THE WEST END NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN

MAN SF I E L D, O H I O
O CTOBE R 2 0 2 0

PREPARED FOR:
THE CITY OF MANSFIELD
RICHLAND COUNTY LAND BANK
RICHLAND COUNTY DEVELOPMENT GROUP
PREPARED BY:
West End & Glessner Corridor
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I N T R O DUCTI ON
Project Limits 1
Planning Process 2

N E I G H B ORHOOD RE COM ME NDATIONS

Street Typologies 3
Primary Streets: Mixed-Use / Commercial 4
Primary Streets: Retail 5
Primary Streets: Residential 6
Secondary Streets: Traditional 7
Secondary Streets: Non-traditional 8
Alleys 9

G L ES S NE R AV E RE COMME NDATIONS
Glessner Avenue Influences 11
Glessner Avenue Framework 12
Phase 1 Improvements 13-20
Implementation Plan 21

City of Mansfield
West End & Glessner Corridor
INTRODUCTION
The West End neighborhood of Mansfield is
located south and west of the downtown
core and includes a diverse pattern of
streets and land uses. While predominantly
a residential neighborhood, many other
land uses can be found along major
corridors including significant institutions PARK AVENUE WEST
such as Ohio Health Mansfield Hospital
and the St. Peter’s School. Like many

STURGES AVENUE
aging districts, the neighborhood has
suffered in the past from disinvestment and
UE
abandonment. As such, the neighborhood VEN WEST SECOND STREET
ONA
has become a high priority for the City of MARI
Mansfield in terms of strategic investments

BLYMYER AVENUE
and partnerships.

SOUTH MAIN STREET

WOOD STREET
WEST FIRST STREET

CARPENTER ROAD
This plan represents a significant step

VENNUM AVENUE

LIND AVENUE
forward by preparing a “blueprint” to guide

COLUMBIA AVENUE
ARTHUR AVENUE
neighborhood investment for the long-term

POPLAR STREET
while focusing on near-term action steps.
BARTLEY AVENUE

The plan establishes standards for public

streets throughout the neighborhood while
focusing on specific improvements to
one of its most critical corridors – Glessner
Avenue.

GLESSNER AVENUE
P R OJECT L IMITS
The limits of this plan are generally Marion
Avenue/Park Avenue West to the west and
north, South Main Street to the east, and
Glessner Avenue to the south. This plan LE G E N D
focuses specifically on the public right-of- PROJECT LIMITS
way of the streets found within the West End
neighborhood. This allows the City to align
and prioritize potential funding opportunities
toward the most impactful improvement
projects.

City of Mansfield 1
P LANNING PROCE SS
The West End Neighborhood Plan was
initiated in April of 2020. An Advisory Group
was established with representatives
from the City of Mansfield, the Richland
County Land Bank, and the Richland
County Development Group. Several
video conferences were held to review
the analysis of the existing conditions
of the neighborhood and potential
recommendations for improvements. In July
of 2020, a stakeholder meeting was held
to review and comment on the preliminary
recommendations. Based on this input, a
final plan was developed with preliminary
budgets for the near-term improvements.

The Advisory Group provided key input PRIMARY STREETS : MIXED-USE / COMMERCIAL
PRIMARY STREETS: Mixed-use/Commercial

that led to the following principles that

• Park Avenue
• Marion Avenue
• South Main Street
• South Mulberry Street

would guide the recommendations for Preliminary Guidelines:

• Restore curbs, walks, and ramps

improvements to the public realm and

• Manage vehicular access points
• Consider a “road diet”
• Update street lighting

specifically, to Glessner Avenue.

• Establish tree lawns/trees where feasible

1. Create a SAFE + ACCESSIBLE public

streetscape
2. Establish a neighborhood IMAGE + PRIMARY STREETS : RETAIL
PRIMARY STREETS: Mixed-use/Commercial
• Park Avenue

IDENTITY • Marion Avenue

• South Main Street
• South Mulberry Street

3. Provide solutions that are DURABLE +

Preliminary Guidelines:
• Restore curbs, walks, and ramps
• Manage vehicular access points

MAINTAINABLE
• Consider a “road diet”
• Update street lighting
• Establish tree lawns/trees where feasible

PRIMARY STREETS : RESIDENTIAL

PRIMARY STREETS: Residential
• West First Street (60’ r.o.w.)
• West Second Street (60’ r.o.w.)
• Sturges Avenue (80’ r.o.w.)
• Wood Street (50’ r.o.w.)

