April 2008 Archives

Hemmed in by the Chattahoochee River and Georgia on the west and bisected vertically across the middle by truck-heavy U.S. Highway 431, Eufaula is now revising its 20-year-old land-use policy as required under the Eufaula 2020 Plan. 

Mayor Jay Jaxon and city planner Tim Milner consider it "very fortunate" to have expert help from the Audubon Partnership for Sustainability in the process, especially since the toughest issues include development along the proposed seven-mile alternate route through the city's western outskirts.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/

from the Smart Growth Network. www.smartgrowth.org

Alabama’s Lake Guntersville State Park was spotlighted last week in the USA TODAY feature travel article “Companies looking for meeting spots just park it.” The lodge completed a $25 million renovation in January and has 14,000 square feet of meeting space.

From the article in USA TODAY by Gary Stoller:

"States are trying to boost revenue by upgrading and expanding their meeting facilities, and corporate meeting planners say they're savings thousands of dollars by booking them instead of hotels or conference centers. Facilities range from a one-room schoolhouse at Utah's Camp Floyd/Stagecoach Inn State Park to mansions and full-service lodges like the one at Alabama's Lake Guntersville State Park.

Tim Wishum, the operations director for Alabama State Parks, says state parks are "not Las Vegas or the Miami beachfront." But "you can rent space for a fraction of the cost" of a big city, and their setting helps companies focus on the reason for the meeting — building business, learning more about their jobs and solving issues. A convention at Lake Guntersville costs about $15,000, compared with $40,000 at a big-city hotel or convention facility, he says.

Many meeting planners "probably haven't considered state parks as areas for conventions, because they still see them as isolated places where people only hike and fish," Wishum says. But that's changing, he says, now that state parks have amenities such as large meeting rooms, wireless Internet access and small rooms for breakout sessions.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-04-14-business-meetings-state-parks_N.htm

A series of CNBC segments by Mike Hegedus featuring different aspects of Alabama business continued this week with a story titled “Sweet Home Alabama.” The story focuses on how the Alabama economy has held up well, despite the nationwide downturn and features an interview with Gov. Bob Riley.

For video see: http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=719096575.   Previous stories on the Alabama economy focused on David Bronner and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and Wellborn Cabinet makers in Ashland. 

The New York Times article “Amid the Ghosts of Alabama” on April 18 profiled three ghost towns that are within two hours’ drive of Mobile and Birmingham. The first town featured was Claiborne that was one of the last areas occupied by Union soldiers after the Civil War. Claiborne is in Monroe County 14 miles east of Monroeville- the setting for “To Kill a Mockingbird”. The second city featured is St. Stephens an hour’s drive northwest from Claiborne. St. Stephens served as the first capital of territorial Alabama. The abandoned town now lies within the Old St. Stephens Historical Park. Cahaba, the third city featured, was the first permanent state capital of Alabama from 1820 to 1825. Today Cahaba is an important archaeological site. For the complete article.

WhistleStop Festival & Rocket City BBQ
Huntsville; May 2-3
Come on down for a toe-tappin', barbecue-eatin' good time. The festival is a KCBS-sanctioned event with a professional and amateur barbecue competition, entertainment, children's activities and great music.

Sunny King Criterium
Anniston; May 3
Watch as hundreds of professional and amateur bicycle racers zoom around the 0.6-mile downtown race course in NASCAR fashion at speeds reaching 40 mph! Dine outdoors at the Red Diamond Restaurant Tour, featuring more than 15 eateries. Also children's races, artists' market and live music.

King Kat Invitational
Sheffield; May 3
Anglers converge on Pickwick and Wilson Lake, also known as the Catfish Capital of the World. Weigh-in, 3 p.m.

Alabama Coastal Triathlon
Gulf Shores; May 3
The triathlon consists of a 1,000-yard swim in the Gulf of Mexico, a 20-mile bike ride down the main beach road in Orange Beach and through the Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores and finishes with a five-mile run.

Alabama’s tourism and travel industry increased by 10 percent over the previous year, according to an economic impact report released by Gov. Bob Riley. An estimated 22.4 million people visited the state last year and spent over $9.3 billion in Alabama. Travelers paid over $685 million in state and local lodging and sales taxes, according to a survey conducted by the Alabama Tourism Department.
 
