Young Harris Village Design Concepts

Young Harris Village Design Concepts

PARTNERS The Georgia Municipal Association Cindy Eidson, Director of Economic and Community Development Chris Higdon, Community Development Manager The Georgia Cities Foundation Pam Sessions, President City of Young Harris Denise McKay, Economic Development Director Rosemary Royston, Main Street Director Carl Vinson Institute of Government Danny Bivins, Senior Public Service Associate Kaitlin Messich, Public Service Associate T. Clark Stancil, Creative Design Specialist Kelsey Broich, Creative Design Specialist Eleonora Machado, Creative Design Specialist Garrison Taylor, Graduate Research Assistant Allison Krausman, Graduate Research Assistant

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TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................... 5 VILLAGE CENTER............................................................................................................................................6 A FRESH Approach to Infill......................................................................................................... 11 CABLE PROPERTY........................................................................................................................................12 ALUMNI HOUSE.............................................................................................................................................15 RESIDENTIAL INFILL................................................................................................................................... 18 TRAILS.................................................................................................................................................................22

Illustration by Garrison Taylor

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INTRODUCTION Nestled in the mountains of North Georgia,

people without losing what drew them in the

the village of Young Harris welcomes more

first place? Beginning in 2021, Young Harris

students, residents, and visitors every year.

leaders began participating in the Georgia

Home to Young Harris College, Young Harris

Economic Placemaking Collaborative. The

is known for the city’s scenic, rural setting

program has inspired local leaders to renew

and beautiful views. As the city grows,

their attention to Young Harris’s village center.

local leaders should prioritize density and

City leaders have since made a number of

walkability in the center of town to preserve

investments to make the Main Street more

the rural character of the Enchanted Valley.

inviting and economically vibrant.

Careful expansion can protect that rural

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character by creating a more compact

Young Harris features a number of unique

town center and leaving the surrounding

assets worthy of preservation. The beautiful

area much as it is. Many smaller cities faced

scenery surrounding the city remains largely

with rapid growth are dealing with a similar

intact and very little sprawl exists within the

challenge: how do we accommodate more

city limits. Numerous in-town undeveloped

lots could be responsibly developed into a

planning and design partnership. The

denser and more walkable Main Street area.

partnership brings together public

City leaders sought design and planning

institutions, nongovernmental organizations,

assistance from the University of Georgia’s

and private foundations to assist local

Institute of Government to envision a more inviting and vibrant town center area, as well as design options for compact residential infill development and options to bring more programming to local parks.

governments with downtown revitalization and other planning challenges. Partners include the University of Georgia’s Institute of Government, the Georgia Municipal Association, and the Georgia

This design work is made possible through

Cities Foundation. Since 2013, the Georgia

the Georgia Downtown Renaissance

Downtown Renaissance Partnership has

Partnership. The Partnership was founded

brought a collaborative planning approach

in 2013 as a community-driven collaborative

to over 60 cities across Georgia.

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VILLAGE CENTER Planners at the UGA Institute of Government

must back in to travel lanes, on-street parking also

developed two concepts for a mixed-use infill town

encourages safer traffic speeds through the center

center development at the corner of Main Street and

of town. This option prioritizes pedestrian activity

Murphy Street. Local officials anticipate Main Street

over driving or parking to create the feeling of a

becoming a locally controlled road once the Georgia

traditional Main Street town center. Approximately

Department of Transportation (GDOT) completes

90 parking spaces could be installed along Main

an anticipated bypass road. If this takes place, city leaders could work to bring on-street parking and

Street and Murphy Street in this concept.

other streetscape amenities to Main Street. One

An alternative concept relocates parking to the

option for the town center development utilizes

interior of the lot. This concept was developed for the

angled on-street parking. By creating a barrier

city to envision an active town center development

between pedestrians and moving vehicles, on-

if Main Street remains a GDOT highway. The

street parking helps to encourage a safer and more

secondary version without street parking allows

inviting pedestrian experience. Because parked cars

for approximately 100 parking spaces.

This aerial photo shows the existing lot. This corner lot is relatively flat and features an existing detention pond for stormwater runoff.

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Image by Garrison Taylor This conceptual plan shows a mixed-use infill development with on-street parking along both Main Street and Murphy Street.

Two two-story buildings front the lot with businesses on the first floor and housing above. The setbacks match those of the other buildings on the street to create a cohesive feeling. A plaza with a water feature creates a pedestrian entry between the two buildings. A three-story apartment building sits behind the mixed-use buildings.

Image by Garrison Taylor This conceptual plan shows a mixed-use infill development without on-street parking. Sidewalks serving this development should be at least ten feet wide to encourage pedestrian activity along busy Main Street. Street trees planted along the sidewalk create a visual buffer between pedestrians and the busy road. To make up for the lost street parking, this plan shows an additional row of internal parking. The storefront square footage and housing unit totals would be roughly the same as the previous concept.

