Windsor Locks Canal Trail

The Friends of the Canal continue their efforts to improve the Windsor Locks Canal Trail. Residents of Windsor Locks, Suffield, Enfield, East Windsor and even Longmeadow, MA have joined together to improve this unique recreational asset which runs from Windsor Locks Town Center at the Montgomery Building to Canal Road in Suffield. The Friends are looking for active members to assist in their efforts. Yearly membership is only $25. Monthly progress reports are sent by e-mail. Contact the President, Steve Sorrow, at fireman05us@yahoo.com for more information.

As a result of a recommendation stemming from the Main Street Master Planning Study, the Town has opened a dialogue with the State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection regarding restarting efforts towards the establishment of the Windsor Locks Canal State Park. A master plan for such a park was developed by the DEP in 1988.

Consultant Begins Pre-Planning Phase

Our consulting team is pouring over maps, reports, photos, and site plans provided to them by Town staff. They have conducted three site visits - one at the a.m. peak traffic hour, another at the p.m. peak hour, and finally a Saturday mid-day. They have met with a prospective developer of the Montgomery mill complex and representatives of the Dexter Plaza management firm. A meeting with Ahlstrom representatives will soon be scheduled. They are preparing base mapping and have begun formulating preliminary design concepts. One area of focus is the "municipal" campus made up of the library, Town and Hall and school with fields. How can we affectively connect those to Main Street? The consultant has also questioned whether it would be conceivable to return the Amtrak train station back to the heart of Main Street rather than its current location on the outskirts of the Main Street area. Once the preliminary plans are completed a public forum will be organized so stay tuned. Please share your comments on how Main Street can be enhanced.

Consultants Selected for Main Street Study

The team of Amadon & Associates, Ferrero Hixon Associates and Fuss & O'Neill has been selected to conduct the Main Street Master Planning Study. These firms are an ideal mix with expertise in market analysis, real estate appraisal, landscape architecture, land use planning, and transportation planning. A portion of the selected team's Power Point Presentation will be posted to the EIDC's website at
http://www.windsorlocksct.org/page.php?pid=291

Town Awarded Preservation of Place Grant

The Town of Windsor Locks has been awarded a $5,000 Preservation of Place Grant by the Connecticut Main Street Program to be used for the Main Street Area Master Planning Study project. Specifically, the grant will be used to, "provide alternative proposals for the future development of Dexter Plaza, address the Montgomery Building's future role in downtown, as well as the historic train station." For more information on the Preservation of Place grant program visit: http://www.ctmainstreet.org/PDF/POP%20Grant%20Recipients%20102307.pdf

Main Street Study Request for Proposals

A copy of the Request for Proposals that was distributed to approximately 20 planning firms will be posted to the EIDC website at:

http://www.windsorlocksct.org/page.php?pid=291
The Town received four proposals by the deadline which was October 11th. We will review the proposals and determine which firms to interview. We hope to have a selection completed by the end of October.

Main Street Links

Here are some important links related to the Main Street area:

Windsor Locks Economic and Industrial Development Commission
http://www.windsorlocksct.org/page.php?pid=260

Windsor Locks GIS Mapping
http://gis.cdm.com/website/windsorlocks/

Connecticut Main Street Program
http://www.ctmainstreet.org/

Windsor Locks Town Government
http://www.windsorlocksct.org/

Windsor Locks Preservation Association
http://www.windsorlockspreservation.com/

Windsor Locks Public Library
http://www.windsorlockslibrary.org/

Ahlstrom
http://www.ahlstrom.com/

Windsor Locks Middle School
http://www.wlps.org/wms/

New Haven - Hartford - Springfield Commuter Rail Study
http://www.ct.gov/dotinfo/cwp/view.asp?a=2181&Q=295562

Windsor Locks Senior Center
http://www.wlocksct.com/wlsc/

Windsor Locks Canal
http://www.our-oxford.info/other-history/W-locks.htm

Windsor Locks Canal Trail
http://www.ct.gov/dot/LIB/dot/documents/dbikes/128.pdf

Memorial Hall
http://www.chs.org/ransom/134.htm

The Dexter Corporation
http://www.lib.uconn.edu/online/research/speclib/ASC/findaids/Dexter/MSS20000128.html

Dexter Plaza
http://www.fastfacility.com/ct/FactSheet.asp?18142

What is the community’s future vision for its Main Street area?

As you visualize a successful Main Street area in the future what qualities or characteristics will it possess – how will it look, feel and function?

What does the community identify as its downtown and why is downtown important to the Windsor Locks Community?

What are the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (S.W.O.T analysis) for the Windsor Locks Main Street area?

We invite you to begin to think about these questions so as to help guide appropriate planning and enhancement efforts on the part of the Town, its Boards and Commissions, local civic and non-profit organizations, and interested residents.

We are currently in the process of selected a firm with design and planning capabilities to help develop a strategic master plan for the Main Street area.

Why develop a strategic master plan?

• We have a mile-long primarily one-sided Main Street.
• We have an important small business and commercial district with approximately 70 establishments calling this area home.
• We have Town Hall, the Public Library, a school, the Post Office, and a Senior Center in this area.
• We have the Windsor Locks Canal Trail along the Connecticut River and Pesci Park for residents to enjoy.
• We have hundreds of residents living in a wide range of housing types within walking distance of these businesses, government and community facilities and recreational venues.
• We have historical assets such as the old Amtrak Station, the Montgomery Building and Memorial Hall.

So how do we tie these all together into a cohesive whole? Are there any pieces to the puzzle missing?

Feel free to submit suggestions, recommendations and comments via this blog or you can send an e-mail to wleidc@sbcglobal.net. We will keep you posted as to future community forums on this topic.