Preliminary Guidelines:
• Restore curbs, walks, and ramps
• Update street lighting
• Establish street trees, where feasible

PRIMARY STREETS
TRADITIONAL RESIDENTIAL

CONCEPTUAL STREET SECTIONS

WEST END / GLESSNER CORRIDOR STUDY

MANSFIELD, OHIO

2 West End & Glessner Corridor

NEIGHBORHOOD RECOMMENDATIONS
Over time, public roadway and
streetscape improvements will be prioritized
throughout the City and within the specific

SOUTH WALNUT STREET

neighborhood of the West End. As funding
becomes available for these projects, it is
important that the West End neighborhood
has a shared vision for how each specific PARK AVENUE WEST
street should be improved.

STR EET TY P OLOGIE S

STURGES AVENUE
UE
A VEN
The neighborhood consists of a wide variety R ION
MA

CARPENTER ROAD
of street types. Some streets such as Marion WEST SECOND STREET

WOOD STREET

BLYMYER AVENUE
Avenue and Park Avenue West consist of

SOUTH MAIN STREET

commercial land uses and high volumes

VENNUM AVENUE
of traffic while many other streets are

LIND AVENUE
dominated by residential land uses with on- WEST FIRST STREET

POPLAR STREET
street parking and tree lawns with sidewalks.

Y STREET
COLUMBIA AVENUE
BARTLEY AVENUE

With a variety of street types, there is also

ARTHUR AVENUE
inconsistency in how similar streets are

CROUSE STREET
DISTL AVENUE
treated. Curbs, sidewalks, streetlights, and

SOUTH MULBERR
street trees are all elements of the typical
street but may be applied differently based
on the function of the street. The following
exhibit categorizes the streets of the West GLESSNER AVENUE
End into distinct types. Guidelines and
typical cross-sections are then provided for
each street type.

L EGE ND
PRIMARY STREETS

SECONDARY STREETS

ALLEYS

City of Mansfield 3
P R IMA RY S TRE E TS: M IXE D U S E / C O MMER C I A L
C LA S S I F I E D S T RE E TS P ROTOTY PICAL S T RE E T S E CT IO N
PARK AVENUE
MARION AVENUE DECORATIVE STREET
SOUTH MAIN STREET LIGHT (ON EXISTING
POLE)
SOUTH MULBERRY STREET

G U ID EL I N ES
• RESTORE CURBS, WALKS AND RAMPS
• MANAGE VEHICULAR ACCESS POINTS STREET
TREE
• CONSIDER A “ROAD DIET”
• UPDATE STREET LIGHTING
• ESTABLISH TREE LAWNS / TREES WHERE
SMALL STREET TREE
FEASIBLE (BELOW EXISTING
UTILITY LINES)

CONSIDERATION OF A “ROAD DIET”

Many communities have been transforming
corridors that once had much larger
volumes of traffic through the use of a
“road diet”. Before making improvements
to any of the Primary Streets within the
West End, consideration should be given ROAD BEFORE
to how the street could best function in the
future for both vehicles and pedestrians. Is
the road wider than necessary based on
current and anticipated traffic volumes?
If so, consider opportunities to relocate
the curb(s) to enhance the pedestrian
streetscape and/or add dedicated bike
lane(s) within the street. ROAD AFTER

4 West End & Glessner Corridor

P R IMA RY S TRE E TS: RE TA IL
C LA S S I F I E D S T RE E TS P ROTOT YPICAL S T RE E T S E CT IO N
PARK AVENUE
MARION AVENUE
SOUTH MAIN STREET
SOUTH MULBERRY STREET

G U ID EL I N ES
STREET TREE IN TREE GRATES
• RESTORE CURBS, WALKS AND RAMPS (IN CURBED PLANTERS IF
• MANAGE VEHICULAR ACCESS POINTS DIMENSION EXCEEDS 12’-0”)

• CONSIDER A “ROAD DIET”

• UPDATE STREET LIGHTING
• ESTABLISH TREE LAWNS / TREES WHERE
FEASIBLE

DECORATIVE STREET LIGHT

(TO MATCH DOWNTOWN
STANDARD)

City of Mansfield 5
P R IMA RY S TRE E TS: RE SID E NT I A L
C LA S S I F I E D S T RE E TS P ROTOT YPICAL S T RE E T S E CT IO N
WEST FIRST STREET (60’ r.o.w.)
DECORATIVE STREET
WEST SECOND STREET (60’ r.o.w.) LIGHT (ON EXISTING
STURGES AVENUE (80’ r.o.w.) POLE)

WOOD STREET (50’ r.o.w.)