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The centerpiece of the town center concept is a central plaza with a water feature that can double as a splash pad. Shade trees line the plaza and a protected crosswalk extends across Main Street to a new gateway to Young Harris College. By linking the village center to campus, this area could become a vibrant center of community life. An attractive splash pad would create a an active and inviting focal point in this new public space while creating a new destination to local families. Street trees line the sidewalk, plaza, and parking areas. While much of

Young Harris College campus features lush plantings of shade trees, prominent areas along Main Street lack any significant shade canopy. Particularly in the South, trees are an essential ingredient to a walkable community. Trees help slow traffic speeds and can lower the surrounding temperature by up to 18° F. Trees are also among the highest impact, lowest cost improvements that a city can install. By prioritizing street tree planting, local leaders can help create the attractive, vibrant, and walkable village center desired by the community.

This photo shows the site along Main Street across from the campus of Young Harris College. Main Street’s excessive width, including an unnecessary double turn lane, encourages unsafe speeding.

In both concepts, two-story mixed-use buildings line Main and Murphy Streets, with an apartment building in the rear of the lot not to exceed 35 feet in height. The mixed-use buildings are based on a storefront size of 2,500 square feet, the average size of a convenience store. This size is large enough to accommodate varying types of businesses and small enough to create variety along the sidewalk. The footprints shown could hold about eleven storefronts at that size, but sizes of the commercial spaces could vary depending on intended uses of these

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spaces. The dimensions of the apartment building shown in both concepts is loosely based on the size of the neighboring Enota Village buildings. These residences house roughly twelve 1,100 square foot units per floor, a total of 24 new housing units in that building alone. All buildings together could provide roughly 70 new housing units at 1,200 square feet. City leaders could add additional units by incorporating some smaller studio or other spaces with reduced footprints.

Image by Garrison Taylor This concept illustrates how a mixed-use village center could function if Main Street remains a state highway. Without on-street parking, this design feels much more exposed and open. A center median and pedestrian refuge island would likely be difficult to implement if Main Street remains a highway.

Image by Garrison Taylor This version shows on-street parking along Main Street. Angled parking creates a more vibrant commercial area by bringing activity to the street-facing side of the building.

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Without street parking

Image by Garrison Taylor

With street parking

Image by Garrison Taylor

Successful infill development requires important consideration to create the kind of space that encourages walking and a traditional village atmosphere. The buildings shown in the renderings above address the street and conform to existing setbacks in the area. These buildings feature main entrances along the sidewalk instead of only from rear parking areas. The façade, while contemporary, is not out of place among the surrounding buildings.

Using brick on the façade matches the materials used at neighboring properties and across the street at Young Harris College.

The renderings shown (right) illustrate the impact of a compact village center development in the heart of Young Harris. If Main Street reverts to local control, traffic calming and pedestrian safety can be

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prioritized through features like on-street parking and a planted median with a pedestrian refuge island. A protected crosswalk like the one pictured could enhance pedestrian safety while creating a new connection to Young Harris College’s historic campus. This crossing could create a gateway opportunity similar to the arch connecting UGA’s campus to downtown Athens. The combined effect of a midblock crosswalk, street trees, the median, and angled on-street parking could dramatically reduce speeding along Main Street.

Without on-street parking, activity would be less visible along Main Street. The necessity of interior parking would redirect most activity to the interior of the development. Visible pedestrian activity is one of the best ways to encourage more walking.

A FRESH APPROACH TO INFILL Simple tools are available to guide successful infill development of vacant and underutilized lots in town.

The FRESH method can be applied to any potential future infill development. Developed by Pratt Cassity, former director of the Center for Community Design and Preservation at the University of Georgia’s College of Environment and Design, the FRESH method ensures that future inf ill development remains compatible with adjacent buildings.

Important considerations like scale, height, materials, shape, orientation, rhythm, mass-void proportion, and texture are all essential elements of new developments that feel in harmony with surrounding buildings. The FRESH method helps to break down these elements in a simple formula for new development. Following all five elements of the FRESH method ensures that new development will be cohesive and complementary to surrounding structures, regardless of the architectural style of the new construction:

Footprint: The outline of a building as seen from above • The footprints of new structures should be similar to the footprints of surrounding and adjacent buildings.

• New buildings should respect the established setback line and generally should not protrude f rom it.

• The orientation of the proposed building should align with adjacent buildings.

Roofline: The profile of or silhouette made by a roof or series of roofs • The roofs of new buildings should be consistent with the pitch, complexity, and orientation of existing adjacent roofs.

