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When residents are asked the question, “What one factor most influences the character of Danville?” the answer comes back quickly: The weather!
Weather is central to farmers’ concerns and has influenced the design and construction of buildings, the success or failure of the local economy, the social and political structure of the community and the safety and efficiency of modes of transportation ever since the Town’s charter in 1786.
With this in mind, the artists worked closely with members of the LRC and other groups and individuals in town to examine how this very important, yet often overlooked elemental factor has left its mark on the four components of everyday life in Danville: community, tradition, agriculture and transportation.
After addressing issues of public safety and accessibility, their mission was to bring a sense of visual unity to these different subjects in a very practical way that is sensitive to and respectful of the community.
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Working to advance and preserve the arts at the center of Vermont communities.
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 The term “traffic calming” is an important component of many highway projects in Vermont, especially in communities struggling to ‘calm’ or slow traffic through their historic village centers. (CLICK ON THE MAPS ON THIS PAGE TO SEE LARGER IMAGES).
Equally important in this approach to transportation planning are the compatible goals of restoring aesthetic qualities and improving pedestrian safety in village centers. Proven traffic calming methods employed in the Danville Project include roadway alterations such as gateways, dividing islands, curb extensions, textured crosswalks and managed access to individual properties through shared or limited curb cuts. In addition, a newly signalized intersection is planned where Route 2 crosses Peacham Road at the village Green.
Streetscape design also plays an important role in traffic calming with enhancements such as lighting, signage and landscaping, which reinforce village ambience and at the same time improve aesthetics and human comfort.
Taken together, these initiatives enhance the historic attributes and pedestrian scale of the village and help to keep it a vibrant, satisfying place to live and work, as well as to visit.
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| + GATEWAYS |
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TRAFFIC SAFETY & GATEWAYS -
At the eastern and western approaches to Danville on Route 2, ‘Gateways’ with signage, landscaping, granite posts and sidewalk markers are planned to alert motorists that they are entering into a village center and should adjust their driving styles accordingly.
The drawing at left indicates the location of sample gateways at the town limits.
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| + GRANITE POSTS |
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 A series of simple, rational and engaging granite posts will be set at certain junctures of the Project to indicate the perimeter of the village and at key locations to define the boundaries of the Green.
 This type of traditional granite fence post was once common in Danville’s traditionally agrarian landscape. The stone markers will also serve as added traffic calming devices.
Inlaid with bas reliefs or photographs and weather-related themes, the granite posts will commemorate Danville’s history and diversity and will reflect the community’s past, present and future.
The granite posts along the new sidewalks and on the Green invite interaction with the site in a way that offers relevant history, appropriate function and an opportunity for reflection.
Durability of materials and ease of maintenance are concerns that are also addressed in the plan.
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| + THE GREEN |
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Simplifying traffic patterns through and around the Green restores the integrity of this four-acre parcel of common land in the heart of the Village.
Aesthetic enhancements planned include a completely renovated Bandstand, two low stone retaining walls that also function as seating or picnic areas, new benches, and a more appropriate base for the historic Water Trough.
 The combined effect of the design proposals for the Green is to build on the tradition of a space shared by all for the common good, and by so doing, to reinforce village ambience and support traffic calming on the highway.
Use of granite as the common, unifying material for nearly all the proposed enhancements pays tribute to the geology and early industry of Danville, and is a strong, practical and native material that is easily worked and requires little if any maintenance.
The community’s wish for the Green to remain open, uncluttered and accessible was one of the guiding factors in this plan.
 As a result, about 90-95% of the Green will be left open as it is today for future generations, to allow for the diverse uses it has traditionally accommodated.
All of the proposed enhancements incorporate input and suggestions from the community, and are intended to respect, benefit and celebrate the citizens and history of Danville.
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| + BANDSTAND |
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 The Bandstand is an historical and integral piece of the landscape of the Village that serves as a focal point of the Green.
 It marks the center of community commemorations of town events such as concerts, weddings, Memorial Day and Fourth of July celebrations, Autumn on the Green and Danville Fair Days.
 A review of historical images shows a bandstand as one relatively constant landmark on the Green; all other parts we identify as elements of the Green (trees, monuments, roadways, walkways, fences) have changed over time.
 As a practical landmark, the Bandstand reinforces the sense of ‘village’ and by so doing, serves as an effective traffic-calming device and contributes to the safety and security of the community.
