Millerton is seen as a threat to Salisbury, Lakeville business districts

SALISBURY — A survey of eight Northwest Corner towns finds more strengths than weaknesses in Salisbury’s downtown areas, and recommends finding ways to make the downtowns more attractive to younger people and more convenient for pedestrians.

The online survey, conducted by AKRF (an environmental and planning consulting firm based in Willimantic) was commissioned by the Northwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative.

The survey gives demographic information for the towns in the collaborative — all six Region One towns (Canaan/Falls Village, Cornwall, Kent, North Canaan, Salisbury and Sharon, plus Norfolk and Goshen).

And it provides specific results and analysis for each town.

For Salisbury, the survey included 70 stores. Of that number, 39 percent come under the heading of “neighborhood services†— banks, insurance agencies, real estate agents, professional offices, beauty salons.

Shopping goods represented 16 percent and eating/drinking establishments 19 percent.

Convenience goods account for 11 percent; auto-related trade (including gas stations with convenience stores) 4 percent; building materials and garden supply, 1 percent; and vacant storefronts, 10 percent.

Salisbury’s strengths, according to the survery, include the attractive and walkable village centers in Salisbury and Lake-
ville; plenty of cafes and coffee shops to serve as meeting places; good signage; and a “good basic mix of retail stores and neighborhood services.â€

The three private schools are major employers and also attract visitors; the Salisbury and Lake-
ville village centers have cultural and recreational resources; and landmarks such as The White Hart Inn and the Scoville Memorial Library provide “strong visible gateways.â€

On the downside, the survey identified inconsistent operating hours, especially in the off-season, as a problem, and noted the lack of signs in Lakeville designating on- and off-street parking and the “break in the continuity of retail uses and sidewalks†on Main Street in Salisbury.

(Note: Last week, traffic counters were used as part of a study involving the future layout of Academy, Library and Main streets, and work on the new curbing in Salisbury should be under way soon. Both these projects will address, in part, the concerns noted in the survey.)

The report recommends appealing to younger shoppers with an expanded mix of merchandise (and notes the new Peter Becks Village Store as an example of that), and using cultural and recreational activities to get young families and prep school students to the downtowns.

And under “Threats,†the report states that “current conditions in the village centers of both Lakeville and Salisbury will deteriorate in the face of continued competition from Millerton.â€

The collaborative is holding a “strategies meeting†with the first selectmen of the eight towns and local legislators on Monday, Sept. 20.To see the complete survey, go online to nwctplanning.org.