Baldwin County led the state with almost $2.3 billion in traveler related spending, Jefferson County was second with $1.5 billion, Madison County was third at $900 million and Mobile County ranked fourth with $890 million. Montgomery County was fifth with $542 million.  
 
The number of jobs in Alabama's hospitality industry grew 4 percent to over 7,000 jobs from the previous year. The industry was responsible for approximately 115,000 direct jobs and 55,000 spin-off jobs for a total of 170,000, over 8.5 percent of all non-agricultural jobs in Alabama.
 
“Alabama has beautiful gulf coast beaches, great festivals, outstanding food and hospitality that attract tourists. The dollars that they spend create jobs, grow local economies and generate needed tax revenues,” said Riley.  
 
The analysis conducted by Auburn University Montgomery said that every $80,872 in travel industry spending creates one direct job in Alabama. Additionally for every two direct jobs created, the state's economy indirectly creates one additional job.  
 
The Alabama Tourism Department, which is funded by a quarter of the state's 4 percent lodging tax, authorized the 34-page AUM study. The remaining $34 million of the state lodging tax benefited the state’s General Fund.

Read the article on al.com.

Though the following information pertains specifically to America's Byways (www.byways.org), the research and ideas are extremely useful to all small towns and communities. In particular, download and review the trends and expectations documents located www.bywaysresourcecenter.org/topics/visitor-experience/marketing/tools/1131/

America’s Byways Resource Center, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration National Scenic Byways Program, executed three phases of research in association with the development of a Public Awareness Strategy for America’s Byways®. The 2006/2007 Longwoods Travel USA® Personal Vehicular Travel Analysis and Custom Image & Positioning Research studies identified America’s Byways three priority segments as Touring, Special Event and Outdoor travelers.  This research can be found on the America’s Byways Resource Center website at http://www.bywaysresourcecenter.org/topics/visitor-experience/marketing/tools/1131/
 
In order to attract these travelers, we are looking ahead and would like input from you on story and theme ideas for the byways.org homepage. The Feature Stories are short stories that include a few byways with a particular theme, see http://www.byways.org/stories/ . The Activity Stories have more detail and include a minimum of 10 stories, see http://www.byways.org/explore/activities/
 
Here is a list of the upcoming proposed schedule for both Feature and Activity stories. The topic ideas/themes used should be fun, interesting, and engaging. New and different ideas/themes are always welcome!
 
An example: New York America’s Byways are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the French and Indian War.
 
DEVELOPING AND PROPOSED THEMED STORY IDEAS:
New Feature – Shipwrecks
New Activity - Gardens
New Feature – Small towns & Villages (could be unique museums or walking tours or festivals)
New Activity – Road biking

Sharpen your skills and get up to speed on the most important planning trends through our dynamic spring professional development offerings.   Courses are conveniently located in Old Town Alexandria, easily accessible to Washington, DC and all parts of the National Capital Region.

Register Today for Reinventing Conservation Easements, May 29-30

Conservation easements are tremendously popular tools for land protection across the United States and can be essential components of a smart growth strategy.  But what makes an easement program successful?

How Do Places Get Their Image?

"A City's image can be considered to evolve in three sequential stages. The first is the organic image that is formed by our general awareness of the place through influences such as media coverage, books, movies, family and friends, and educational studies. This organic image is even more potent if the city has a long, interesting history, distinctive cultural fabric, outstanding natural wonders or is a major population, business or political center.

The second stage is formed by the marketing induced image which as its name infers, is mainly shaped by marketing communications, such as advertising, public relations, Websites, brochures and sales presentations. That is, it is built through promotional messages in addition to the organic image or basic awareness of the place.

The third stage is the experiential phase where the image is enhanced by the person's first-hand encounters. Every community that attracts leisure or business travelers will experience this phase.

While some destinations may be able to skip the second stage, i.e. marketing communications, no city can avoid the third.  To sustain a positive organic or marketing induced image, the place has to live up to its promises."

Excerpt from Destination Branding for Small Cities: The Essentials for Successful Place Branding by Bill Baker

Branding is more than developing a logo or a website, although these can play an important part. It is cultivating, refining and enhancing the part of your community, town or region that makes is significant and unique. And, from the perspective of creating tourism traffic, it is also about highlighting those attractions, events and activities that are of interest to the traveling public.

