Take The Online Commercial and Village Design Standards Survey

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Even if you missed the November 8 open house about Commercial and Village Design Standards, you can still give your input via a survey.

The survey should take about 20 minutes to complete. You may skip questions or quit the survey at any point and your responses will be saved. The survey questions ask you to respond to images depicting commercial buildings and sites. The images are not from Charlestown or proposed for the town – they are only for measuring community preferences.

Before taking the survey you may want to read the comprehensive guide about the project.

Click Here To Take The Survey

The Commercial and Village Design Standards Advisory Committee seeks input from residents and business owners for a set of design guidelines and standards for new commercial development in Charlestown. The goal is to achieve a more coherent and aesthetically pleasing view of development occurring in the commercial and village districts.

What will design guidelines and standards accomplish?
It will protect the town from unattractive or “anywhere USA” design but would encourage flexibility and variety so the results are not cookie-cutter. Having no standards or poorly defined standards leads to haphazard, incompatible growth.

What is your vision of Charlestown’s business areas?
The last town-wide survey indicated that residents did not support the look or design of corporate or “big-box” commercial. It is important to also know what the community does want Charlestown to look like in the future.

The Planning Commission needs specific design information to:

  • Get better designed buildings that reinforce the town’s character.
  • Have an applicant come in with a clear idea of the regulations and standard
  • Give the town a cohesive appearance while ensuring some variety and interest.
  • Have a selection of materials that will satisfy both the financial and aesthetic needs of the applicant and the community, and that consider climate resiliency, energy, durability, and good looks.

Design consultants Libra Planners created the survey and will review the results along with the Committee.

In the survey, you are able to rate the best (and worst) designs and also write other messages, ideas and opinions in optional text boxes.

The Commercial and Village Design Standards Advisory Committee wants as much feedback as possible and encourages everyone to take the survey and share their thoughts, ideas, and preferences for the look and feel of new commercial development in Charlestown.