Students Offer Design Ideas for Canton

Students from the University of Connecticut recently shared several planning ideas for Canton Center and Route 44 with residents.

That presentation is now available here. 

The presentation was a follow–up to a charrette workshop facilitated by students from a University of Connecticut Landscape Architecture studio course in community planning.

While some businesses men felt the original workshop underrepresented large-scale development options, Paula Stahl, a UConn Extension Educator, reminded people at the follow-up meeting that the town not obligated to follow through with the ideas.

However, she urged people to keep an open mind, said the students had visited town several time and said people looking at a town with fresh eyes often think of new ideas.

The students will show us things we never even considered,” she said. “We get so used to how our town works and functions that we don’t see things.”

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With Canton Center and three distinct sections of Route 44, students said they considered the identity, and economic and environmental sustainability for all areas.

While property lines and cost were not part of the exercise, Stahl said other towns have taken a student idea and worked through any such issues to make it happen. The students did factor in challenges such as wetlands in Canton Center and Route 44 issues such as pedestrian safety, confusing intersections, poor circulation in many lots and numerous “curb cuts” or entrances. The West End of Route 44 contains great river use but poor access and safety, students said. 

According to the presentation, some changes could make Canton even more economically and environmentally sustainable, while boosting the town's identity and safety. However, the town should retain the character of many areas, such as Canton Center, students said. 

Some of the ideas included:

Canton Center

• Retaining the character of the area 
• A green space behind the church with a bridge to the General Store.
• Sidewalks and connectivity to Cherry Brook Primary School with a barrier between pedestrian areas and Route 179.
• Cosmetic improvements to the front and rear of the general store for more gathering and green space.
• More inviting and walkable areas between the store and the post office.
• Adaptive reuse for the old one-room schoolhouse across from the Canton Center Congregation Church.
• Some potential housing with common green areas.

Eastern part of Route 44

• The continuation of the bike trail behind the Shoppes at Farmington Valley to Secret Lake Road.
• A roundabout for the intersection of Route 44, Lawton Road and Lovely Street.
• More shared parking for Route 44 businesses.

Route 44, Canton Village, Canton Green area:

• Increase pedestrian walkability through improved sidewalks and connections between the green and Canton Village
• Extended sidewalks into the green and Canton Village itself.
• Better access to the Farmington River trail.
• Reworking of the Dowd Avenue, Route 44 intersection.
• A median along Route 44
• A barrier between Route 44 and the pedestrian sidewalk.
• Redevelopment of Canton Village to create more greenspace, refined parking arrangements and additional commercial space through ideas such as second-floor businesses.

For the “west gateway portion of Route 44

• New green spaces along Route 44.
• Improved safety exiting the tubing/canoe access area
• A riverwalk
• increased tree cover to absorb roadway pollutants
• moving the commuter lot away from Route 44. 

And many of the ideas balance the economic, environmental and safety objective s the students strived to meet, said student Jacob Hodson.

“Pedestrian and vehicle safety can be achieved and that economic and environmental sustainability can be reached,” he said.

A few residents asked questions and some offered thanks and encouragement

“You’ve given us a lot to think of, wonderful ideas,” Jane Latus said. 

See the ideas in detail in the attached .pdf.