The Beverley Street Streetscape - Based Upon Historical Precedence

HSF Response to Intersection Changes Proposed for Beverley Street

Historic Staunton Foundation (HSF) reviewed the 30% complete project drawings for traffic calming funded through the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) STARS Program Study. Scheduled for construction in 2027, the current proposal introduces contemporary roadway designs that dismantle Staunton’s award-winning Downtown Streetscape developed between 1998 and 2004.

HSF notes a critical disconnect between the project and officially adopted streetscape and historic preservation policies.
The STARS study noted the word “historic” once in reference to survey responses to high visibility crosswalks. “Concerns regarding context sensitive application due to historical character.”
Did the participants understand that high visibility means reflective paint for drivers? The existing crosswalks are clearly visible and tactile for pedestrians.
Streetscape is mentioned once subjectively supporting bump outs – “sidewalk bump-outs to increase streetscape opportunities”
Main Street is not mentioned
One-way streets were mentioned 14 times, but the analysis does not acknowledge safety issues typically associated with one-way streets.
The study analysis does not address vehicle speed.
The Stakeholder Group does not appear to include representatives from SDDA’s Design Committee.

We urge the City of Staunton to pause, reconsider the current Intersection Project, and pivot toward alternative traffic-calming strategies that preserve the city’s historic character and acknowledge the Streetscape Plan while effectively managing traffic.

Historic Staunton Foundation requests that the City of Staunton address four pivotal questions before moving forward:

1. Can the project be adapted to address traffic calming without destroying streetscape elements based upon historical precedent?
2. Can the project be adapted to retain, repair, and maintain existing streetscape elements including brick crosswalks and stone curbing?
3. Can traffic calming be shifted to occur before automobiles enter the downtown section of Beverley Street?
4. Can the plan better address connections with adjacent commercial areas and surrounding neighborhoods?

Adopted 2004 Downtown Streetscape – Background

In 2004, the City of Staunton officially adopted an updated Downtown Streetscape Plan. Built upon historic precedents and aligned with Virginia Main Street guidelines, this plan served as the foundation for the historic district’s aesthetic and economic revival. The Staunton Downtown Development Association’s Design Committee spearheaded each streetscape project working with City staff for Beverley, Augusta, Market, and Churchville Avenue. The committee included architects, landscape architects, city planners, historians, historic preservationists, local businesses and property owners.
The implementation of this plan created specific, quality streetscape elements:

Brick sidewalks, paver crosswalks and granite curbing
Accessible ramps textured with exposed stone aggregate
Compatible lighting, poles based upon Staunton’s historic examples, and buried power lines

Click To See Video

This cohesive environment directly resulted in Staunton becoming the first Virginia community to win the “Great American Main Street Award,” subsequently drawing multimillion-dollar rehabilitation projects, the attention of the American Shakespeare Center, and Heifetz International Music Institute.
However, discussions with city staff revealed they were unaware of the adopted 2004 Downtown Streetscape Plan. Recent statements note the City does not need to consider historic character when working within the public right-of-way. This demonstrates a lack of recognition for prior design and implementation work that revitalized Staunton’s successful core.

Historical Precedents and the Virginia Main Street Guide

VIRGINIA MAIN STREET DESIGN GUIDE – DOWNTOWN DESIGN CHARACTER AND GUIDING DESIGN PRINCIPLES
The following guiding design principles, gathered from a variety of resources, apply to all our historic downtowns:
Applicable:

Retain, preserve, and maintain the historic character of the downtown district including the individual buildings and character defining public spaces;
Support and promote public improvements that retain/restore the historic character of the district;
When planning any new building or streetscape improvements, the design should be compatible with and complement the historic context but not create false historicism;
Maintenance is an important aspect of downtown design whether existing buildings, private sites, or public streetscape areas.

Current 30% Proposal – Click for Results of the STARS STUDY

The proposed changes rely on urban design models that conflict with the spatial and physical realities of a historic district.

Key concerns include:
• Mandated accessible ramp sizes will not physically fit at certain intersections due to the tight spacing between historic buildings and street corners.
• Proposed diagonal crosswalks fail to accommodate accessibility requirements.
• The current layout requires the removal of installed crosswalks and curbing, while adding materials that are inconsistent with the existing streetscape.

Additionally, public confusion surrounds the project’s ultimate goals. While the STARS study was never intended to transition Beverley Street into a permanent pedestrian mall, public comments indicate that mistaken belief. HSF notes that 85-90% of such pedestrian malls failed nationwide; therefore, we urge the City to explicitly state there is no intent to create a pedestrian mall.

