The Town Council’s Community Planning & Economic Development Committee received and reviewed a draft of the complete West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan at its May 21, 2025 meeting.

By Ronni Newton

The town is in the fourth year of the West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan project – a process that kicked off in 2022 with announcement of plans to take a ‘holistic’ approach rather than just doing piecemeal repairs and updates to the aging sidewalks, torn-up roadways, and other elements of the Center.

On the project timeline, the first phase of construction is underway on LaSalle Road, but there’s far more left to be done, and to be decided. Town Manager Rick Ledwith unveiled the final plans for the reconstruction of LaSalle Road and Farmington Avenue in September 2024, the contract was bid and awarded, and that work is now underway. LaSalle Road should be completed by late 2025, and in the spring of 2026 the replacement of street trees, sidewalks, roadway reconstruction, and other updates will take place on Farmington Avenue, between Walden and North/South Main.

“It doesn’t stop at Farmington,” Ledwith told We-Ha.com following a meeting of the Town Council’s Community Planning and Economic Development meeting where a 71-page draft of the overall plan was presented by Stantec, the consultant hired by the town to assist with the project in 2022.

“This plan represents really a culmination of extensive planning that began more formally in 2022, but really began much earlier,” Ledwith said Wednesday. Ultimately, he said the concepts will guide infrastructure investment in both the Center and Blue Back Square into the future, following goals of enhanced mobility and accessibility, and public spaces.

Prior to the commencement of Phase 1 of the work on LaSalle Road in late March/early April, the town earlier implemented several of Stantec’s recommendations – including returning LaSalle Road to a two-way street and opening the Memorial Road connection between LaSalle Road and North Main Street.

The intersection of the West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan with other planning documents and processes – the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan (2024), the Bicycle Plan and Facility Selection & Design Guide (2024), and the Complete Streets Policy (2024), the Wayfinding Study (2023, Vision Zero Plan (2023), and Plan of Conservation and Development (2020) – has been considered as the West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan is being finalized.

Gateway elements that reflect the “community’s values,” streetscape lighting, aesthetically attractive and durable seating, trash receptacles, and sidewalks are all addressed by the draft plan. The draft also includes recommendations for adding to public art, management of streets trees (which is already underway on LaSalle Road), and use of green infrastructure such as rain garden and bioswales to manage stormwater runoff.

Stantec recommends maximization of the benefits from outdoor dining on sidewalks, while ensuring safe and accessible passage for pedestrians. “Promulgate outdoor dining regulations and encourage more outdoor dining in other parts of the Center,” states the recommendation in the draft report.

“During the outreach process there were concerns from business owners about public urination and littering at night along Farmington Avenue and LaSalle Road,” the draft document notes. “A few participants offered the idea of providing public restrooms somewhere in the Center.” Stantec notes that public bathroom building are expensive to construct, as well as to maintain, and recommends continued evaluation.

Included in the reconstruction work now underway on LaSalle Road and scheduled to commence on Farmington Avenue beginning in 2026 will be improvement of infrastructure to enhance walkability, including shortening the crossing distance. Stantec recommends improvement of other crossings as well utilizing a variety of elements including raised crosswalks and changes to the signal phasing.

The overall West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan also looks to incorporate better access to other means of transit, and recommends updating bus stops, establishing and expanding “pick-up drop-off” zones (PUDO) for ride-share services, and adding short- and long-term bike storage. Stantec also recommends incorporating at least two mobility hubs which will combine these uses – and hubs at the Araphaoe lot and Farmington Avenue at the Veterans Memorial are already part of the final plans for the reconstruction work on LaSalle Road and Farmington Avenue.

Parking is always a hot topic, and while Stantec notes that there is actually plenty of parking, they recognize that people want to park in the closest spaces. “By making the most desirable spaces more expensive and those further away slightly less expensive, a varied pricing system creates availability while dispersing parking demand from core locations such as LaSalle Road at Farmington Avenue. Spreading out the parking demand helps people maximize their use of the system, and can also support freeing up street space to be used for other things,” Stantec’s report states. They said that even an increase of just $0.25 per hour for the on-street parking spaces could make enough difference.

The reconstruction that is currently underway on LaSalle Road and set to begin on Farmington Avenue in 2026 are being paid for through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that were allocated by the Dec. 31, 2024 deadline. Stantec’s task, however, was to develop a complete concept, and that extends beyond just infrastructure updates on stretches of those two core roadways.

Concept plans include applying some of the same ideas to other locations, as well as expanding overall and usable green space – perhaps by better anchoring Unity Green to the Center’s business core. Stantec also recommends redesign of the currently unwieldy intersection of Farmington Avenue at North and South Main Street, suggesting four potential concepts and highlighting the pros and cons of each.

The draft report states the following regarding conceptual improvements: “These ideas reflect the voices of West Hartford residents. This participatory approach included public forums and collaborative workshops, where citizens contributed their ideas and feedback, particularly concerning pedestrian needs and safety. By fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration, the plan aims to reflect the community’s values and aspirations, ultimately outlining improvements that will enhance the quality of life for all. The result is a blueprint that not only focuses on pedestrian safety and preserving the functionality of Center destinations but also harmonizes with the natural environment and creates more quality open spaces for dining, recreation, and enjoyment.”

Jason Schrieber, senior principal with Stantec, reviewed the draft plan with members of CPED. “The end of plan talks about conceptual improvements at a few locations. They’re just concepts for what can happen,” he said.

Schrieber said the concepts aren’t even in the design stage yet, and the implementation of further updates will be an ongoing process and must include coordination with the community – the public as well as West Hartford Center stakeholders. Stantec recommends temporary pilots where possible, and outlined short-, mid-, and long-term recommendations that also note in general the costliness of each improvement.

Updates to North and South Main Street – like creating a round-about or peanut-about, which will be high cost – are not scheduled to happen imminently, with Stantec recommending initiation of the concept designs process in one to three years, followed by securing funding in the three- to five-year or even 10-year timeframe, once the option is selected.

Ledwith said the West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan is just a draft, and will be discussed further with CPED before being finalized. There are some great thoughts and ideas, and conceptual plans for how to integrate North Main, South Main, and Unity Green, he said.

While the work underway right now is funded by ARPA,”We are working on another grant separate from this to connect Trout Brook Trail to the Center,” he added.

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