AIA 150 Visioning and Design Workshop: Robertson County

On Preserving Rural Open Space and Revitalizing Historic Town Centers

On Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28, 2007, citizens of Robertson County convened in the United Methodist Church in Springfield for a Visioning Workshop on Preserving Rural Land and Revitalizing Town Centers. This was the first of three workshops being convened this year in Middle Tennessee as part of the American Institute of Architects 150 Blueprint for America Initiative. In Middle Tennessee, this A.I.A. program focuses on the challenges communities face undergoing rapid growth. Prior discussion with Robertson County leadership indicated that there existed significant concern over the quality of its growth patterns, and the need to retain its traditional character while undergoing sustainable growth.

Robertson County is the first such workshop, with subsequent workshops scheduled for Lebanon and Kingston Springs. There are two essential elements in the A.I.A. Middle Tennessee initiative. The first is to address problems of growth and town centers through the A.I.A.s Ten Principles of Livable Communities, and second, to get A.I.A. architects intensively engaged for a two-day period with the citizens of the three selected communities.

AIA 150- Robertson County Case Study, PDF
AIA 150- Robertson County Summary Report Presentation, PDF

THE A.I.A. 150 BLUEPRINT FOR AMERICA VISIONING WORKSHOP FOR ROBERTSON COUNTY

This report was produced by T. K. Davis, Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Architecture + Design and Design Director at the Nashville Civic Design Center.

PRESERVING RURAL OPEN SPACE AND REVITALIZING HISTORIC TOWN CENTERS SUMMARY REPORT
A partnership of Robertson County, City of Springfield, A.I.A. Middle Tennessee, Cumberland Region Tomorrow, the Greater Nashville Regional Council, the Nashville Civic Design Center and the University of Tennessee College of Architecture + Design.
April 27-28, 2007
Held at First United Methodist Church in Springfield, Tennessee

 

Executive Summary

On Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28, 2007, citizens of Robertson County convened in the United Methodist Church in Springfield for a Visioning Workshop on “Preserving Rural Land and Revitalizing Town Centers.” This was the first of three workshops being convened this year in Middle Tennessee as part of the American Institute of Architects 150 Blueprint for America Initiative, which celebrates through community interaction the A.I.A.’s 150th birthday. In Middle Tennessee, this A.I.A. program focuses on the challenges communities’ face undergoing rapid growth. Prior discussion with Robertson County leadership indicated that there existed significant concern over the quality of its growth patterns, and the need to retain its traditional character while undergoing sustainable growth. Robertson County is the first such workshop, with subsequent workshops scheduled for Lebanon and Kingston Springs. There are two essential elements in the A.I.A. Middle Tennessee initiative. The first is to address problems of growth and town centers through the A.I.A.‘s Ten Principles of Livable Communities, and second, to get A.I.A. architects intensively engaged for a two-day period with the citizens of the three selected communities.

In the case of Robertson County, while all concerned citizens in the county were welcome to participate, letters of invitation were sent out to significant stakeholders throughout the various localities within the county including builders, landowners, farmers, business owners, elected and appointed civic leaders and planners. A concerted effort was made to reach out to essentially everyone involved as a stakeholder in the county’s future development growth. The attendance both days were both robust and energetic. Approximately 95 citizens convened on Friday afternoon, while approximately 75 met on Saturday morning. Invited stakeholders were strongly encouraged to participate in both days of the workshop, because both the education and visioning discussions during both days were mutually reinforcing, although attendance at either day alone was also very beneficial.

On Friday, following a welcome by County Mayor Howard Bradley, an overview by Cyril Stewart, A.I.A., of Vanderbilt University, and an orientation by T. K. Davis, A.I.A., of the University of Tennessee and the Nashville Civic Design Center, attendees viewed the provocative national public television documentary by Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Hylton entitled Save Our Land, Save Our Towns. This comprehensive overview of the history and issues of post-war American growth challenges underscored the point that conserving rural land and revitalizing town centers are mutually reinforcing intentions. Kimberly Nyberg, Director of the Tennessee Main Street Program, followed with a presentation on “Revitalizing Town Centers.” At that point, the entire room broke out into groups of approximately eight citizens at each table led by one or more architects serving as facilitators. Five questions derived from the A.I.A.’s Ten Principles of Livable Communities were addressed by each table, and then responses and ideas were prioritized, and reported back to the room as a whole.

