Stowe Village Vibrancy Report
Stowe Village Vibrancy Report - Please contact Planning Director Tom Jackman 253-2705 with questions. This report was prepared by Crane Associates, Inc. Executive Summary The primary goal of this project is to increase vibrancy in the
village of Stowe as measured by increases in foot traffic,
increases in sales, a larger number and greater variety of
businesses in the village, and more nightlife in the village. The
Town of Stowe received a grant from the Municipal Planning
Grant program from the Department of Housing and Community
Affairs at the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community
Development to design a number of actions that would improve
the viability of downtown businesses and strengthen the
community as a whole. The town hired Crane Associates of
Burlington, Vermont to complete an assessment of the strengths
and weaknesses of the village, determine the market demand of
the town's residents and visitors, and make recommendations on
improving village vibrancy.
This study analyzes the existing conditions of the village
including:
☼ all building types and land uses in the study area;
☼ visitor and resident populations;
☼ traffic volume, mass transit, and sidewalks;
☼ significant built features such as historic buildings, public
and cultural facilities; ☼ human resources within the town departments and Stowe Area Association; ☼ existing public events and activities; ☼ current town zoning ordinances and policies; ☼ town actions of the recent past and near future for improving vibrancy. After the existing conditions analysis, the researchers gathered extensive primary data. Data collection resulted in: ☼ 709 completed survey questionnaires from a sample of overnight visitors within the past 3 years (95% confidence level +/- 3.4%); ☼ 312 completed surveys questionnaires from a sample of the "local market", or Vermonters within a 45 minute drive of Stowe, (95% confidence level +/- 5.5%), 15% were Stowe residents; ☼ 44 personal interviews with Stowe business owners, town officials, and non-profit organizations; ☼ A 2-hour focus group discussion with 10 Stowe residents who identified themselves as someone who "frequently goes out at night." ☼ 19 site visits over a 9 month period that included walking the village, measuring buildings and sidewalk widths, counting parking spaces, inventorying buildings, researching the retail market, observing visitor behaviors, and analyzing the shopping experience. These data were analyzed from several perspectives and were combined with existing conditions, secondary data, and the Copyright© Crane Associates, Inc. 2007 4 All Rights Reserved. www.craneassociates.us experience of the researchers to make recommendations on how to improve village vibrancy in Stowe. All the information combined revealed a number of dichotomies that Stowe faces on a daily basis. For example, both out-of-state and local visitors genuinely enjoy Stowe for what it is today. The merchants on the other hand, who own and operate the locally owned businesses that give Stowe its unique character, are struggling to make ends meet. Stowe's full time residents have mixed reviews; the general sentiment is that the village functions well for daily living with the post office, school, library, town offices and stores in close proximity but the village is "dead" on nights and weekends and does not serve as a good place to socialize. Other dichotomies exist between locals and tourists and the businesses that survive on them. Stowe residents want a bit more vitality in the village but not catered toward serving tourists (and certainly not large tours of them). More than one out of three Vermonters (the local market) thinks Stowe is so focused on tourists that they most often go to Chittenden County for festivals, restaurants, and pleasure shopping, even though Stowe offers comparable quality and quantity of these activities. Finally, the lodging businesses that need to fill their beds feel ever dependent on tourists and allocate a lot of resources marketing to them. Some of the most salient points of the research findings are: ☼ Pleasure shopping is the most common leisure activity, enjoyed by 86% of all Stowe visitors; ☼ Visitors truly enjoy the quaint, traditional Vermont village of Stowe the way it is today but local Vermonters and residents are less enthusiastic about this assessment preferring a downtown with 21st century commerce and culture; ☼ Visitors have very few complaints but if they were to improve the village they would have a greater variety of shops and merchandise, more affordable gifts, more free parking, music in the streets, more festivals and performing arts, and more informal and affordable restaurants; ☼ Ironically, local residents also favor these same improvements so long as they are authentic and they do not imbue a tone of "tourism"; ☼ More than 1 out of 3 locals believe that Stowe is mostly for tourists; ☼ Locals also believe that Stowe is friendly and inviting; ☼ 73% of the local market (45 minute drive of Stowe) rarely considers Stowe when going pleasure shopping even though 68% of the local market frequently engages in this activity; ☼ 60% of the local market rarely considers Stowe when seeking a fair or festival even though almost 50% of the local market are frequent festival goers and Stowe had 66 festivals in 2007; Copyright© Crane Associates, Inc. 2007 5 All Rights Reserved. www.craneassociates.us ☼ 90% of those who believe Stowe is "mostly for tourists" most often go to Burlington for pleasure shopping, going out to dinner, or attending festivals; ☼ There are between 150,000 to 350,000 people within 45 minutes who actively engage in the leisure activities that Stowe offers but rarely go to Stowe, or even consider Stowe, when participating in them; ☼ Chittenden County has a slightly higher median income than Manhattan. These core findings have led the consultants to make recommendations that strike a balance between the demands of visitors and residents. The recommendations are based on a set of principals that state: 1. 1. In general, what is good for residents is also good for visitors, but actions that facilitate a large mass of low-budget travelers is not good for either group. Stowe must maintain a high quality and unique visitor experience so that it remains palatable to residents and local Vermonters. 2. 2. The lack of chain stores and national franchises in Stowe village helps preserve its authenticity and recommendations shall maintain this status quo. 3. 3. Civic uses such as the town hall, school, and library are essential to keeping a fully functional village that serves everyone's needs and a fully functional village is attractive to residents, visitors, and prospective businesses. 4. 4. Stowe is well positioned to develop an additional new niche as an incubator for emerging artists. An arts-based economy can support, and serve as a hedge against, Stowe's traditional weather dependent economy. Each recommendation presented in this report maintains these principals. They cover a range of topic areas including events, marketing, the arts, business retention, administration and infrastructure. None of the recommendations require the Town of Stowe to invest new additional money and raise any taxes. The recommendations use existing resources and works within the town's means. They ask the town to act as a conduit or facilitator, to possibly reallocate or shift resources to meet some of the report's recommendations, and to adopt certain ordinances or policies. The recommendations also rely on the private and non-profit sectors to carry the major expenses. Finally, associations such as Stowe Area and possibly a new merchants association are needed to implement many details. In the end, vibrancy is a result of government, non-profit, and private entities working together. Stowe is filled with highly talented individuals, a charming downtown, and a beautiful natural setting. With these three forms of community capital at hand, creating a vibrant Stowe village is merely an exercise in cooperation and coordination. The recommendations are presented with this in mind. Copyright© Crane Associates, Inc. 2007 6 All Rights Reserved. www.craneassociates.us
|
