In CT fight over downtown, both sides seek to sway officials after petition of 1,700 thrown out

After Manchester town leaders this week rejected a petition to block the controversial downtown makeover, supporters and opponents alike are working to sway the Board of Directors to their point of view.The Save Downtown Manchester group sustained a setback in its campaign when the town’s attorney on Monday recommended against a proposed ordinance that would have essentially derailed the downtown redesign.More than 1,700 residents signed a petition on behalf of the ordinance, but the Board of Directors decided against adopting it because a legal review concluded that its terms violated other sections of the charter.But the group has signaled no sign of letting up in its effort to maintain diagonal parking on Main Street along with four lanes of traffic and traditional intersections at the northern and southern ends of downtown.At the same time, a new group called Improve Main Street formed recently to campaign on behalf of the proposed makeover, which would cut the number of through lanes, add bike lanes, institute some blocks of parallel parking and add roundabouts on Main Street in place of the traditional intersections at both Center Street and Hartford Road.Town officials have emphasized that the public can still influence the plan, which hasn’t been formally adopted or funded.But the Save Downtown Manchester campaign targets elements that are key to what planners argue is a badly needed modernization of the business center.Both sides are looking to line up support from the Board of Directors as the town prepares to work out a final plan. Also, they each claim to be fighting for the interests of local business, long-term economic development and traffic safety, but with very different visions of what downtown should look like in the future.An artist’s rendering of what Manchester’s Main Street would look like with bike lanes and fewer traffic lanes. (Courtesy of Town of Manchester)The proposed ordinance was intended “to preserve the long-term economic viability of downtown Manchester and ensure the continued use of Main Street as a primary thoroughfare in town. The provisions herein seek to keep the current width of the road, preserve much-needed parking spaces for local businesses, and prevent traffic and public safety problems,” according to Save Downtown Manchester.Volunteers got valid signatures from more than 5 percent of the town’s registered voters, and had hoped the Board of Directors would adopt it or at least put it to referendum. The ordinance would have prohibited any reduction of Main Street downtown to fewer than four lanes, and would have required that angled parking remain.Keeping the four traffic lanes would block the planned establishment of designated bike lanes, which planners say are an important component of a 21st century downtown. The redesign plan also calls for wider sidewalks, better crosswalks and new pedestrian amenities.On the new Improve Main Street page on Facebook, advocates urged each other to write to the Board of Directors to show the redesign has public support.“We need to be loud too. There are a ton of people who grew up in Manchester and actually want the improvements,” wrote one advocate. “I have already seen so much more vibrancy downtown in the last 10 years and I can’t wait to see what else it will bring.”Resident Andy Thorpe told The Courant in an email that redesign supporters believe a makeover will benefit everyone.“It is our opinion that the future of Main Street will stagnate without making Main better for everyone. Currently it is not a pleasant place to walk and is downright dangerous for those on bicycles,” Thorpe said.“We are even for parallel parking as it’s very dangerous just backing out into traffic from those diagonal spots,” he wrote. “There are residents who want to see this plan happen, who are really invested in making Manchester a better place to live for all of us.”The intersection of Main Street and Hartford Road at the southern end of Manchester’s Main Street corridor would become a roundabout under a redesign plan. (Courtesy of Town of Manchester)But critics of the redesign contend that there won’t be nearly enough cyclists to justify losing traffic lanes, and that local businesses will suffer because traffic delays will grow worse while customer parking becomes more inconvenient. They also argue that the proposed traffic roundabouts at the northern and southern ends of downtown would create driver confusion and more accidents.Ultimately the Board of Directors will have authority over what changes are made.The town planners who have designed the makeover have been doing an extensive series of public engagement sessions to talk with residents. They intend to be at the community Juneteenth celebration on June 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 153 Spruce St. and at the Mary Cheney Library on June 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. 

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