The City of Presque Isle and the Maine Department of Transportation received a joint award for the “Exemplary Smart Growth Plan” from GrowSmart Maine for the Presque Isle Main Street Study. From left to right, Tim St. Peter, City of Presque Isle of Presque code enforcement officer; Tyler Brown, city manager; Kevin Freeman, Presque Isle City Council President; Mitchell Rasor, Rasor Landscape Architecture; Thomas Errico, New England director of traffic engineering, TyLin Group; Jarod Farn-Guillette, DOT regional planner; and Chris Helstrom, senior highway engineer for TyLin Group. (Photo courtesy)

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – Last week the City of Presque Isle and the Maine Department of Transportation received a joint award from GrowSmart Maine for a “Exemplary Smart Growth Plan” for the Presque Isle Main Street Study.

The City/MDOT entry was selected to meet and/or exceed GrowSmart’s criteria. The redesign allows for the reemergence and revitalization of the historic street network and development pattern and scale by right-sizing the existing transportation infrastructure in the city center, maximizing adjacencies, connectivity, and walkability.

By aligning community values ​​with the built environment, the redesign will strengthen investment in quality public space to encourage private investment in mixed-use redevelopment. Additionally, by creating an accessible and mixed-use city centre, people of all ages and abilities will be able to live and work downtown, accessing essential services on foot or via public transport. The redesign intentionally includes the demographically diverse residential neighborhoods east of downtown, west of the river, and the Mi’kmaq Nation. Proposed shared-use paths, a pedestrian bridge spanning Presque Isle Creek, and lane reductions on Route 1 will create better opportunity and choice for existing and proposed housing. Additionally, by making the city center more accessible, attractive and sustainable, more people will want to live in the city centre, reducing development pressure on rural areas.

Design is truly “transformational”; the word is actually used at public meetings when describing the redesign of the downtown area because right-sizing the transportation infrastructure will allow for the reinvention and reconnection of Presque Isle’s greatest assets, such as Main Street, schools, recreational facilities. UMPI, riverside, surrounding residential areas and open spaces. People understand that the redesign is an opportunity to reclaim downtown as the heart of the community where meaningful relationships and traditions can flourish. Finally, the redesign reduces impervious surface, introduces extensive urban tree cover, creates decentralized green infrastructure stormwater treatment areas, promotes walkability, creates inviting and comfortable streetscapes, reduces car dependency, and promotes living/working environments..

GrowSmart Maine is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that helps communities incorporate smart growth principles into community planning. The awards recognize projects that strengthen communities, preserve open space, and create opportunities for all Mainers. When evaluating award nominees, the jury considers how a project adapts to climate change, how it may impact its environment, and how it involves stakeholders and neighbors.