A commercial center is a shopping center away from the town center. At one of the first charrette focus group meetings, the community said Maple Valley needed commercial centers that have a different character from the town center. The examples favored for commercial center buildings are two national chain stores designed to reflect the character of their neighborhoods.

Score: +2.1

The highest score was given to a 7-Eleven in an historic Boston neighborhood near the harbor. The architectural style of the building and the design of the street enhances the neighborhood's character. Rather than being set back from the street to accommodate a large parking lot, the storefronts are adjacent to the sidewalk and enhance this relationship through attractive streetscape features such as wide sidewalks, ground floor windows, awnings, pedestrian scale lighting, brick pavers and well marked crosswalks.

Respondents liked the Safeway grocery store with elements at street level to attract pedestrians. Although it is a big-box store, the design of the building and adjacent street makes it attractive for pedestrians as well as cars. Similar to the 7-Eleven, the Safeway has ground floor windows, signs and plantings that are interesting to pedestrians.

Score: -1.7

The building liked least is a QFC of similar size and scale to the Safeway but with an entirely different design treatment. The large expanse of blank wall holds no interest for pedestrians. The children responded favorable to the QFC photo because of the size of the trees. This shows the impact street trees can have on a blank wall.

Score: -4.6

The more traditional strip mall development with blank walls and large parking lots facing the street was not favored.

As Facilitated and Recorded by Walkable Communities, Inc.
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E-mail comments to Gregory J. McCormick
       AICP, Director of Community Development.