Beverley Historic District – National Register of Historic Places

The Downtown Streetscape Plan is based upon historic precedents from Staunton’s authentic history, as required for Main Street designs. The downtown portion of Beverley Street is located in the Beverley National Historic District. Typically, we utilize Staunton’s Historic District Guidelines and the Secretary of Interior Guidelines for Rehabilitation to guide decisions affecting the character of the historic district.
Page I-4 C. The Comprehensive Plan & The Design Guidelines “Also, important to historic structures is the surrounding landscape elements, which need to reflect the context of the site and the structure in terms of materials and land form.”
Page I-5 “D. Historic Districts’ Goals”
“#8. Respect the existing physical street patterns and lot orientation of the historic districts.”
“#9. Ensure that zoning and other City regulations support the preservation goals of the historic districts.”

Historic Cultural Landscape

NPS – Setting the Scene: A Guide to Cultural Landscapes

Historic designed landscapes are those that were consciously designed or laid out by a landscape architect, architect, engineer, or horticulturalist according to design principles or styles. They also include those associated with important persons, trends, or events in the history of landscape architecture.
Historic vernacular landscapes illustrate people’s values toward and connections with the land and reflect patterns of settlement, use, and development over time. Aesthetic values play less of a role in vernacular landscapes, while function and use over time contributes considerably to the layout of these landscapes.
The Secretary of Interior Guidelines for Setting apply in this situation.

Alterations and Additions for a New Use
Recommended Treatments:

Designing new features (such as parking areas, access ramps, or lighting), when required by a new use, so that they are as unobtrusive as possible, retain the historic relationships between buildings and the landscape in the setting, and are compatible with the historic character of the setting.
Designing new exterior additions to historic buildings or adjacent new construction that are compatible with the historic character of the setting that preserve the historic relationship between the buildings and the landscape.
Removing non-significant buildings, additions, or landscape features which detract from the historic character of the setting.

Treatments not Recommended:

Locating parking areas directly adjacent to historic buildings where vehicles may cause damage to buildings or landscape features or when they negatively impact the historic character of the setting if landscape features and plant materials are removed.
Introducing new construction into historic districts which is visually incompatible or that destroys historic relationships within the setting, or which damages or destroys important landscape features.
Removing a historic building, a building feature, or landscape feature which is important in defining the historic character of the setting.

Beverley Street 1920s Colorized Postcard

The Evening Leader (Staunton, Virginia) · Thu, Sep 5, 1946.

Yes – Staunton’s one-way streets date to plans made in 1946 and further implemented in 1956. Transportation planner goals were to move autos through downtown quickly and efficiently.

Alternatives

Traffic calming is necessary, but it should reverse outdated engineering rather than significant alteration of the intended streetscape. The current fast paced traffic entering downtown is a direct result of traffic patterns implemented in 1946 to move automobiles quickly via one-way and overly widened streets.

State Smart Transportation Initiative – “Two-way streets have been found to be safer than one-way streets. One-way streets correlate with higher speeds and decreased levels of driver attention. Pedestrians prefer crossing two-way streets since drivers tend to travel more slowly on them, and vehicular conflicts are more predictable.”

“Wade Walker, an engineer with Kittelson & Associates: “Pedestrians crossing a signalized intersection of two-way streets can expect to encounter vehicles in a certain sequence: those turning left on green, traveling straight, and turning right on red. But when one-way streets are included, there are 16 potential sequences depending on the type and direction of the roads that intersect, Walker said – “It’s not the number of conflicts, it’s the way those conflicts occur,” Why Cities Are Reverting 1-Way Streets Back to Their Original 2-Way Design By Jeff McMurray | January 23, 2026

HSF proposes a blend of compatible and functional alternatives – Instead of installing heavy concrete bump-outs:

• Two-Way Traffic Restoration: Returning streets entering downtown to two-way traffic with on-street parking will naturally reverse the 1946 inherent one-way street speeding.
• Lowered Speed Limits: Leveraging a 2024 VDOT policy change, the City could immediately and cost-effectively lower the posted speed and enforce 15 mph.
• Raised Intersections: These feature integrated crosswalks that provide universal accessibility while naturally slowing cars. They also allow the use of brick pavers set in historic patterns discovered locally, reflecting 19th and early 20th-century precedents.
• Illuminated Walking Surfaces: Utilizing required safety bollards at corners to house shielded lighting elements provides a desired amenity that supports pedestrian safety.

The STARS Study noted the West Beverley and Lewis intersection – “This intersection had the highest number of recorded crashes out of all ten study intersections.”

Though the City may face imposed fees for VDOT’s 30% drawings, these obligations should be mitigated through proactive negotiations.

Starting with implementing a two-way West Beverley Street between Jefferson and Lewis Streets and lowering the downtown speed limit, leaves open options for narrowed or raised intersections in the future at a fraction of the current proposal's cost.

Raised Intersection Alternative - No Bump Outs

Raised intersection

Raised Intersection Alternative - Minimize Bump Outs

Raised intersections create a safe, slow-speed crossing and public space at minor intersections. Similar to speed humps and other vertical speed control elements, they reinforce slow speeds and encourage motorists to yield to pedestrians at the crosswalk.