Envelope: The outside shape or form of a building • New infill buildings should maintain a similar size, spacing, and massing to nearby historic buildings.

• If the infill area is significantly wide, consider a series of bays.

• New infill on corner lots should address the corner.

Skin: Materials used on a building’s façade • New structures should be clad in visually and physically similar materials, or skins.

• New infill façade construction should be of similar materials and colors but should not imitate features of historic styles.

• Use building materials that have a texture, pattern, and scale similar to existing structures in the district.

Holes: Doors, windows, and other openings • Holes should mimic the style and pattern of openings used on surrounding structures.

• The size and proportion of the holes should mimic those of surrounding buildings.

• Holes should maintain the rhythm established by adjacent buildings.

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CABLE PROPERTY Located across from the Young Harris campus on the corner of Main Street and School Street, this prominent property owned by the Cable Family could serve as an important anchor for Young Harris Village Center. The commercial buildings located on this site include a number of local businesses, including Cable’s Gallery,

Young Harris Florist, and Cutting Edge Salon.

This property could be enhanced to serve as an even more active and inviting commercial center.

These designs, created in 2022 and preceding the Village Center concept, are included to show the overall vision of Young Harris leaders in creating a vibrant community hub.

Local leaders sought design assistance to show this property reimagined as a vibrant community gathering space. The concept plan developed for the Cable property includes: • A more efficient parking design could incorporate features like expanded sidewalks throughout the property.

• Truck access along the rear of the property from Cable’s Gallery to School Street allows for regular deliveries, dumpster service, and food truck access during events.

• The wooded lawn behind Cable’s Gallery and Young Harris Florist is shown as an outdoor market area for community events.

The existing site along Main Street sits directly across from campus.

• Closing off vehicular traffic between the two existing buildings creates a pedestrian courtyard and food truck area for hosting smaller events.

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PROPOSED PLAN

Image by Allison Krausman

The proposed plan shown above includes a variety of enhancements that transform the Cable property into a vibrant commercial center for Young Harris village. Improvements pictured include: • Trees and plants along the storefronts and the parking lot at Young Harris College could visually tie the area together, provide much needed shade, and create a more inviting atmosphere for patrons.

• An updated parking lot with clear striping maximizes use of the space and creates a more accessible parking area.

• A rear service lane preserves vehicular access to the market area behind the building.

• Gathering places and sidewalks throughout the property are defined with unified new paving.

• The inviting central courtyard pictured between the existing buildings is large enough to host multiple food trucks or other vendors.

• Two rows of movable planters with flowering abelias or similar plantings could be used to define pedestrian areas while allowing vehicle access as needed.

• The existing residence shown behind the property offer potential areas for future development.

• The parking lot just south of School Street could serve as overflow parking for businesses in this area.

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COURTYARD

Image by Allison Krausman

This rendering depicts the proposed courtyard space between Cable’s Gallery and Young Harris Florist buildings. Expanded sidewalks in front of the building provide easy access from surrounding businesses to the courtyard. Attractive brick pavers with concrete edging define the courtyard area as a separate area for outdoor dining and events. Movable planters further separate pedestrian spaces from

parking areas. The movable planters shown at the entry to the courtyard are spaced far enough apart to allow entry to food trucks. A floral mural on the north face of the Young Harris Florist compliments the existing Coca-Cola and quilt murals on the Cable’s Gallery building. String lights running from one building to another create a warm atmosphere for evening events.

Elements featured in this design include: • Expanded, accessible sidewalks are shown throughout the property.

• The more efficiently designed and attractive parking area features formalized striping and fresh paving.

• Distinctive hardscape materials help define the courtyard area as a separate space.

• Movable planters are used to define pedestrian areas and provide seasonal color.

View of existing courtyard

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CABLE’S GALLERY

Image by Allison Krausman

This concept shows front façade of Cable’s Gallery reimagined as a vibrant and inviting community hub. Updated windows with dark trim match the doors along the left side of the building for a more elegant and cohesive appearance. The dining patio

pictured could create an active destination for community life along busy Main Street. Plantings throughout the property soften hard paving. Looking to the left of the building offers a glimpse of the proposed courtyard and food truck area.

Elements pictured in this concept include: • A cohesive color palette used on all doors and windows.

• Expanded, accessible walkways installed throughout the property.

• An updated parking area with new pavement and striping.

• A prominent front patio appropriate for outdoor dining or events.

• Attractive plantings and landscaping throughout the property.