Saturday was similar in its structure. Following greetings and general information, Dodd Galbreath of URS and Eileen Hennessy of the Land Trust for Tennessee offered a presentation on “Preserving Rural Open Land.” After this, T. K. Davis made a presentation on “Communities by Design.” At this point, the entire group once again broke out into small groups, led by architect facilitators, to address another five questions derived from the A.I.A.’s Ten Principles of Livable Communities. Drawings on base maps was encouraged, ideas and responses were prioritized by the citizens, and then again reported back to the room as a whole.

All of the recorded results of the workshop discussions were collected and transcribed by the Nashville Civic Design Center, with similar ideas from the different tables grouped into “affinity” clusters. The results of this exercise, listed as “what we heard” and characterized as citizen recommendations, are found on the subsequent four pages in this Summary Report.

Of the many observations and ideas expressed in this report, three major points should be underscored. First, there does appear to be a clear consensus that there needs to be county-wide action to ensure future quality growth will occur to the satisfaction of the citizens of the county. Second, discussion and planning needs to be undertaken county wide, across the political jurisdictions of the many towns within Robertson County. What one town’s actions do can have profound impact on an adjacent township, and therefore regional thinking is essential. And third, because the townships of Robertson County are relatively small, and therefore very limited in their in-house professional planning resources, Cumberland Region Tomorrow’s recently introduced Quality Growth Toolbox should be a primary resource document in the future planning of the County. This document contains tools, incentives, resources, and contacts for public officials to implement the recommendations of county citizens expressed in this visioning workshop, including the desire to ensure economic vitality through quality growth.

WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY

Principle One: DESIGN IN A HUMAN SCALE
How could your community or all of Robertson County become more compact and pedestrian friendly?

There is a need for smart growth through countywide planning and design. Smart growth requires planning both where and how you want to grow, as well as where and how you don’t want to grow. It also requires changing regulations to match your desired outcomes. (30 priority dots)

Renovate or adaptively reuse underutilized building stock throughout the county, such as the tobacco warehouses in Springfield. (19)

Rehabilitate and extend sidewalks. (17)

Continue the improvements made already to downtown Springfield– which as county seat, and a traditional American square, embodies the “downtown” of everyone in the county. (14)

Provide more flexibility with regulations, codes, zoning and distance requirements to promote growth within the footprint of existing infrastructure. (13 )

Expand the greenway trail systems– they are very popular. (11 )

Don’t allow sewer use outside of city limits and don’t upgrade water facilities outside of non-growth areas. This is an expensive taxpayer burden for less desirable development. (9)

Promote unique and small businesses. They are consistent with the rural character and traditions of the county. (5)

Principle Two: PROVIDE CHOICES
What housing, shopping, recreation, or employment choices are currently missing in either your community or all of Robertson County?

Restaurants (including liquor by the drink), family entertainment, and unique, locally focused shopping alternatives were cited as lacking. (33)

Employment that requires higher education and higher pay, with office parks and housing options for this market, were cited as lacking. (32)

Recreational options for young people are needed. (17)

A broader range of quality housing options, including high end multifamily, downtown lofts, and affordable (or workforce) housing, as well as shelter for the homeless, is needed. (13)

Community arts facilities and programs are desired. (8)

Full service grocery store(s) were cited as inadequate. (6)

Principle Three: ENCOURAGE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT
Where and how should mixed-use development, integrating different land uses and varied building types, be encouraged in your community or Robertson County in general?

