The Knode parcels

I started this weblog with the intent of writing specifically about Princess Street. The closing of Southern States was the springboard. Like any effort at the scale of planning towns and cities, waiting for change and reacting often means being too late, although I hold out some hope in this case because of the slow economy. Five years ago, a change at that property might have happened in a real-estate-scaled blink of an eye.

But the entire parcel in question there (about 7.5 acres)  is different and difficult. It is part flood plain, wet when not in drought, abuts the railroad, was a filling station &c. Many discussions of the site degrade into opinions that the land is a toxic brownfield. It might be, although I personally have little issue with the idea for, if it is a brownfield, then so is my property.

In one of my casual chats with Harvey Heyser, we discussed possible uses for the Knode property, some mentioned to him by townspeople, some shared thoughts, some my own. One problem which will arise soon to any would be development, is that the parcel(s)* are part within Shepherdstown Corporation limits and part within Jefferson County.

Among the offerings for use by others:

1. Parking lot
2. Library
3. Distributor/night club**

Many more opinions will undoubtedly arise as the calendar marches forward — a calendar marching more slowly as it reads 2011, not 2006.

For my part, the most important thing about this land is that we preserve the existing spirit of use on the site while enhancing Princess Street as a secondary commercial corridor. One might also consider the parcel as a “gateway” into town, which might carry some weight of its own.

The library is an interesting idea here, but not necessarily at the expense of the local-scale commercial (not catering to tourists) and small industry uses already present. Even there though, another domino is falling: on an adjacent parcel, Shepherdstown Hardware will be closing at the end of January. Dan Tokar would like to maintain his blacksmith shop at this address but even he notes that his age means he will be changing the scale of his commissions, reminding us that he will not be present beyond another 40 years. A 40 year timeline might seem too lengthy but, then again, how long was Southern States there?

Parking, as it stands, is already and important existing use — check beside the tracks on a Thursday night. Any land use, regardless of ownership, would be a poor neighbor if it did not allow for this off-hour presence.

Opening things up a little then…these are not necessarily single uses but might be part of a mixed-use strategy:

1. Craft studios
2. A garden center (perhaps associated with community gardens or a cut flower/produce grower).
3. A butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker.

I’ve often imaged the state stepping in here as well, taking land to make changes to the intersection at Washington and Princess.

Something will change here. The town would do well to be ahead of the change, not reacting to proposals for it. How to do that is a good question which I might have an answer in coming weeks. Or not.

*I’ve seen the tax map; it’s complicated.

**I’ve lumped these together. Although not specifically an either-or, I do know an and-or was mentioned. This use is only viable if it takes place within the Shepherdstown Corporation limits.

Traffic

If you’ve lived in Shepherdstown for over fifteen, ten, or maybe as short as five years, you might have noticed the increase in traffic which flows through town — the key word being through. While the town enjoyed the unparalleled prosperity matched by the remainder of the US economy up until our recent crashing-to-a-halt, it is easily observed that the bulk of daily vehicle load occurs during the rushes, morning and afternoon.

Shepherd University has also contributed to traffic growth but we will save that topic for another time.

Just noticing the traffic is not enough. Some years back I hoped to better understand the flow, taking morning walks to the four way stop which, living just past O’Hurley’s Store, took me past the other hot-spot for town traffic, the corner of Princess and Washington Streets.

I am not a traffic engineer — perhaps some simplicity is lost on me — but that intersection makes for a fascinating conundrum in town planning: 100 yards from a busy rail crossing, a truck route, the main route through town. And half of the flow is stopped in that flow — all the traffic following Rt. 230 to Charles Town. Should a series of cars choose to follow Washington Street, the backup along Princess can grow long. Through a tractor-trailer rig and a train passage into the mix and you can have quite a mess.

Interestingly enough, nearby forms and the flow also provide some accidental traffic calming — indeed, in all these years, I have never observed an accident at that intersection. I’ll write more about that traffic calming in a later post.

Downtown Shepherdstown

Have you ever wondered why the Yellow Brick Bank is at the corner of Princess and German Street? Consider my earlier note that Princess Street once included the river crossing of Route 230…that intersection becomes the most important intersection in town.

Today’s most important intersection? The meaninglessly named “four-way stop”. Everyone around knows the importance of that intersection but it is not, from a perspective of urban form and architecture, the center of town. It is important only in the same manner in which America has fully changed to a car-centric culture — the importance of Princess Street reflects a time when the river and railroad wielded strong influences.

The only impact the railroad has today on Shepherdstown is how it is in full lockstep with the car culture — hence the disappearance of crossings such as Mill Street and, yes, Princess Street at its industrial southern end.