Milford Mirror

Many downtown plans have come and gone over the years

Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 February 2012 10:00 Written by Jill K. Dion
Tuesday, 21 February 2012 09:50

Over the years, many plans have surfaced for the downtown area. There has been talk of building a bridge over the Wepawaug River near Daniel Street. There was even once talk about putting parking spaces under the city green.

While some of the plans fell by the wayside, others have been implemented, such as the creation of a fine arts center downtown, and the construction of a city-owned marina at the site of a former sewer treatment facility.

“One of the biggest things has been to put more housing downtown and have more people live there,” said Economic Development Director Robert Gregory. “The biggest change and the biggest thing that has made a difference is Smith Craft and the development of housing downtown.”

As the city works to update its Plan of Conservation and Development, and a Yale architect prepares for a presentation on the downtown plan next week, Gregory reflected on past plans.

It was the 1955 Plan of Development that called for a bypass from the fire station to the back of Daniel Street by way of a bridge over the Wepawaug River. The idea, which never came to fruition, was intended to divert traffic in the downtown area.

That same plan called for unified parking behind the South Broad Street stores that would be open to all the stores — like one huge, open parking lot, instead of the sectional parking behind shops that exists today.

It was the 1972 plan that called for creation of the Milford Fine Arts Council, which is now housed at a former railroad station house.

While not all ideas come to fruition, Gregory said, they are important because they pave the way for improvements.

“These plans exist so that when the right developer comes along, the plans already say, ‘Yes, we want that,’” Gregory said.

The Planning and Zoning Department has been working to update the city’s Plan of Conservation and Development, which serves as a blueprint for future development in the city.

The department and board have been discussing key areas of the city, such as identifying which areas should be included in the “downtown” area. They have also been examining policies and regulations that dictate construction and planning in the city as a whole.

Milford Progress Inc., working with the Planning and Zoning Department, hired the Yale Urban Design Workshop under the direction of Alan Plattus, professor of architecture and urbanism, to develop the plan for the downtown district.

The Yale group has been collecting information, including past and current plans, and looking at existing conditions, including changes since the last downtown plan. The group will present ideas at a public meeting at the Milford Library Wednesday, Feb. 29, at 7 p.m.

Plattus is still working on the material he plans to present Feb. 29 and was not prepared to discuss it at length or in detail yet.

He did say, however, that he wants to hear people’s reactions to various scenarios that will be presented that night.

In looking at the downtown area, the Yale group has considered Cherry Street as well, which City Planner David Sulkis has said is a gateway to downtown.

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