10 Dallas Post Dallas, PA Thursday, January 30, 2003 Green-up (continued from page 1) actively illustrated how creat- ing or changing borough regula- tions for landscaping, signs and utility lines could dramatically effect streetscapes. New businesses would be re- quired to adhere to new regula- tions, while already established businesses would conform on a voluntary basis. The changes to borough code would set a new "aesthetic standard defined by the community at the cost of lit- tle more than the labor to write them. “To various degrees we can make land use regulations and change community charac- ter,” said Cotrone. Cotrone used before and after photographs of common sites such as main streets, parking lots and suburban strip malls. Cotrone presented Jim Thorpe and Elizabethtown as two exam- ples of communities that previ- ously had no such regulations, but have worked hard to “green up.” “I don’t know if you've been to Jim Thorpe during the spring, fall or summer, but it's always busy,” commented Cotrone. He attributed some of that success to it's now tree- lined downtown. “In Jim Thorpe’s case, the borough didn’t want the trees, the businesses did,” Cotrone said. He believes the greening efforts have helped the town be- come a destination place. “It's great that Dallas is doing the visioning process, not just greening, but looking at plan- ning as well. The shame is it wasn’t done 20 years ago,” com- mented Cotrone saying, however that it is a common phenome- non across the state. Cotrone showed how adding shrubbery screen and tree regu- lations changed the character of empty lots and strip mall park- ing lots similar to those along Memorial Highway. “An asphalt paved parking lot just doesn’t have to be that way,” said Cotrone. “Parking lots are going to grow, it's just making sure its done properly.” Cotrone said any change in regulations would primarily af- fect new development, with the existing properties being grand- fathered in. Current business owners may be persuaded to make changes, but not forced. Older parking lots, Cotrone PHOTOS FROM PA BLUEPRINTS, PENN STATE DEPT. OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE The demonstration last week used computer technology to illustrate how sign regulations and the addition of greenery can transform the appearance of a main street, above, and a typical suburban com- mercial strip, right. said, could be modified to com- ply. “That becomes an issue — ‘Oh, we've got our parking lot now, we can’t do anything about it.” Sure we can, we can retrofit it,” said Cotrone. He said a parking space might be lost, but green space gained, and that makes a business more attrac- tive to customers. Cotrone showed how adding sign regulations could dramati- cally affect community charac- ter. Business signs and bill- boards can be regulated to be smaller, made of certain materi- als and mounted flat against buildings rather that jutting off of structures. Ordinances limit- ing the size or even the exis- tence of billboards could be passed. “We don’t need signs that are 10’ x 20’ and 30 feet in the air; we can bring them down to pedestrian and vehicle level,” said Cotrone. “People can find McDonald's without the sign be- ing 30 feet in the air.” Cotrone gave examples of how the borough could take on and tackle “greening” on their own with the help of grants, volun- teers and municipal labor. In December, he and Joe Moskovitz, Dallas Borough Manager, drove through the borough asking themselves, “Are there ways we can green up or soften the area?” Cotrone suggested several sites that could be improved quickly, along 415, just north and south past the main Dallas intersection. Cotrone suggested where To- by’s Creek disappears under the north side of Fino’s Pharmacy, the creek could be exposed and turned into a “wonderful asset. There is some potential to open it up and connect things — cre- ate a park-like setting,” he said. “Plantings are the cheapest way to start making a differ- ence,” said Cotrone. “There are funds out there. Doing some initial plantings to get the momentum going, would probably cost $1,000-2,000,” for 10-15 trees. John Oliver, vice president of Dallas Borough Council, said the presentation provided some- thing tangible. “I think what it did was open our minds to some of the possibilities. I think there was renewed invigoration by the whole group.” “I guarantee the number one reason people live here is the natural beauty,” said Moskovitz. “We want to maintain the pris- tine natural beauty and planti- ng trees is a big part of that.” Give your favorite golfer 2 a Golf Cub Gift Certificate | and a chocolate. 3 Alfortene Golf Links Skyline Golf Course Applewood Golf Course Farley's Sweet Valley Golf Lakeland Golf Club Stone Hedge Country Club Arnold's Golf Course Fernwood Hotel and Resort Links at Hiawatha Landing Sugarloaf Golf Club Blue Ridge Trail Golf Club Heritage Hills Golf Resort Mill Race Towanda Country Club Briarwood Golf Club Heritage County Club Mount Airy White Birch Golf Course Cliff Park Inn & Golf Course Hollenback Golf Course Mountain Maples Public Golf White Deer Golf Club Country Club of the Poconos Indian Mountain Golf Course Sand Springs Windsor Heights Golf Course Endwell Greens Golf Jean's Run Golf Club Shadowbrook Inn and Resort ~~ Woodloch Springs LN. -— C-SI ETE WS WS —— 3 —-—-—-_— I A portion of the proceeds benefits the Special Olympics. A TIMES*LEADER I i es | want the TIMES LEADER GOLF CLUB GIFT CERTIFICATE. t | ® | i i i paid in full at $35 per Valentine Gift (includes Pa. sales tax). CLUB X H Pickup at the TIMES®LEADER, 15 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre y | t beginning Monday, Feb. 3. Send to: TIMES LEALLR GOLF CLUB i t Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 t I TOTAL ENCLOSED Phone orders, call 829-7270. : Name Circle one: MasterCard VISA Discover Card : § Charge to my credit card # I | Address Phone Exp. date 1 yo. i i City State ZIP Signature , hos oe ee ee a SS SD MIE GEN NEN EEE BN MEN BE BEN GEN GEN GEN BEN SEN ENN GEN GEN GEN MEN MSN BEN GEN GEN BSN GEN SEN NES SEN BNE GEN DEN GEN GES men ma mw mm mes mm of Group lays out vision, gets og down to work By ERIN YOUNGMAN Post Staff DALLAS — About 50 people braved barely above zero weath- er to make it to the “Our Dallas: Today and Tomorrow” visioning meeting January 22. Long time participants and some new faces gathered at Col- lege Misericordia to hear a sum- mary of last year’s work and catch a glimpse of what the group is working toward. The meeting signified the completion of an intense year of planning and goal setting, and the begin- ning of an action phase. After Misericordia president Michael McDowell's welcome, Michael McDavid, regional di- rector of the Pennsylvania State Cooperative Extension, opened the meeting. “We're at a crossroads — we'r at a turning point tonigHg where we're going to move from a day dreaming phase to an ac- tion phase,” said McDavid. Mc- David summarized the last year’s work and addressed the need for the visioning project. “You might be asking yourself, why do we need a vision? 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