View of existing building

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ALUMNI HOUSE POCKET PARK The Young Harris Alumni House features an attractive but underused outdoor area at a prominent corner in the center of town. As development continues to expand in this area, this green space could prove to be an important campus and community gathering space. This corner could also help signal a sense of arrival to Young Harris visitors. By incorporating new musical sculptures in this public space, the college could enhance the experience of visiting

Young Harris’s village center. Incorporating movable seating allows users flexibility to move seats to sunny or shady conditions and could help grow a sense of ownership and pride in this space. The features pictured in the design concept on the right would create a pocket park connecting the town center (development pictured on page six) and the college, weaving students together with the surrounding community.

Image by Garrison Taylor The Alumni House along Main Street serves as a community gathering space. The outdoor area is a pleasant but underused green space.

The rendering at right shows a proposed musical sculpture and seating area at this prominent location. Moveable chairs allow people to sit in groups or move to the shade. This design preserves enough lawn to allow for games and picnics. This area would activate the corner and draw more visitors to the Alumni House on a daily basis.

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Image by Garrison Taylor

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RESIDENTIAL INFILL Many of the traditional single-family homes in Young Harris are clustered in a small residential area along Meadow, Miller and Dean Streets near the local library. This area has a low-density, semi-rural feel; with generous lots, small homes, and many sheds and outbuildings. Homes in this neighborhood are conveniently located near campus and within easy walking access of a local restaurant and the public library. Local officials are also working with private property owners to develop a pocket park and water feature along Main Street in this area.

With some slight pedestrian improvements, this area would become an even more walkable and connected in town neighborhood.

Local leaders identified this area as a potential opportunity for residential infill. Planners at the UGA Institute of Government developed two residential infill concepts for the city. Each of these designs feature residential infill in the form of one-or-twobedroom detached cottages. These concepts could add much-needed housing and expand the variety of residential options available in Young Harris.

The first concept features larger lot sizes and fewer homes to retain this neighborhood’s existing character. A second concept features smaller lots with more homes, and could create a more walkable, compact neighborhood. The same cottage footprints

This aerial view shows the existing residential area near the library in Young Harris. This neighborhood has a low-density, semi-rural feel. As the area grows, local leaders should prioritize in town density over sprawl. This area is an excellent opportunity for appropriate residential infill.

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are used in both options. Both concepts also picture a trail connection to the proposed new park at the convergence of Brasstown and Corn Creeks.

The “large lot” version, pictured upper right, includes nine new cottages shown on lots of approximately 7,500 square feet. This lot size is based on existing lots in the area and retains more open space to preserve a more open, rural atmosphere.

The “small lot” version, shown lower right, features lot sizes of approximately 4,500 square feet. More of the available space is filled, creating a more compact, walkable neighborhood. This version includes 27 new cottages. As more people move to the area, growing intown housing will be a key factor in protecting the scenery surrounding Young Harris.

As shown in the renderings on page 16, the singlefamily cottage-style residences envisioned would be closer together than existing housing in the area. This compact design could help create a walkable, in town neighborhood feel. Sidewalks shown throughout the neighborhood encourage residents to walk to the nearby amenities and feel safer as cars use the roads. The paint colors and architecture also reflect the mountain aesthetic and blend in with the existing homes.

This conceptual plan shows infill with nine new cottages on lots that are roughly the same size as many of the existing properties.

This concept would feel more suburban than rural, while still retaining a good amount of open green space. A trail connects the neighborhood to the new park to the west of town. This trail, following creeks, could create connections throughout town and build a network for walking and cycling.

Image by Garrison Taylor

This version of the plan shows smaller, more in town-scaled lots with the same cottage footprints.

This design incorporates 27 new cottages with housing for approximately 54 residents. This neighborhood would feel much denser and more walkable than the existing area. Despite the density, this plan retains much of the open green space within the neighborhood. The same trail is shown connecting the neighborhood to a larger trail system.

Image by Garrison Taylor

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This open area across from the Mountain Regional Library is one lot that could house residential infill.

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Image by Garrison Taylor This rendering shows what compact residential infill might look like in this area. Homes in this neighborhood would feature easy walking access to local dining and the library in the background. The houses shown are the Canton Row Cottage and the East Beach Cottage by Allison Ramsey Architect.

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TRAILS

As Young Harris grows, more people will be drawn to pedestrian and bicycle amenities in town and at the college. Brasstown Creek and Corn Creek could create ideal sites for a pedestrian loop around town.

A similar trail system could create an unparalleled

local amenity. Trails could link the new park near the existing golf course and create a destination for local residents, visitors, and students. A similar trail system would encourage people to visit the village center by bike or on foot, reducing the need for parking.

FUTURE PARK

STAGE ONE

NEIGHBORHOOD SPUR

STAGE TWO

Image by Garrison Taylor This trail concept follows Brasstown Creek and Corn Creek in a rough circle around Young Harris. The proposed new park where the two creeks meet would be an enticing destination for those looking to explore the greenway.

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