Recently, CAWACO RC&D held a Stormwater Best Management Practices Academy. The workshop included a series of handouts that might prove useful in managing stormwater. Links to the handouts are below.

BMP Overview (2 handouts)
#1 - http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/stormwater/PublicationFiles/UrbanBMPs1999.pdf
#2 - http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/stormwater/PublicationFiles/BMPs4LID.pdf

Stormwater Wetland talk (2 handouts)
#1 - http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/stormwater/PublicationFiles/SWwetlands2000.pdf
#2 - http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/stormwater/PublicationFiles/WetlandDesignUpdate2007.pdf

Bioretention talk (2 handouts)
#1 -http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/stormwater/PublicationFiles/DesigningRainGardens2001.pdf
#2 - http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/stormwater/PublicationFiles/Bioretention2006.pdf

On May 1-2, ECDI (Economic & Community Development Institute) will present Strategies for Small Town Development at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.  During this course, leading economic and community development experts will present ideas and success strategies for small town development.

Practitioners from across Alabama will also share best practices based upon proven success in small town community and economic development.  Throughout the course, participants will be encouraged to ask questions and engage in constructive dialogue about the challenges and possibilities of developing Alabama's small towns.  Strategies for Small Town Success is specifically targeted to meet the training and educational needs of economic developers, chamber of commerce officials, state and local elected officials and community leaders, utility company representatives, and community and regional planners.

If you have not yet registered for Strategies for Small Town Success, you can still do so.  CLICK HERE to register online using a check or credit card.
If you prefer to register by mail or fax, CLICK HERE for the course brochure, and follow the instructions on the attached registration form.

For more information about the course, please visit the course website at www.auburn.edu/ecdi/smalltown08.htm, or contact Allyson Martin at ahm0007@auburn.edu or (334) 844-3685.

The Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation has identified a series of reinforced concrete block billboards that were constructed in 1953 along Florida’s major tourist routes (pre-interstate).  The billboards were designed and patented in 1952 by Cecil Hayden Davis of Springfield Illinois who had also purchased De Leon Springs, a historic tourist attraction here in Florida, that same year.  Sixty of these were built and at least 12 are still extant.  These “outdoor signboards” were designed to be permanent and withstand hurricane force winds. We are trying to find out if anything similar exists in other states.

Sherry Anderson, Architectural Historian
Transportation Compliance Review Program
Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources
 
sanderson@dos.state.fl.us. (800) 847-7278   Toll Free. (850) 245-6437   Fax

As an online presence becomes ever more important to business success, groups supporting downtown businesses  need to make getting information on the Web as simple as  possible. For instance the Narragansett, RI, Chamber  of Commerce has stepped in to help members increase  their online presence.

Noting that many members hesitate to create websites because they feel it is too costly, complicated or time  consuming, the Chamber hosts Member Spotlight pages to make the process easy (just five simple steps) and  free to members.
From Downtown Idea Exchange

The Alabama Community Scholars Institute (ACSI) is a training program for people who want to research, document and present various aspects of Alabama’s traditional culture—the music, food, crafts, stories, celebrations, work traditions, etc., of their own communities. It is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Alabama State Council on the Arts. The 2008 Alabama Community Scholars Institute will take place in Mobile starting after dinner on Friday June 20 and continuing through Sunday, June 29, after breakfast. This schedule means you will only have to miss one week of work.

Register now for UNA's Alabama Planning Institute course on "Sign Regulations & Manufactured Housing in Your Community" to be held in Tuskegee, AL.  Complete details are included below.  
Date: April 18, 2008, Course No. 08-PZ0418
Location: Thomas Reed Ambulatory Care Center Meeting Room (908 E. Water Street, Tuskegee, AL 36083)
Instructor: Greg Clark, Associate Director for Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission, Montgomery, AL.  This course counts toward recertification for those who are "Certified Alabama Planning and
Zoning Officials."  Register online at www.una.edu/conted (select Planning and Zoning tab), or call 256-765-4862.  

What you will learn:  Sign Regulations:  How to draft, get approved and enforce them.  
Manufactured Housing in Your Community: What Do the Federal Regulations Say and How to Draft Appropriate Regulations for your Local Zoning Code.
Questions and concerns relating to county / municipal issues will also be addressed during this session.

