The next Larchmont 2021 Community Conversation will take place on Zoom on Monday at 7 p.m. The first two sessions featured experts on retail trends and placemaking, the urban design term that refers to the process of enhancing a location to make it a “people first” space for the future. This third and final session is planned as an “ideas workshop.” The format will be a community brainstorming session where participants will be invited to tell the organizers what they think will improve Larchmont and how they use the street — do they shop, do they eat, do they meet friends, do they do all three? This session is the community’s chance to share what they love about Larchmont, what they miss, what they wish were on the street, etc.
Everyone is welcome, even if you haven’t participated in the first two sessions. (To catch up on the conversation, you can read our stories on the past sessions at the links above or view the recordings which are linked in the stories.)
Hopefully, the experts who presented have inspired some ideas. Moderator and co-organizer John Kaliski will also review the key points made by experts in the first two sessions. Specifically, the workshop will be focused on four broad topics:
- What kind of steps should we take to support local businesses on Larchmont? This could include everything from a personal commitment to shopping on Larchmont to supporting a legacy business ordinance to a marketing campaign.
- What improvements should we make to the street? Efforts could include improving signage, installing more trees and street furniture, closing the street to traffic for special events or any number of ideas that came out of our placemaking session that would increase the fun of being on Larchmont.
- We heard from retail experts about the challenges facing the retail sector and the need for greater flexibly for property owners to accommodate different commercial ventures on the street with shorter leases or more collaborative pop ups. We also heard that restaurants and street dining are increasing in popularity. What improvements or deletions, if any, should we make to our current “Q” and “D” conditions?
- What kinds of efforts should we consider to bridge the “Beverly Divide” between Larchmont north and south of Beverly Blvd., thereby extending the Larchmont business district from First Street all the way to Melrose?
- Lastly, and most importantly, who might be willing to work on these ideas and how can we increase community participation in the future of Larchmont to enact short term changes and continue to work on longer-term improvements?
We know you love Larchmont and have lots of opinions, so please plan to attend and share your ideas. Click here to register for the Zoom.
