A Qualitative Analysis on the Feasibility of Implementing Elements of the Main Street Approach for the City of Mason, Ohio

Author

MyKaelah Mercer, University of KentuckyFollow

Year of Publication

2018

College

Martin School of Public Policy and Administration

Date Available

10-10-2018

Abstract

The City of Mason is a thriving community of roughly 30,000 residents to the Northeast of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mason is projected to see continued and significant growth, in terms of both population and development, over the years to come. In 2010, the City of Mason released a Comprehensive Plan that detailed input from a variety of stakeholders and a list of priorities and goals to implement over the course of the plan’s projected 15-to 20-year lifetime. The priorities and goals proposed in the plan have varying timelines projected for completion and differ in nature for each different department within the city. The City of Mason anticipates doing an update on the existing plan within the next few years, to ensure it is still relevant and up-to-date concerning the community’s needs.

Within the 2010 Comprehensive Plan, there was a reoccurring theme regarding the community’s needs for continued improvement and development for the City of Mason: downtown revitalization. Currently, the City of Mason has a downtown that includes a downtown plaza and a number of businesses, including retailers, restaurants, and churches, among many others. In the 2010 Comprehensive Plan, there were specific—but flexible—guidelines proposed for design efforts for Mason. In Chapter 8, Section 8.2 Community Core Sub-Area of the plan, the following key guidelines were recommended:

• Locate various buildings near Main Street (US-RT 42), to ensure closeness to the downtown area. By doing this, an image will in turn be created for the downtown area that is identifiable by community members (“2010 Comprehensive Plan”). Furthermore, there should be sufficient space for streetscape elements, parking lot screening, and pedestrian amenities (“2010 Comprehensive Plan”).
• Create pedestrian pathways that connect the residences and business district to both plazas and greenway areas (“2010 Comprehensive Plan”). Different amenities should be considered for implementation, including benches, fountains, and kiosks, to offer gathering spaces and increase interest to pedestrian spaces (“2010 Comprehensive Plan”).
• Develop focal points that reinforce the previously discussed downtown identity and discontinue vistas into downtown along particular streets (“2010 Comprehensive Plan”). Furthermore, this guideline includes two specific recommendations:
• Continue enhancing and stimulating the existing plaza located at Main Street and Mason Road, through public art components and active retail uses in nearby buildings (“2010 Comprehensive Plan”).
• Redevelop the four corners of the Main Street/Mason-Montgomery Road intersection with multi-story buildings, and integrate a smaller plaza containing either a water feature or some form of public art (“2010 Comprehensive Plan”).
• Encourage and support higher density housing in the downtown area through the Charter amendment (“2010 Comprehensive Plan”).

Recommended Citation

Mercer, MyKaelah, "A Qualitative Analysis on the Feasibility of Implementing Elements of the Main Street Approach for the City of Mason, Ohio" (2018). MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects. 303.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/mpampp_etds/303