Downtown Essex Centre & Harrow Main Street Design Guidelines
We want to hear from you!
We want to understand what you value today and what you would like future development to look and feel like.
Fill out our online survey and let us know!
Project Overview
The Town of Essex is preparing new Main Street Design Guidelines (Guidelines) for downtown Essex Centre and Harrow. The Guidelines will support continued revitalization of each main street and provide a coordinated design framework for how each downtown will evolve over time.
The Guidelines will focus primarily on privately-owned sites and buildings, including new development, infill, redevelopment, additions and façade improvements. They will address how buildings and sites relate to the public realm and streetscape, including building placement, storefronts, signage, lighting, landscaping, parking, pedestrian connections and outdoor spaces.
The goal is to encourage high-quality, context-sensitive development that reflects the distinct character of Essex Centre and Harrow.
Downtown Character and Identity
Previous streetscape planning and community engagement have helped shape both downtowns. The new Main Street Design Guidelines provide an opportunity to revisit earlier work and confirm what should be retained, strengthened or updated.
The project will establish a distinct design theme and direction for each downtown while building on recent streetscape improvements and supporting a consistent approach to high-quality main street design.
Project Process:
The Main Street Design Guidelines will be developed through the following steps:
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Background Review and Downtown Analysis: Review existing plans, policies and downtown conditions to identify key built form, site design and public-private interface considerations.
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Community Visioning Survey: Gather input on what people value about each downtown and what should be retained, strengthened or reconsidered.
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Downtown Themes and Design Direction: Establish a distinct character, design objectives and theme for Essex Centre and Harrow.
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Draft Main Street Design Guidelines: Prepare visual guidance for building design, site layout and the public/private interface, supported by place-specific graphics and 3D modelling.
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Public Review and Final Guidelines: Gather feedback on the draft Guidelines and refine them for finalization and implementation.
How to Get Involved:
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Share your input through the online visioning survey.
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Review and comment on draft materials as they become available.
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Attend a future virtual open house to provide feedback on the draft Guidelines.
