Wednesday, March 31, 1999
Sense of identity sought for cities
BY CINDY SCHROEDER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
ERLANGER — More landscaping, consistent design standards and shared parking lots that are largely hidden from public view are just a few ways that Erlanger and Elsmere can create a less cluttered environment along Dixie Highway, professional planners said Tuesday.
“When you look at these communities, there's nothing that really says it's Erlanger,” said Craig Gossman, principal with Michael Schuster Associates of Cincinnati. “There's nothing that really says it's Elsmere.”
“You have no idea when you're leaving one municipality for another,” said Robert E. Gramann, a principal with Cincinnati-based GBBN architects, engineers and planners. “There is no sense of place.”
Representatives of the Erlanger-Elsmere Downtown Revitalization Committee met Tuesday to hear proposals aimed at creating a safer, more aesthetically pleasing environment for the business community and residents alike.
One-mile focus
Their focus is on a 1.2-mile stretch of Dixie Highway from the railroad underpass at Stevenson Road to the Boone County border just south of Kentaboo Drive.
Besides looking for ways to reduce visual clutter from signs, city officials want to know how to hide unsightly utility poles, as well as deal with the numerous curb cuts along Dixie Highway.
Representatives of GBBN, which has helped cities from Lawrenceburg, Ind., to Newport, Ky., create more inviting environments for their downtowns, proposed that the two cities either bury utility lines along Dixie Highway or move them to one side of the street.
Landscaping urged
They also recommended using trees, planters and pavers to add character to the state route, and they encouraged city officials to work with the public and the business community in developing a workable master plan that includes consistent standards for signs and commercial exteriors.
Representatives of Michael Schuster Associates, which has worked with 12 to 15 Ohio and Indiana cities on everything from designing a theater district to enhancing commercial gateways, recommended that the two cities explore ways to link Dixie Highway with their well-established, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.
They also suggested Erlanger and Elsmere form a facade and building design committee for the downtown area, and focus on some of the historic architecture that's unique to their cities.
Members of the revitalization committee agreed Tuesday to proceed with a master plan for improving Dixie Highway. Committee members will indicate which of the two consultants they favor at their city council meetings this month.
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