The Alabama Scenic River Trail officially opens June 6 with a celebration featuring a flotilla of boats at Montgomery's downtown Riverwalk. After the 11 a.m. grand opening and ribbon-cutting,boaters will paddle 5 miles down the Alabama River to Cooter's Pond in Prattville. For more details on the opening and a list of guided trips available visit www.alabamascenicrivertrail.com.

Hopefully, all of you have heard by now that some of the staff from our office is working with a larger steering committee working to get 19 counties in Alabama known as the Black Belt region designated as a National Heritage Area. The steering committee of 60 members consists of local citizens and leaders representing all 19 counties and a partnership panel that includes representatives from historical, conservation, and economic development groups across the state and region.

A National Heritage Area is a place designated by Congress where natural, cultural, historic, and recreational resources combine to form a cohesive and distinct area. National Heritage Areas tell important stories about our nation and represent key pieces of our history and identity.  There are currently 37 National Heritage Areas in the United States and none designated so far in Alabama. We strongly believe that Alabama's Black Belt contains historical, natural and cultural resources that are nationally distinct and worthy of this designation.

As part of this project, we are undergoing a planning process to develop an area brand in order to market the Black Belt’s unique blend of history, culture, and traditions to visitors inside and outside of Alabama. To help us in developing this brand, we would like know what others think about the Black Belt.

This targeted, national effort will help raise awareness of the risks drivers face on America’s rural roads.  The initiative will support States in improving rural road safety by highlighting available tools and programs, and it will provide assistance and encourage demonstrations of innovative, quick and effective leveraging of existing resources. 

This new endeavor will be multi-modal and comprehensive in addressing five key goals:  safer drivers, better roads, smarter roads, better trained emergency responders, and improved outreach and partnerships.  

Raising awareness is key to the success of the Rural Safety Initiative. For more information, please visit www.dot.gov/affairs/ruralsafety.

The Appalachian Regional Commission's (www.ARC.gov) driving maps, in partnership with National Geographic, are out. Maps can be found on http://www.visitappalachia.com and will be included in the April issue of National Geographic magazine reaching more than 865,000 subscribers nationwide. Click on the "Route Guide" graphic in the middle of the screen for one way to browse the featured routes. 

FHWA has reworked its Transportation Enhancement (TE) Activities website to make it easier to use. Some of the changes include having the TE Guidance page open to a page with an introduction to the guidance and supplemental guidance documents; and moving navigation bars to the top, allowing documents to be printed on fewer pages. The updated website can be found at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/te/.

This month K.A. Oldham Design, Inc. was invited to visit the Cusseta/Chattahoochee County Chamber of Commerce to speak about development planning for small towns and municipalities.  As a point of conversation, we presented our work for the City of Newnan which has come to be known as the Newnan Central Park Plan.

The Newnan Central Park Plan is, of course, specific to the situational context and the needs and expectation that were identified through the project process.  But the process and the philososphies by which it was conducted are a framework suitable for a point of beginning for any similar venture.  The Cusseta/Chattahoochee County area is faced with defined growth expectations from the expansion of the adjacent military base, as well as the increase in industrial economy in the area.

Save America's Treasures matching grants are awarded for preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant intellectual and cultural artifacts and historic structures and sites. Eligible applicants include Federal (including NPS), state, local, and tribal government entities, and nonprofit organizations. Applications are due May 20, 2008. Application guidelines are available on our website at: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/treasures/application.htm, or at http://www.grants.gov.

The Preserve America matching-grant program provides funding to support preservation efforts through heritage tourism, education, and historic preservation planning. Eligible applicants include Designated Preserve America Communities and Neighborhoods, State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, and Certified Local Governments in the process of applying for Preserve America Community Designation. Applications are due June 30, 2008. Guidelines and applications are available on our website, at: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/hpg/PreserveAmerica/index.htm.

The Travel Industry Association's TIA Odyssey Awards, in partnership with National Geographic Traveler, recognize the best in marketing, advertising and Geotourism in the travel and tourism industry.

