Design Guidelines
2.0 HISTORIC DISTRICT ANALYSIS
2.1 HISTORICAL PATTERNS
The long term survival of the Fairfield District is dependent upon establishing destination uses and providing interesting and exciting outdoor areas for seasonal festivals and activities to give residents and visitors a reason to come to the Fairfield District.
Development should occur within the existing street grid of the downtown.
Development should utilize existing edges to create boundaries between existing and proposed land uses to reflect the history of this district. For example, the 1881 town map (below) shows Spruce Street to the north and Front Street to the south of the railroad tracks that diagonally bisected the original downtown. These streets, or portions thereof, could be reclaimed and redeveloped, reflecting the historical significance of the railroad to the town.
Future development should reflect the history of the district with an architectural form, site arrangement of the buildings addressing Main Street and public spaces being created to reinforce the built environment.
2.2 MIXED USES
Mixed uses promote a variety of development uses for the Fairfield District which will attract residents and visitors during all times of the day.
Encourage a multitude of uses and activities including retail, commercial, office, public/civic, multifamily housing and recreational/entertainment uses. These uses may include a retail post office store, movie theater, convenience/specialty grocery store, drugstore, specialty shops, restaurants, residential apartments, arts center, daycare, professional offices, expanded senior center, farmers market, visitors center/Chamber of Commerce building, history center, bed and breakfast hotels, religious structures, etc.
Locate uses where parking can be shared by day and night time users.
2.3 PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY
By keeping the Fairfield District within the original confines of the Primary Focus Area (see Figure 1.3a, page 2), a compact downtown will result in a pedestrian friendly, small town atmosphere.
New buildings should be located with zero setbacks. This will provide a strong edge to Main Street with entrances facing Main Street. This will encourage pedestrian activity and produce buildings that are sympathetic to the street.
Retail shops should be located on the first level with glass storefronts to encourage window shopping, while offices and/or apartment buildings should be located on the second or third levels. Two and three story buildings should be encouraged.
Sidewalks which link all the shops on Main Street should be landscaped with trees, vegetation, planters, ornamental railings, benches for resting and viewing the Fairfield District, different paving materials, bike racks, etc. to promote non-vehicular traffic.
Locate areas for sitting and viewing the Fairfield District that provide a sense of security and peacefulness to the users.
Provide continuous walking paths which connect all uses of the Fairfield District and form a strong connection to the surrounding neighborhoods and the city’s trail system. All walking paths should converge at the City Park, otherwise known as the Town Square.
Locate new buildings in clusters to allow easy pedestrian movement between shops and uses.
When existing buildings and storefronts are renovated allow for new destination uses for the long-term success of the district. Existing non-retail type uses could be relocated to allow for expansion of new uses at the street level to the second levels of the prospective building.
2.4 PARKING AND VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
The Fairfield District should be as comfortable for pedestrians as it is for vehicular traffic, recognizing that drivers become pedestrians as soon as their vehicle is parked.
Parking areas should be located behind buildings and consolidated in areas where several businesses can be served. Shared parking should be encouraged to reduce the total number of parking spaces needed within the Fairfield District.
Truck Loading zones should be located at the rear of the buildings not visible to Main Street and screened from parking areas.
On-street parallel parking should be encouraged on Main Street and within the Fairfield District in general. Islands should be incorporated to break up the length of parallel parking and to provide landscaped areas or plazas located in front of significant buildings.
Pedestrian traffic should be characteristic of the district. Pavers should be incorporated into the street material at all pedestrian crosswalks. Crosswalks should have a structure highly visible from the vehicle and pedestrian traffic denoting the entrance onto the street.
2.5 TOWN SQUARE
The existing City Park is located directly adjacent to the corner with the most historic significance in the district. Essentially, this is the center of the original downtown and the location where the railroad intersected the downtown. As thus, is the logical location to re-establish the Town Square. The area could serve as the focal point for all outdoor activities within the Fairfield District during the seasonal months of the year as well as possibilities for winter activities such as carnivals, festivals, contest etc.
(Additional information on this topic can be found in the complete, printed copy of the design guidelines)
2.6 HISTORICAL DOWNTOWN IDENTITY
Consideration should be given to renaming the downtown district as Fairfield Center "Lakeville’s Historic Downtown" to reflect back and borrow from Lakeville’s historic past. Additionally, Holyoke Avenue from 206th Street (at the south) to Highway 50 (at the north) should be renamed Main Street.
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