Second in a series by Cliff Lewis

In the next decade, James Street Improvement District president Lisa Riggs hopes to see more of the same within the organization’s territory. “When we think about where the community could be five or ten years from now, you take an already pretty incredible residential base, and you grow it,” Riggs said. Specifically, she sees this process being driven by a growing ‘connectivity’ between various city neighborhoods and services.

With the $12 million renovation of Lancaster Amtrak station and new city blocks to be patched into former industrial sites, Riggs expects new and improved physical connections to bring considerable growth to the city’s north and northeast. “Even for those of us who have general knowledge of the projects, it’s hard for us to get our arms around how that’s going to change the community landscape,” Riggs said, “But it no doubt will.”

It should come as no surprise that the JSID’s next big initiative is all about connecting district neighborhoods with increased quality-of-life amenities.

“How do you get people from these neighborhoods out here?,” Riggs hypothetically asked while pointing to Long’s Park on a large map of the JSID territory. The park, though owned by Lancaster City, is virtually inaccessible to city pedestrians. “It’s not that long of a distance,” Riggs noted, “It should be accessible somehow.”

The solution proposed by the JSID is the development of a designated pedestrian trail that would link city neighborhoods to the park. As for where this trail will begin and what course it will take along the way, Riggs remains uncertain. It could simply track alongside Harrisburg Pike, Riggs said, or it could extend from the city’s west end into Buchanan Park and then follow the Farmingdale Trails to Farmingdale Road and, finally, end at the park.

“We’re not trying to be coy,” Riggs asserted, “We really don’t know….I think that’s where we need someone to look at this and say, ‘If you want to go here, here are the requirements to make Harrisburg Pike safe and accessible…Here’s what that looks like in terms of cost and practicality.’ Our other option is, ‘You’re going to need a right-of-way and an easement from these 52 property owners, etc.’”

The question of where the trail should begin is no less difficult, Riggs noted: “Whatever we come up with in terms of connectivity has to be something that actually makes sense for this group of people. We can’t necessarily solve it for every father and son or mother and daughter, but it needs to be accessible to them.”

Riggs said that she is often asked if the JSID—or a new group of its kind—may ever begin working in other, perhaps less ‘happening,’ sections of Lancaster City. For two reasons, Riggs said, it is unlikely that a group like the JSID will take hold in other parts of the city: Firstly, as the JSID thrives on contributions from large institutions—like F&M and LGH—within its territory, many other parts of Lancaster are not so fortunate; Secondly, the JSID model may not be ideal for neighborhoods with their own unique challenges and opportunities.

“I think there’s a real need for some further community discussion about our priorities in various neighborhoods and what sort of organizational structure would be ideal. And then that needs to be aligned with what resources are available and how to best deploy them,” Riggs said, “Those are tough discussions, but we’re certainly mindful of that.”