Main Street and Roundabout Project Survey
October 16, 2024 | Jonathon Gardner
Written by Jonathon Gardner – IVCBA’s Community Engagement Liason
In an effort to provide more structure to improvements made around Incline Village, IVCBA reached out to an organization known as Main Street. This organization has a strong presence at the state level and continues up to a national organization. The Main Street program is focused on enhancing the economic vitality and quality of life in traditional commercial districts, particularly in small towns and rural areas. As you may already know, Incline Village is considered a rural area by most definitions.
Established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the 1980s, the program promotes a holistic, community-driven approach that integrates economic development with cultural preservation and tourism. The program is structured around a Four-Point Approach—Economic Vitality, Design, Promotion, and Organization—and emphasizes engaging local stakeholders in planning and implementation efforts. This ensures that revitalization initiatives reflect the community’s values while fostering a strong sense of identity and encouraging investment in local businesses.
We have experimented with the Main Street organization for the last year or so and have found that it provides great blueprints for the successful implementation of community improvement projects. It aligns well with the desires of our community as well as the mission of IVCBA. The program can bolster the local economy by supporting local businesses that cater to both residents and visitors. Our Main Street program has helped several Design initiatives throughout the community and will continue to enhance the aesthetics of commercial areas through improved signage, beautification efforts, and other projects that resonate with the village’s beautiful surroundings. Through collaboration with residents, business owners, and local organizations, Incline Village can create a vibrant community atmosphere.
The Incline Village Main Street is working on several projects, one in particular is the Roundabout, and we have entered the phase where we need your opinions and feedback. Please take the Roundabout survey. Your input is critical for the success of these projects. Please see the brief description of the project below The survey has more information as well.
Roundabout project overview:
Stemming from conversations with many community members, Incline Village Main Street has set out to beautify the Roundabout. I have heard many times that people wished that the roundabout was more welcoming and beautiful. I have also seen several cars who have crashed into the roundabout and hit a bronze statue or something else.
There is no water and no electricity currently plumbed to that space. The plants that are in the roundabout have mostly died and withered away. Is there a better solution?
At the beginning of the year, the Incline Village Main Street formed a small focus group consisting of landscape designers, engineers, architects and other interested community members. We discussed the important functions of a roundabout for a community as well as the opportunities roundabouts present to unite people by creating a sense of place. We spoke with representatives from Washoe County as well as NDOT. We even walked the property several times with those in charge of transportation safety at TRPA.
Some of our early conversations discussed relocating the bronze statues to a safer location (such as the public library) so that they could be enjoyed by children. Some members of the community spoke up against that idea suggesting that the statues should remain in the roundabout.
Our goal has always been to unite the community by beautifying the roundabout and making it safer. We do not have a final design for the roundabout at this juncture, but with the help of the community, we are getting closer to a viable solution.
We seek YOUR help at this point. Please complete the survey linked here. On the survey, you’ll see a working concept for an idea of what the roundabout could look like. We hope to make the roundabout safer and more beautiful. We hope that it will serve as a welcoming representation of our little corner of paradise here in Incline Village. Your input is greatly appreciated.