 The rehabilitation of the Green’s planted landscape and consequent revitalization of this important public space calls for some simple renovation and upgrading of the existing Bandstand to enhance its structure and function. Another weather-related element, such as a simple thermometer, is proposed for the peak of the Bandstand. This practical, functional device pays tribute to and celebrates the community’s agricultural heritage and its relationship to Danville’s climate.
 Proposed enhancement of the Bandstand will provide wheelchair accessibility, allow for a somewhat larger floor space for performances and recognize the six communities that constitute greater Danville, with the name of each engraved into the lintel just below the roof. And most importantly, the enhancement will restore to the Bandstand a finished and dignified appearance, with the grace it has maintained throughout history.
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| + MAP OF THE MOUNTAINS |
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Capitalizing on the spectacular views of the White Mountains’ Presidential Range to the east, the Map of the Mountains will display the visible range in relief, carved from marble by sculptors Nancy Diefenbach and Andrea Wasserman. The map will be located at the western terminus of the new sidewalk, behind the school on a knoll affording maximum visibility. Each discernible peak on the relief will be identified by name and with elevations indicated.
A weather-related sculptural element is also planned along the sidewalk in front of the school.
< P:\PICTURES\Danville\website ii > AE1, Mapmarker
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| + LANDSCAPING |
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 Preliminary designs for the landscape enhancements to the Danville Green and the Route 2 corridor were approved by the Danville Board of Selectmen in February 2002. Danville has a long history of tree-lined streets and plantings on the historic Green, and the Project designers reviewed historic photos and worked closely with Local Review Committee members, state transportation planners and local residents to develop the plan for landscape enhancements.
 With the removal of Brainerd Street extension, the spatial integrity of the Green will be restored, resulting in an Upper Green and a Lower Green divided by Peacham Road. The lower Green will be extensively regraded resulting in more practically useable space for community activities.
On the Green itself, proposed new plantings are designed to help buffer the area from highway noise, add variety and interest to the species mix present, and provide replacement trees as existing trees age and need to be removed. 
A range of species native to the region is proposed for the length of the Project, including: maple, ash, elm, shadbush, oak, larch, spruce and hardy rugosa roses.
The planting plan has been carefully developed to ensure that it will complement the activities and annual events that traditionally take place on the Green, such as the Farmers’ Market and Danville Fair Days.
Representatives of these and other groups were invited to present their needs and concerns to the Design Team and review the proposals, and their input was incorporated into the resulting plan.
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| + LIGHTING |
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 New, energy efficient, village-scaled lighting fixtures are also proposed for Route 2 and the village center. The new lighting is part of the initiative to underground the utility lines along the highway and around the Green. The design and engineering of the lighting levels and coverage will result in safer and more consistent illumination than presently exists. The new sidewalks will be sufficiently lit and ensure that pedestrians and schoolchildren will have adequate lighting levels during the dark afternoons of winter and on summer evenings as well.
Lower pole heights (12-14 feet) and softer illumination controlled by either timers or photocells will be provided around the Green, and higher poles (16-18 feet) and brighter illumination levels are planned for locations adjacent to the highway and new sidewalks. As an added benefit, electrical outlets will be installed in the poles around the Green, facilitating the use of power for the Fair and Farmers’ Market as well as other special events on the Green.
A number of historic lighting style options was presented to the Local Review Committee and a classic “acorn style” lamp mounted on a simple dark green post and base was approved for the fixture housing and pole.
PDFs of lamp drawings
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| + SEATING |
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 A number of historic and contemporary styles of Benches were presented to the LRC for consideration, and the Committee chose one style of metal and wood, and another of granite. A number of these benches will be placed on both the upper and lower Green and will provide seating areas in addition to those created by the low stone walls in the lower Green. In October 2002, the Selectboard gave their initial approval to the Committee’s recommendation.
View PDF of architectural plans (refer to the Circle and Ampitheatre Retaining Wall Detail, Circle Plan and Section portions of plan)
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| + ENGINEERED INFRASTRUCTURE |
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Technical information including drawings, schematics or other graphic representations of the engineered aspects of the Danville Project, including: information about permitting and an overview of the proposed Engineering timeline for the Project along with a brief narrative outlining safety considerations and/or influencing factors, and/or descriptions of different aspects of the current design plan, and/or other considerations that impact on engineering decisions may be obtained by contacting Gary Santy for consultant Stantec at 802.864.0223.
View Project Map by STANTEC (PDF)
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