Oct. 17—FROSTBURG — As the City of Frostburg continues to look at the stability and future of the Main Street area, residents were able to provide input on what they would like to see downtown look like in the coming years.
FrostburgFirst held an open house Tuesday evening, where stakeholders could voice their opinions on what needs to be done to improve downtown Frostburg.
Known as the “Revitalization Roadmap,” FrostburgFirst partnered with consultant Downtown Redevelopment Services to conduct an online survey and public forum to better gauge what local residents think should be done to improve the Main Street corridor of to breathe new life into the city.
The area provides much of the city’s tourism revenue and business interests.
FrostburgFirst Executive Director Deidre Robertson said this is the first time the Main Street community has looked at a vision for downtown.
“This is the year the city re-implements its comprehensive plan,” Robertson said. “We wanted something really strong that would contribute to that.”
FrostburgFirst received a USDA grant with the help of Downtown Redevelopment Services to improve the process.
“This is our first (redevelopment) in Maryland,” said Nathan Davis, a representative of Downtown Redevelopment Services. He has completed previous work in a dozen small towns with revitalization needs.
The online survey drew 114 responses after the open house, while a handful of residents offered more complicated opinions at City Place on Tuesday.
Among both online survey responses and open house participants, some of the most common insights included improvements to building facades and improved public spaces such as plazas and parks.
When asked which aspects of Frostburg’s ‘built’ environment needed the most improvement, 73% of online responses chose building facades, while 47.1% wanted improvements to public spaces.
During the open house, residents were able to delve deeper into what specific additions or improvements should be made to the public design elements around Main Street.
Some of the most popular votes were for more bike racks, the addition of more outdoor dining areas, painted bike paths and planting more trees.
Debi Scavotti, who lived in the Frostburg neighborhood in the 1970s but returned to the city, said the biggest change she has seen is a significant decline in community involvement and participation.
“In Frostburg you have a lot of retirees and a lot of college students,” Scavotti said, noting the stark contrast between the two.
With this in mind, Scavotti said it is difficult to get people involved in community events.
Nearly 70% of respondents to the online survey were people between the ages of 35 and 64, while only 23.7% of respondents were residents between the ages of 18 and 34.
A common interest during Tuesday’s open day was an increased focus on accessibility for all ages, such as improved crossings and greater safety awareness for people with physical disabilities.
Patsy Newell, a Garrett County resident who regularly visits downtown Frostburg, said she would like to see a more eclectic selection of local businesses and more outdoor concert offerings in the summer.
According to the survey, 76.8% of residents would like to see a greater presence and focus on “unique local businesses” to “strengthen the identity of the downtown area.”
To participate in the online survey, visit tinyurl.com/VisionFrostburg
Andrew Creelman is a reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. To reach him, call 304-639-4403 or email acreelman@times-news.com.
