Plans to enhance the town’s general business district have taken its next steps toward becoming reality, Director of Development Cody Haddad announced at a Feb. 7 Select Board meeting.

Last year, the town was selected to be part of the Local Rapid Recovery Planning process, a state grant program that sends consultants to communities to help them gauge business conditions and consider possible improvements. 

The study area included the town’s general business district along Route 6.

“We were the largest geographic study area in the state,” Haddad noted.

Throughout 2021 the town, in partnership with a design firm, conducted business surveys and held public meetings to see what kind of improvements they’d like to see the town make.

Officials found through the outreach that while business properties in Dartmouth are generally in good condition, they could benefit from being more pedestrian friendly through more outdoor events and services.

Currently, access to the majority of businesses in the study area are geared toward automobile traffic and indoor use.

If businesses were to allow for more pedestrian access, Haddad said it would allow more potential for shoppers to check out more nearby stores.

“It’s something that we can certainly work on,” Haddad said.

Another way to improve the business district, Haddad said, is to develop a branding identity for the town.

The idea, he said, would be to draw on local and cultural themes, along with promoting Dartmouth’s distinct villages through more visible signages and entries.

“You get off the highway and we want you to know you’re in Dartmouth,” Haddad said.

Another idea is to collaborate with UMass Dartmouth to temporarily activate some of the town’s vacant storefronts with student art displays and exhibitions.

“It’s really something we can go after quite easily,” Haddad said.

Select Board Vice Chair David Tatelbaum said he was in favor of the plans. He said if there’s enough collaboration, Dartmouth could benefit greatly from the proposals.

“I think you may get a lot more people, retailers, and national companies on board to participate in whatever we end up doing,” he said.

Board member Stanley Mickelson said while he supports the ideas Haddad presented, he had concerns that due to the size of the business district, it “would be a lot more difficult for us to entertain an exciting way to show off our town.”

However, he said he was comfortable with the proposal to develop the town’s brand.

“That’s something I think we should look into,” Mickelson said

The next steps, Haddad said, is to have the town’s Development Office narrow down which projects to get started on and apply for state grants to fund those improvements.

“We’re really excited,” he said. “This is a really good thing for Dartmouth.”