Mixed use is encouraged for Springfield, especially around the square and Main Street. (18)

Reuse buildings ex.: old tobacco warehouses. (9)

Provide incentives to developers to follow architectural, landscape, scale and walkability guidelines. (5)

Preserve farm / agricultural land in north Robertson County, and implement smart growth zoning practices in southern “Nashville” influenced areas. (5)

Principle Four: PRESERVE URBAN CENTERS
How can we encourage the establishment or revitalization of your community’s town center, or Robertson County’s town centers in general?

Identify and offer diverse financial incentives for quality town center development. (33)

Provide friendly cooperation from the city of Springfield to community groups, working together, to form public / private partnerships. (19)

Encourage festival events and downtown marketing. (11)

Remove the 300-foot buffer around churches in the core commercial district to allow “by the drink” alcohol sales (6)

Identify historic districts and overlays, and promote preservation and tours. (5)

Develop regulations that encourage smart growth, reinforcing town centers and restricting growth in agricultural areas. (5)

Principle Five: VARY TRANSPORTATION
What additional transportation options, including walking, biking, driving, and public transit, are needed in your community (please name community), or Robertson County in general?

Rail / bus transit into large employment areas is needed. (19)

Local public transportation options (between communities) is needed. (10)

Require, increase and improve sidewalks. (10)

Continue the development of greenways, as well as other walking and bicycle paths. (8)

Widen Highway 76 from Springfield to Highway 31. (6)

Provide public transportation (northeast corridor) from Nashville. (5)

Widen Route 431 . (5)

Principle Six: BUILD VIBRANT SPACES
What are the best public spaces in your community (please name community), and Robertson County in general, and where could new, memorable public spaces be established?

Existing Courthouse Square in downtown Springfield. (18)

Both existing and new parks, including pocket parks and athletic fields under development, are among the best public spaces. (15)

Establish a Farmers Market. (11)

Use greenways as connectors to parks, shopping, neighborhoods, etc. (10)

The existing greenways in White House and Springfield are among the best public spaces in the county. (6)

The theater in downtown Springfield is among the best public spaces. (5)

Economically depressed areas need new public spaces. (5)

Principle Seven: CREATE A NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY
How would you describe “the sense of place” in your community (please name community), or Robertson County in general?

An open, rural scenic countryside with small towns, yet in close proximity to Metropolitan Nashville. (22)

County history and culture ex.: “whiskey, weed, witch and more.” (15)

The Courthouse Square in Springfield. (9)

The historic homes, farms, families, architecture and neighborhoods. (8)

“Agricultural.” (7)

Increase the identification of the downtown district of Springfield (period lighting, signage, establish historic district commission and architectural standards, etc.). (5)

Principle Eight: PROTECT ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
What environmental resources in your community (please name community) or Robertson County in general need to be protected and preserved?

All natural water features in the landscape countywide should be protected and preserved as environmental resources. (55)

Farms and woodlands should be protected and preserved as environmental resources. (15)

Principle Nine: CONSERVE LANDSCAPES
Where should open space, farms and wildlife habitat be preserved in your community (please name your community), or throughout Robertson County?

Concentrate city centers where they now exist, thereby preserving open space, farms and wildlife habitat in the north and west of the county. (24)

All natural water features in the landscape (countywide) should be preserved as open space and wildlife habitat. (23)

Retain open space, farms and wildlife habitat where it already exists to the fullest extent possible– encouraging concentrated growth around it. (10)

Preserve farmland. (5)

Principle Ten: DESIGN MATTERS
How do you feel design excellence can promote successful and healthy communities throughout Robertson County?

Express a vision for quality growth, and then shape your planning and zoning accordingly throughout the county, in order to reduce sprawl, reduce community infrastructure, and maintain green space. (28)

Keep design standards high and variances low. (21)

Promote a distinct look and identity for the town centers, through preservation, “Main Street” principles, buried utilities, etc. (12)

Promote alternative, higher densities in areas already urban. (7)

Promote health and “quality of life” through planning that promotes walking. (6)