Study offers streetscape vision

The painting of awnings last week at the long-vacant storefront on Germantown Avenue and Gravers Lane marks the arrival of a new business. The Cope Linder study calls for the elimination of vacancies “located in prominent positions” and mentions awnings among its recommended architectural improvements. (Photo by James Sturdivant)

By AMY BRISSON

Cope Linder Architects presented the results and recommendations of their Chestnut Hill Streetscape Design study, sponsored by the Chestnut Hill District, to a public audience last Tuesday evening, June 21, at the Chestnut Hill Library.

The study was solicited by the Chestnut Hill District, a business improvement group, to assess Chestnut Hill’s commercial district and to provide recommendations that would both beautify and enhance the future viability of the neighborhood.

The presenters, Gerald Cope and Barry Esslinger, emphasized that Chestnut Hill is already a place with a unique combination of attributes that gives it charm, a sense of community, and a “pedestrian-friendly” feel. Their goal is not to change that character, they said, but to enhance it by addressing current liabilities.

Cope, who is also a long-time resident of Chestnut Hill, began the presentation by talking about the importance of “gateways,” in particular where Germantown Avenue is intersected by Bethlehem Pike, Willow Grove Avenue and Winston Road, and the intersection of Bethlehem Pike and Chestnut Hill Avenue.

“Gateways are extremely valuable,” said Cope, as he explained that each of the intersections has individual characteristics that have to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. At the top of the Hill, he said, they want to slow down traffic and make the area more pedestrian-friendly. Where Bethlehem Pike intersects Germantown Avenue, they recommended introducing an island, which could be planted with flowers, to reduce the amount of roadway pedestrians need to cross and to serve as a “traffic calming” device.

Cope described the Willow Grove intersection as a “special district,” and suggested “bump outs” (widened corner sidewalks) to shorten the crosswalks, as well as flower planter pots and special lighting for the corner buildings.

The architects recommended closing the Winston Road and Germantown Avenue intersection altogether and instead having Winston Road end in a parking lot. Traffic going up the Avenue would not be able to sweep onto Winston Road, but would slow down to make a right turn at the intersection of Mermaid Lane. With the intersection closed off, Cope suggested, they could reclaim some green areas, emphasize the distinctive rock outcropping there, and connect that portion of road to the Cresheim Valley part of Fairmount Park.

Throughout the presentation they emphasized the importance of adding greenery to the Avenue. Esslinger recommended lengthening tree pits and filling empty ones with donated trees. He pointed out that many of the trees along the street, female ginkgos with unpleasant- smelling fruit, could be replaced with blooming cherry trees, and that other shade trees need pruning.

Cope showed diagrams of buildings with three “tiers” of flowers: in planters on the sidewalk, in storefront window boxes, and in second floor boxes.

“We’re calling [the Avenue] the ‘green-way,’ but maybe we should call it the ‘blooms-way,” Cope said of the focus on flowers. The goal, he said, would be to “make the ‘green-way’ so noticeable in different times of the year that people will talk about Chestnut Hill.”

But the first priority for Chestnut Hill should be addressing issues that are safety, as well as visual, problems, they explained. This includes fixing broken portions of sidewalks, repainting crosswalks and improving the sidewalk lighting. Some sidewalk areas have only one eighth of the recommended amount of night-time light for commercial areas. “We would like to bring pedestrian lights all the way down [the Hill],” said Esslinger, and also standardized the light fixtures for a visual sense of continuity.

Another safety issue to address would be the cobblestone road. “[The cobblestones] are no longer set in concrete. They’re loose and they’re dangerous,” said Cope. The solution would be to reset the stones and redo areas that have been covered over by black-top, he said. It would be more expensive than removing them, but would preserve the historic feel of the area. During the question-and-answer part of the presentation, some residents expressed concerns that the construction on the street would aggravate traffic and have a negative impact on business. Cope assured the audience that they would work with the Streets Department to limit the amount of construction at any given time and to keep shops open.

After or while safety issues are being addressed, and funding permitting, they proposed that the second priority should be on the neighborhood image and appearance. This includes the addition of more trees and flowers, as well as more park benches, bike racks, and distinctive neighborhood banners.

In terms of appearance, the focus should be on hedges, they said. “The top and lower Hill should have continuity between them,” said Cope, “we’re not attacking individual merchants, but hedges need to be cleaned up. It has to be pleasant all the way.”

The presenters showed images of corners and walkways as they are now, and then with superimposed drawings of the changes they would like to see. The drawings demonstrated how profoundly the feel of a view changed with attention to details like low hedges separating parking lots and sidewalks, shutters on building windows and properly pruned trees. The cost of improving privately owned buildings would fall to the owners, but Cope pointed out that the changes would raise property values and that there would possibly be grants or financial assistance available.

Unique features of the area would also get special attention. Cope suggested that the newsstand by the R8 rail station could be improved by better daytime lighting, benches and paint touch-ups. The stone wall at the Jenks School could be livened up with theater frames to display historic information or announcements. Off-street parking lots could get flower-filled partitions, attractive signs and repainted kiosks.

The audience of about 55 people received the entire presentation very well. Many commented that it was a “very exciting” proposal, and that they wanted to see it happen. Stan Moat, long-time resident of Chestnut Hill and outgoing vice-president of the CHCA Physical Division, hoped that a group of serious individuals would lead the way: “if it’s too public it won’t happen, and this needs some action,” he said.

Jeremy Heep, a Chestnut Hill resident and board member of the CHCA, said that they were “very encouraging proposals. It’s nice to see various community constituencies come together to generate energy, to explore ideas for a vital Germantown Avenue.”

Barbara Sherf, a resident of Flourtown with close connections to Chestnut Hill, was amazed by the interest and energy of local residents. “Sixty people in a room on a Tuesday night! I’m sure this vision will become a reality,” she said, “if any community can put a thing like this together, it’s Chestnut Hill.”

Some, such as D. Mike Smith, an East Norriton resident with strong ties to Chestnut Hill, thought the proposals were very good but that more attention toward making the neighborhood youth-friendly was needed. One way, Smith proposed, would be to ensure that there was room for bikers and skate-boarders and secure places to lock up equipment.

John Levitties, chair of the Chestnut Hill District board, said that small projects, such as touch-up painting, could be done with the group’s funds, but “the big dollars will have to come from outside Chestnut Hill.” Looking for funds will be the next step in the process of the streetscape project, and the job will fall mainly on the shoulders of the yet-to-be-selected executive director of the Chestnut Hill District.

In their literature on the project, Cope Linder Architects suggested a number of potential funds that could be directed toward the streetscape project. The Federal Transportation Equity Act might be one source, or more locally, the City of Philadelphia Capital Program. Several state programs could be possible sources of funding, including PennDOT, Community Development Block Grants, Hometown Streets & Safe Routes to School, and Elm Street.

Levitties was very pleased with the positive reaction to the streetscape proposals, and said that with all of the excitement it generated there would really be a broad base of support to find the funding and get the projects initiated.

“Chestnut Hill as it exists today is a product of generations of effort … But we have come to a time when we are beginning to fray at the edges,” said Levitties. For him, the streetscape project is “darning those edges, enhancing the existing character of Chestnut Hill and celebrating it.”