as Main Street Anchors……………………….. 77 Page vii Port Ewen and Milton Case Studies Figures Figure 1: Route 9W/Broadway Proposed Streetscape…………………. 6 Figure 2: Shared Parking Drawing……………………………………………. 6 Figure 3: Route 9W/Broadway Transportation Improvement Project (2007) - Corridor and Streetscape……………………. 29 Figure 4: Route 9W/Broadway Transportation Improvement Project (2007) - Salem Street Intersection…………………… 29 Figure 5: Land Use by Acreage: Port Ewen (Pie Chart)……………….. 33 Figure 6: Market Value/Acre: Vacant Land (Bar Chart)……………… 46 Figure 7: Market Value/Gross Floor Area: Commercial Properties (Bar Chart)……………………………………………………………….. 47 Figure 8: Market Value/Gross Floor Area: Restaurant/Dining Properties (Bar Chart)………………………………………………. 48 Figure 9: Market Value/Sq. Feet of Living Area: Residential Properties (Bar Chart)………………………………………………. 49 Figure 10: Land Use by Acreage: Milton (Pie Chart)…………………… 60 Page viii Ulster County Main Streets—A Regional Approach Maps Map 1: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Topographical Map of Port Ewen………………………………………………………… 2 Map 2: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Topographical Map of Milton……………………………………………………………… 2 Map 3: Port Ewen circa 1900…………………………………………………… 28 Map 4: Land Use and Zoning along Route 9W/Broadway, Port Ewen………………………………………………………………………….. 30 Map 5: Port Ewen Hamlet Business Opportunities Analysis……….. 31 Map 6: Drive Times for Port Ewen—3, 20, and 30 Minutes ………… 53 Map 7: Main Street area of Milton circa 1900……………………………. 57 Map 8: Milton’s riverfront circa 1900……………………………………….. 57 Map 9: Land Use and Zoning along Main Street, the Riverfront and Surrounding Vicinity in Milton……………………………….. 62 Map 10: Underutilized Sites in Milton………………………………………. 63 Map 11: Drive Times for Milton—3, 20, and 30 Minutes…………….. 72 Page ix Port Ewen and Milton Case Studies Tables Table 1: Minimum Lot Width Requirements for Districts in Port Ewen…………………………………………………………………………. 39 Table 2: Required Setbacks for Districts in Port Ewen………………… 42 Table 3: Average and median Rents in Esopus and Ulster County.. 49 Table 4: Number of Rental Housing Units, Port Ewen & Other Areas…………………………………………………………………………. 50 Table 5: Tapestry or Market Segment Profiles for Port Ewen………. 52 Table 6: Market Potential Index for Port Ewen………………………….. 54 Table 7: Businesses with Retail “Surplus” as Potential Traffic Attractors for the Port Ewen Hamlet (3 Minute Drive Time)………………………………………………… 56 Table 8: Minimum Lot Width Requirements for Marlborough……. 65 Table 9: Town of Marlborough Yard Setback Regulations…………… 67 Table 10: Rental Housing Units, Vacant Rental Units, and Vacancy Rates in Milton and nearby places in Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster Counties………………………………………. 71 Table 11: Businesses with Retail “Surplus” as Potential Traffic Attractors for the Port Ewen Hamlet (3 Minute Drive Time)……………………………………………… 75 Page x Ulster County Main Streets—A Regional Approach 1.0 Why do we take a regional approach to Main Streets? The goal of the Ulster County Main Streets Program is to develop a program based on our region’s specific needs, and support appropriate responses and strategies built and sustained from within our communities. The Program is also founded upon the idea that communities are stronger when they work together, share knowledge, leverage their resources, and think regionally to support their “competitive advantage.” Many different approaches can support these important commercial and social centers