us 84 corridor

phased maps

PHASE 1 (right). Remove distracting signage and plant street trees so US 84 drivers discover the small town attractiveness of Donalsonville.

PHASE 2 (below). Complete planting street trees, remove distracting signage, and implement aesthetically pleasing street lights. An additional method to connect US 84 and the downtown, forming a cohesive character unique to Donalsonville, is a Cherry Street median.

Knox Avenue a venue Wiley 2nd Street

Us 84 Woolfork Ave.

Knox Avenue

a venue Tennille

a venue Wiley 2nd Street

Us 84 Woolfork Ave. a venue Tennille

parking

Parking is important to consumers and merchants and must be addressed by being safe and accessible.

a venue Wiley

CURRENT PARKING (above). Woolfork Avenue

Us 84

CURRENT CONDITIONS ON CHERRY STREET (right). Currently Donalsonville’s parking system is cluttered. Such systems detract from a town’s character and create a stop and go mentality that discourages pedestrian activity. If properly addressed, parking will be integrated in a manner that is aesthetically pleasing, safe, and easily accessible from US 84. In return, this would enhance the town’s character, charm, and sense of place.

parking

a venue Wiley Woolfork Avenue

Us 84

CHERRY STREET DETAIL (right). READDRESSED PARKING (left). • Parking lots and right-ofways should incorporate vegetation; native plant species are preferred • parking areas should be vegetated and distributed along the sides and rear of buildings. • Curb cuts should be kept to a minimum particularly along major thoroughfares. • Where possible, parking should be shared and screened with plants.

corridor views

Trees and low profile signage will make the downtown area more appealing from the main thoroughfare.

CURRENT CONDITIONS (above). Roadside commercial developments have produced a proliferation of competing signage.

US 84 VIEW (right). Includes corridor improvements along with the addition of Ponder’s Park.

POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS (next page). By lowering signage and adding street trees, US 84 reflects a more human scale, allowing the small town character and charm of Donalsonville to remain intact.

corridor views

Downtown Donalsonville has a unique opportunity to use US 84 as a means to attract and promote the historic downtown corridor. By clearly distinguishing the downtown US 84 district (between Tennille St. and Knox Ave.) with design elements, downtown Donalsonville will be able to establish a sense of place. Street trees and crosswalks make the corridor more walkable and citizen friendly, allowing safe pedestrian connections from the corridor to downtown. Retrofitting signage discourages commercial sensory overload and allows drivers to discover the charm of Donalsonville. This charm is reinforced by the introduction of Donalsonville’s unique street lights and posts, adding detail and character to the town.

STREET LEVEL (left). A view of a reconfigured US 84.

SIGNAGE SAMPLE (below). Unique signs that are more appropriate to the character of Donalsonville are built to pedestrian scale.

STREET LEVEL (next pages). A view of a reconfigured Us 84.

corridor views

commercial buildings

Existing chain stores and restaurants can contribute to the overall atmosphere. Plantings and signage create a coherent feel.

US 84 roadside commercial development can easily fit into the historic character of Donalsonville simply by following the example of other Georgia cities. Currently, commercial developments use a plethora of signage to compete for the attention of US 84 drivers. Commercial signage overload leaves drivers unaware of the overall charm of the community. Creative, attractive, and low height signage is a more attuned approach to drawing business. Parking along the side and the rear of a development allows the face of the buildings to be framed by vegetation. This creates a sense of place and promotes a more appealing aesthetic.

MCDONALD’S, ATHENS, GA (top). A good example of low signage, plantings, and side parking creating a sense of place.

SAMPLE SIGNAGE (left). Brick and wood signage allow for a personal touch, and maintain an appealing aesthetic.

commercial buildings

BUTLER BUILDING (right). “Butler building” is the term for a stock, prefabricated model, usually made out of metal. Murals are an easy and attractive way to turn a butler building into a point of interest along the downtown corridor. Creating points of interest signals arrival and enhances sense of place.

IMPROVED COMMERCIAL FACADES (below). Plantings help to frame architecture and create a sense of place within a community. The US 84 driver will become aware of their arrival to Donalsonville simply by noticing the beautiful Crape Myrtles that line the roadway.

planting plan

Improving the Courthouse grounds while maintaining the existing Magnolias, Palm trees, and Sago Palms.

phase one: Palette one is a strictly native plant palette, incorporating plants that can be found growing wild around Seminole County. Using native plants ensures that they are extremely drought tolerant and require little to any additional watering. They are also resistant to insects and pests. Plants for this option include a Wax Myrtle tree, Wiregrass, Brown-Eyed Susan, native Daylilies, Red Chokeberry, and Saw Palmetto. The warm color scheme works well with the red brick. The same brick used in the building façade may be used for a brick edging. Very inexpensive, educational signage identifying the various plant species used in the design could be implemented via simple wooden plaques. For example, a plaque could indicate “Aristida stricta” with its common name, “Wiregrass” underneath. It could also further explain the plant’s importance in the diet of the native Gopher Tortoise.

PHASE 1, PALETTE 1 (above). Landscaping for the front of the courthouse would incorporate brick edging along the main walkway and plant beds.

PALETTE ONE (right). Close-up of front plant bed after the implementation of phase 1.