G U ID EL I N ES
• RESTORE CURBS, WALKS AND RAMPS STREET
• UPDATE STREET LIGHTING TREE
• ESTABLISH TREE LAWNS / TREES WHERE
FEASIBLE

SMALL STREET TREE

(BELOW EXISTING
UTILITY LINES)

ROAD BEFORE ROAD AFTER

6 West End & Glessner Corridor

SECONDARY STRE E TS: TRA DI T I O NA L R ES I D ENT I A L
C LA S S I F I E D S T RE E TS P ROTOT YPICAL S T RE E T S E CT IO N
POPLAR STREET (50’ r.o.w.)
VENNUM AVENUE (60’ r.o.w.) DECORATIVE STREET
LIGHT (ON EXISTING
CARPENTER ROAD (60’ r.o.w.) POLE)
BLYMYER AVENUE (50’ r.o.w.)
COLUMBIA AVENUE (60’ r.o.w.)
CROUSE STREET (60’ r.o.w.)

STREET
G U ID EL I N ES TREE
• RESTORE CURBS, WALKS AND RAMPS
• UPDATE STREET LIGHTING
• ESTABLISH TREE LAWNS / TREES WHERE
FEASIBLE SMALL STREET TREE
(BELOW EXISTING
UTILITY LINES)

City of Mansfield 7
SECONDARY STRE E TS: N ON - T R A D I T I O NA L R ES I D ENT I A L
C LA S S I F I E D S T RE E TS P ROTOT YPICAL S T RE E T S E CT IO N
LIND AVENUE (35’ r.o.w.)
DECORATIVE STREET
ARTHUR AVENUE (40’ r.o.w.) LIGHT (ON EXISTING
DISTL AVENUE (30’ r.o.w.) POLE)

AUGUSTINE AVENUE (18’ r.o.w.)

WILLIAMS AVENUE (18’ r.o.w.)
WEST ARCH STREET (16’ r.o.w.)
STREET TREES STREET TREES
G U ID EL I N ES (IN FRONT YARDS) (IN FRONT YARDS)

• UPDATE STREET LIGHTING

• ESTABLISH PEDESTRIAN WALK ON ONE
SIDE OF THE STREET
• ENCOURAGE SHADE TREE PLANTING IN
PRIVATE FRONT YARDS

8 West End & Glessner Corridor

A LLEY
C LA S S I F I E D S T RE E TS
FULLER COURT
SPRUCE STREET
ADDITIONAL UNNAMED PUBLIC
RIGHT-OF-WAYS

G U ID EL I N ES
• MAINTAIN VEGETATION TO ESTABLISH
VISUAL SURVEILLANCE
• UPDATE OR ESTABLISH LIGHTING FOR
SECURITY

TY P IC A L C H A R AC TE RI STI CS
• LIMITED RIGHT-OF-WAY
• LOW TRAFFIC VOLUMES / SPEEDS
• LOW VISIBILITY (TYPICALLY)
• INCONSISTENT MAINTENANCE

City of Mansfield 9
10 West End & Glessner Corridor
GLESSNER AVENUE RECOMMENDATIONS
G LESSNER AVE N UE

SOUTH WALNUT ST.

IN F LUENCES NORTH
GATEWAY

Early in the planning process for the West PARK AVENUE WEST

End neighborhood, the Advisory Group

identified several factors that established
Glessner Avenue as a high priority corridor. WEST SECOND STREET
First, Glessner Avenue provides the most
direct route to the neighborhood’s largest VEN
UE

CARPENTER ROAD
ST. PETERS

WOOD STREET
NA
employer and destination – Ohio Health MA
RIO HIGH SCHOOL
WEST FIRST STREET & CHURCH