2008 categories include:

• US Domestic Travel Advertising
• International Travel Advertising
• Online Advertising
• Partnership for America
• International inbound Discover America Marketing
• Domestic Discover America Marketing

On March 3, 2008, FHWA solicited applications for the FY 2008 National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation (NHCBP) Program. The NHCBP Program provides funding to assist the States in the rehabilitation, repair, or preservation of the Nation's historic covered bridges. Applications are due on April 30, 2008, and are limited to State Departments of Transportation.  More information on the NHCBP can be found at:  http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/covered.cfm.

Miss Fonnie Strang will be on hand to cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony of this year’s Eufaula Pilgrimage. Miss Strang, who turned 100 years old in January, was one of the original founders of the Eufaula Heritage Association and the Eufaula Pilgrimage in 1965. The Eufaula Pilgrimage taking place this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (April 4, 5 and 6) is the oldest tour of historic homes in the state.  http://www.eufaulapilgrimage.com/

The Alabama Department of Economic Development (ADECA) held its 2008 CDBG Program Training and Information Workshop in Mobile, Alabama in January. 

The tentative CDBG applications deadlines of grant categories are:

• County large and small city funds (New Submissions)—  Noon May 15
• Economic development fund (Roll Forward)—Continuous
• Community enhancement fund - noon August 1
• Planning fund—noon August 15

As the Community Planning Assistance Grants move towards full swing, the Town of Brookside has officially begun its master planning process.  The Regional Planning Commission's community planning staff is updating the existing data available, brainstorming ideas for helping the community develop, and have made a casual site visit to photograph the community.  Meetings are anticipated to begin next month.  For more information, please contact Yvonne Murray (YMurray@rpcgb.org) or Steve Ostaseski (SMO@rpcgb.org).

The public is invited to review and discuss maps and charts of the potential projects and solutions to issues and needs that were identified at the Winter meetings.  The Alabama Department of Transportation will review the projects included in the FY2008-2011 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).  The following are meeting dates: Walker County, April 8, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., CHS Building, Jasper, Alabama
If you have any questions, please contact Cissy Edwards Crowe, (205) 264-8402, email cedwards@rpcgb.org

There are still a few seats available for the Stormwater BMP Academy in Northport and Jasper.  The workshop promises to be very informative and timely considering the nature of stormwater regulations in Alabama.
April 15, 2008, Northport, Alabama
April 16, 2008, Jasper, Alabama
 
Below are links to the agenda for the workshops.  If you are considering attending the workshop and have not yet reserved your space, please contact Kellie Johnston at the number shown below.  A limited amount of scholarships are available from our sponsors for small communities and nonprofits.

Stormwater BMP Agenda-Jasper.pdf
Stormwater BMP Agenda-Northport.pdf
Stormwater BMP Workshop Flyer-Jasper.pdf


Kellie Johnston
Black Warrior CWP Facilitator
(205) 264-8461

The Governor’s Mansion and grounds will be open to the public from 1-4 p.m. on Friday, April 4 and Saturday, April 5 for a special spring garden tour.  The mansion is located in Montgomery at 1142 South Perry Street.  Free tickets for the tours can be picked up at the Governor’s Mansion Gift Shop located across from the mansion’s side entrance at 30 Finley Avenue.  Tickets are only available on the day of the tour.
 
The Governor’s Mansion Spring Garden Tours are being planned by mansion event coordinator Kim Nall and Brian Jones with the Alabama Tourism Department. More information about the tours are available by going online at http://www.alabama.travel/about-alabama/.

Register now for the annual 2008 Your Town Alabama workshop, scheduled for June 18 – 20, 2008 at Camp McDowell.  This is our 10th year anniversary!  Camp McDowell is located near Nauvoo, Alabama, (close to Jasper, AL) and is a delightful retreat location. 

The workshop consists of highly informative presentations and problem-solving activities for participants.  It is also a wonderful opportunity to network with other community leaders and make contacts with presenters who work throughout Alabama in the planning, design, economic development, and resource preservation fields.  The focus of the workshop aims specifically to introduce small town and rural technical assistance providers and decision makers to the role of design in community planning. 

Former participants remark that the workshop is FUN and invigorating and opened their minds to many possibilities.  If you or other community leaders are interested in attending this workshop, please complete the application and return by May 31, 2008.  Register online or via mail. Learn more at www.yourtownalabama.org/form.html.