Conceptual plan revealed for Gluckstadt
GLUCKSTADT — A new city hall, police department, city park, and multi-use trail were just a few things shown off in the most recent version of the conceptual Gluckstadt Village Master Plan Tuesday night.
Chris Watson from Bridge and Watson, Inc. presented the new master plan to Mayor Walter Morrison and the alderman and discussed all of the new buildings and other notable features planned for Gluckstadt Village, which will settled right in the middle of Gluckstadt Way, Calhoun Station Parkway, and Church Road.
Once complete, the entire village can be viewed while traveling along I-55.
“We want to do something nice for Gluckstadt,” Watson said. “I’m sure you’re aware that people are tired of looking at strip shopping centers and gas stations and things of that nature. You can tell by the drawings I’ve provided that this plan has quite a bit of detail.”
Watson presented a four-page document to the mayor and board which provided an overview of some of the features and logic behind elements of the design. He noted that the plan is still conceptual, and things have changed every time he has looked at it.
He said a plan of this nature will likely cause some issues since some people will like the concept and others will not. Rather than calling the plan an overlay, he named it Gluckstadt Village to give it its own character and identity.
Watson said this is the fifth version of trying to determine the best way to develop the village.
It features what Watson described as a “true downtown development concept.” The plan includes a village core, which will include individual storefronts and restaurants, commercial and civic buildings with architecture representing German Heritage, and roundabouts for traffic calming.
Other notable features of the master plan include a multi-use trail along Church Road, Calhoun Station Parkway, and areas beyond, the new Gluckstadt Police Department (currently under construction), a new town hall, town green with open space and a passive-use amphitheater, city park with a pavilion, playground, walking trail, pier, and covered overlook pond.
The plan includes locations for parking behind buildings, on-street parking which provides a buffer between pedestrians and cars, a landscape buffer, existing buildings incorporated into the new design which additions that bring them to the street, and an opportunity for Callaway’s to showcase landscaping style and products and to beautify street corners.
Mayor Walter Morrison expressed interest in the plan after Watson discussed all of the elements of the master plan.
“I think this looks awesome,” Morrison said.