| Downtown Smithfield Master Plan Comprehensive Goal: Develop Downtown Smithfield as an economic, cultural, and recreational center for the community through image and infrastructure revitalization. |
| TARGET OBJECTIVES |
STRATEGIES FOR OBTAINING OBJECTIVE | ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN (PRIORITY) |
| Establish Downtown Smithfield as our community’s principal center of activity | Make Downtown Smithfield an attractive destination | • Recruit and retain specialty shops, restaurants, theaters, and other entertainment-related enterprises (on-going) • Establish an overlay district to address planning and zoning issues unique to downtown development (immediate) • Support expansion of popular public services and attractions, including the Post Office, Public Library, Heritage Center, and Ava Gardner Museum (as needed) • Improve and protect the appearance of Downtown gateways through zoning enforcement and landscaping programs (immediate) • Determine best uses of the Hastings House, Legion Hut, Boy Scout Hut, Girl Scout Hut, old water plant, and other historical structures (as needed) • Institute a "Clean Smithfield" program (immediate) |
| Utilize the area’s transportation network to the advantage of Downtown Smithfield | • Enact recommendations from Traffic Management portion of Edwards Study (short-term) • Erect signage along major highway corridors near town to direct visitors Downtown (short-term) • Support Booker Dairy Road Extension (as needed) • Support widening US 70 Business from I-95 to US 301(as needed) • Establish shuttle service between Downtown Smithfield and the Carolina Outlet Center (long-range) • Promote use of "JCATS" transit service in the Downtown (as needed) |
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| Address parking issues in Downtown Smithfield | • Promote the availability of existing parking (short-term) • Implement recommendations from the Edwards Study (short-term) • Plan for future parking needs (mid-range) |
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| Create and implement streetscape standards and improvements | • Develop and implement landscape plans that complement the Streetscape Plan (mid-range) • Beautify the "gateways" to Downtown Smithfield in coordination with the Streetscape Plan (mid-range) • Request that NCDOT, Town of Smithfield, County of Johnston, and other applicable government agencies include the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation in the preliminary planning of projects in and around Downtown (immediate) • Develop a Downtown Signage Plan that complements the Streetscape Plan (short-term) • Continue Downtown Façade Grant Program (as needed) • Incorporate banners and flags as element of Streetscape Plan to advertise Downtown attractions (as needed) • Expand underground utility project to include entire Downtown Service District (mid-range) |
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| Make Downtown Smithfield pedestrian friendly | • Enhance public awareness and police enforcement of speed limits (immediate) • Construct traffic calming elements from the Edwards Study (short-term) • Add pedestrian friendly elements to sidewalk plans including seating, planters, tree grates, trash receptacles and bicycle racks (as needed) • Install well-defined crosswalks and pedestrian signals at intersections (mid-range) |
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| Embrace the Neuse River as an integral part of Downtown Smithfield | Develop connectivity of the Town Commons with Downtown | • Improve pedestrian access from the heart of Downtown to the Town Commons (short-term) • Erect directional signs and maps throughout Downtown (short-term) • Include Streetscape Plan elements in riverwalk project (short-term) • Develop walking tours in cooperation with the Johnston County Heritage Center (short-term) |
| Continue to develop and expand recreational opportunities along the Neuse River | • Acquire land and/or secure conservation easements along the west bank of the Neuse River to protect and expand the riverfront park (short-term) • Identify properties for expansion of greenway system (immediate) |
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| Encourage commercial development near the Neuse River | • Identify and maintain opportune sites for environmentally sensitive development (immediate) • Determine best uses of the Hastings House, Legion Hut, Boy Scout Hut, Girl Scout, and old water plant (immediate) |
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| Promote Downtown Smithfield as a desirable location for mixed-use development | Maintain high occupancy rate of Downtown buildings | • Establish Downtown Merchants Committee to promote existing businesses and recruit complementary businesses (short-term) • Develop Downtown business incentive program (long-range) • Reestablish Downtown development loan pool (long-range) |
| Expand commercial development Downtown | • Recruit established businesses from areas outside Downtown (short-term) • Maintain close working relationship with Smithfield Planning and Zoning board to provide quick and accurate responses to developer inquiries (as needed) • Use Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation authority to option properties identified as suitable for desirable projects, including redevelopment of "brownfields" (as needed) • Develop Downtown business incentive program (long-range) • Reestablish Downtown development loan pool (long-range) • Maintain Market Analysis of businesses and commercial activities Downtown (on-going) • Identify and market opportune sites for development (on-going) |
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| Develop additional residential opportunities Downtown and nearby neighborhoods | • Revise zoning ordinances to allow mixed-used development (short-term) • Encourage new residential development in and around Downtown (on-going) • Encourage current property owners to include residential uses in redevelopment (on-going) • Protect historic neighborhoods (on-going) • Review Town’s requirements for residential parking; recommend revisions if needed (short-term) |
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| Support expansion of current services and activities Downtown | • Support expansion and improvement of Public Library and Post Office (on-going) • Work cooperatively with the County of Johnston regarding government facilities Downtown (on-going) • Encourage adaptive use of existing buildings (as needed) • Support efforts to provide facilities for meetings and receptions; market those opportunities (on-going) • Establish Downtown Smithfield Visitor Information Center (long-range) |
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| Involve Downtown stakeholders in revitalization plans | • Establish Downtown Merchants Committee as a networking tool (short-term) • Inform tenants about programs to enhance Streetscape Plan elements at their businesses (immediate) |
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| Encourage government entities to expand facilities to meet future needs | • Advocate infrastructure improvements that accommodate changing technology (on-going) • Develop a long-range plan to provide off-street parking serving new development or redevelopment of Downtown properties (immediate) |
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| Distinguish Downtown Smithfield as a focal point of local culture and history | Increase advertising and publicity of Downtown activities and attractions | • Partner with Johnston County Visitors Bureau and Greater Smithfield Selma Area Chamber of Commerce in production and distribution of promotions materials (on-going) • Expand Web-based presence on local and regional information sites (short-term) • Work with Smithfield Heritage Tourism Coalition to market and support Downtown attractions (on-going) • Promote and expand special events including Ham & Yam Festival and Friends of the 4th Celebration (as-needed) • Encourage businesses to add Downtown promotional items to their advertisements and storefronts (on-going) |
| Develop a program of activities to enhance the cultural character of Downtown |
• Help the Heritage Center, Ava Gardner Museum, and other Downtown attractions promote special events and develop new ones (on-going) • Develop new entertainment and other cultural activities to extend hours by merchants and museums (short-term) • Develop tours of homes in neighborhoods near Downtown (short-term) • Develop walking tours of Historic Downtown sites in cooperation with the Johnston County Heritage Center (short-term) |
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| Preserve historic landmarks in and around Downtown | • Re-activate the Town of Smithfield’s Historic Properties Commission (short-term) • Redevelop the Hastings House as a visitors attraction (short-term) • Preserve and redevelop the historic Smithfield School building on South 3rd Street (mid-range) • Identify and add properties to the historic commercial and residential districts (short-term) |
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