WEST LEBANON — A new study looking at the future of West Lebanon calls on the city to build parks, plant trees and implement pedestrian-friendly policies to better the downtown neighborhood.
The study, written by engineering firm Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, says West Lebanon is constrained by several challenges, including traffic, state ownership of key parcels and a lack of green space.
However, the neighborhood “possesses a unique combination of features” that provide greater opportunities for development and recreation.
“The proximity to the Connecticut River provides chances for beautiful views from the riverbank and has the potential to allow for a host of water-related activities,” the study said. “The Village’s historic ties to the railroad provides opportunities for branding and theme-based redevelopment for the community to consider.”
The study primarily focused on the Main Street corridor, including South Main and Bridge Streets, as well as a section of the Westboro Rail Yard that the city hopes to lease. It comes after a two-day workshop last fall that saw residents, business owners and planners attempt to craft a vision for the future of West Lebanon.
An online survey conducted around the same time also received more than 200 responses. The results were unveiled to a generally positive reception during Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
“It’s been wonderful seeing so much energy going into West Lebanon,” said Councilor Erling Heistad. “West Lebanon has deserved this for a long time.”
The study proposes a combination of streetscaping and traffic calming measures for the Main Street corridor, which includes the Tracy Street intersection and Railroad Avenue loop.
The city should plant more trees along the roadways, a task that has proven difficult in the past because of inadequate drainage and cutting to maintain electric lines, consultants wrote.
And bump-outs, or sidewalk extensions, would better calm traffic and make pedestrian activity safer, the study said. Meanwhile, “street furniture,” a term that includes planters and decoration as well as benches and tables, would enhance the neighborhood.
Consultants also encouraged city officials to work with business owners to make more parking available, potentially behind the shops lining Main Street.
The intersection of Main Street, Tracy Street and Railroad Avenue, located about midway through the downtown, provides an “opportunity to redefine the core of West Lebanon” by implementing many of the proposed changes, they said.
“The Kilton Library, West Lebanon Fire Station, former West Lebanon library, and two bank properties could be leveraged to define a new ‘Heart of the Village,’ ” according to the study.
The Route 4 approach from White River Junction into West Lebanon on the Lyman Bridge is “a significant opportunity to establish a sense of arrival” to the neighborhood, according to the study.
“Currently, this section of Bridge Street, with an unfinished riverfront parcel, older structures in need of upkeep and limited signage, presents a rather poor first impression for drivers and pedestrians approaching the area,” the consultants wrote. The city, they said, should look to upgrade the area with new signage and economic development to beautify the street.
Likewise, the study suggests officials seek similar improvements for the nearby Bridge Street and Route 10 intersection.
“The existing intersection consists of a large expanse of pavement that results in a poor first view of Main Street,” consultants said. “The pedestrian crossings are long and uninviting, and slip lanes, intended to keep vehicles moving through the intersection, make it more dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists.”
Traffic can also back up at the intersection, leading consultants to suggest a roundabout would better allow traffic to flow freely and shorten crosswalks.
The study also addressed the Westboro Rail Yard, a historic fixture of downtown West Lebanon left in a state of disrepair after decades of neglect.
Lebanon has long sought to create a park within the site, which runs along the Connecticut River, and is now in talks to lease a 2.5-acre portion of the property for green space.
However, that will depend on the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, which owns the parcel, undertaking a cleanup to remove several dilapidated buildings.
“There are numerous potential opportunities for creating public green space with river views for passive recreation,” the study said. “There may also be opportunities for more intense uses of the property, including active recreation, parking, and/or the celebration of historic and cultural aspects of West Lebanon Village.”
Renderings of a possible park within the rail yard show gardens and a system of pathways connecting to other trails in West Lebanon, possibly including those planned for the River Park development along Route 10.
A park also could replace a vacant property at the intersection of Elm Street West and Seminary Hill Road that the city took for unpaid taxes in 2010.
Lebanon officials had hoped to transform the roughly 5,360-square-foot, multifamily building that once sat on the site into a Parks and Rec office. But engineers found a renovation would be too costly and the structure was torn down.
Designs for the roughly half-acre plot of land include “walking paths and sitting areas, which would gradually climb the hill and overlook the Main Street corridor stretching to the north,” according to consultants.
“It is envisioned that, with the removal of the dilapidated structures in Westboro Yard, the property could have views of the Connecticut River and beyond to the west,” they wrote.
There’s also an opportunity to turn a city-owned one-acre lot along the Connecticut River into a boat launch, one of the public access points to the river below the Wilder Dam.
However, City Manager Shaun Mulholland said Wednesday that the strong current would make launching boats difficult in that location.
Most of the recommended projects would take anywhere between five to 10 years to complete, the study predicted. Some, such as Bridge Street area improvements, could take as long as two decades, though.
David Brooks, the city’s planning director, said more work will be needed to gain input from residents and the City Council to prioritize projects and find ways to fund them.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.