BLYMYER AVENUE
Mansfield Hospital. For many visitors to the

VENNUM AVENUE

STURGES AVENUE
LIND AVENUE
neighborhood, Glessner Avenue is their

SOUTH MAIN STREET

COLUMBIA AVENUE
ARTHUR AVENUE

ST.
BARTLEY AVENUE

POPLAR STREET
primary experience as they approach from

CROUSE STREET

SOUTH MULBERRY
DISTL AVENUE
the east (Main Street) or from the west
(Marion Avenue). Residents of the West End L EGEN D
neighborhood also utilize Glessner Avenue
GATEWAYS / DESTINATIONS
to access health services, commercial uses, EAST
and mass transit. WEST GATEWAY
GATEWAY GLESSNER AVENUE PRIMARY STREETS
OhioHealth
Mansfield
Hospital SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS

Another observation that was made by

the planning team and Advisory Group
was the general lack of accessible public

SOUTH WALNUT STREET

open space within the neighborhood. The
following Open Space exhibit illustrates the PARK AVENUE WEST
existing parks within the area and a five-

STURGES AVENUE
CENTRAL
minute walk ring from each of them. Ritter’s PARK
SOUTH
Run Park is just south of the neighborhood, PARK
WEST SECOND STREET
but it lacks visibility and flexible open

SOUTH MAIN STREET

EN UE
areas. With Glessner Avenue being the AV
CARPENTER ROAD

WOOD STREET

N
RIO
primary neighborhood corridor, the need MA
WEST FIRST STREET
to identify a potential public open space
BLYMYER AVENUE
VENNUM AVENUE

STREET
LIND AVENUE

for community gathering and recreation

COLUMBIA AVENUE
ARTHUR AVENUE
BARTLEY AVENUE

POPLAR STREET

became a goal for the Glessner Avenue

CROUSE STREET

SOUTH MULBERRY
DISTL AVENUE
corridor.

GLESSNER AVENUE

L EGEN D
RITTERS 5 MINUTE WALK RING
RUN PARK (1/4 MILE)

City of Mansfield 11
G LESSNER AVE N UE
FR AMEWORK
Through input from the Advisory Group and
field observations by the planning team,
a basic framework was established to
organize recommended improvements for
the Glessner Avenue corridor. The corridor
has been compartmentalized into the
following segments.
4. Central Mixed-use Zone/Glessner & Sturges.
Finally, this area to the east of the hospital
zone represents the highest priority area
for near-term improvements. The north/
south intersection of Sturges Avenue with
Glessner Avenue introduces additional
traffic and pedestrian conflicts which can be
improved with streetscape enhancements.
Neighborhood destinations including the
laundromat, a day care, a church, and the
Dairy Queen are also located within this
zone.

1. The Hill. This area includes the east gateway

into the neighborhood at South Main ROAD BEFORE ROAD AFTER
Street. In the near term, the right-of-way
dimension of Glessner Avenue, between
South Main Street and South Mulberry Street,

SOUTH WALNUT STREET

is constrained to forty feet. In addition,
walls and slopes border this right-of-way
which creates additional physical barriers
to improving the safety and aesthetics of
the corridor in this area. In this zone, efforts
should be made to acquire properties that
front the Glessner Avenue corridor and/or
collaborate with adjacent property owners
to acquire additional right-of-way. This could

STURGES AVENUE
also occur through a coordinated effort to
redevelop properties in this area. UE WEST SECOND STREET
VEN
NA
RIO
MA
2. Residential East and West. These two zones

SOUTH MAIN STREET

have primarily single-family homes along

BLYMYER AVENUE
CARPENTER ROAD

WOOD STREET
both sides of the street. Parallel parking
is permitted along one side of the street. WEST FIRST STREET
Pedestrian zones represent the biggest
VENNUM AVENUE

opportunity for improvements in the form

LIND AVENUE

STREET
COLUMBIA AVENUE
of wider tree lawns, street trees, and

ARTHUR AVENUE
POPLAR STREET

decorative streetlights. See the before and

CROUSE STREET

SOUTH MULBERRY
DISTL AVENUE
after images on this page for these potential
BARTLEY AVENUE

improvements within the Residential East

zone.

3. The Hospital Zone. Between Wood Street

and Poplar Street is the zone that is largely
CENTRAL RESIDENTIAL
defined by Ohio Health Mansfield Hospital. “THE HILL”
RESIDENTIAL HOSPITAL MIXED-USE EAST
The healthcare land uses and the treatment ZONE ZONE
WEST
and maintenance of the streetscape
reinforces this area as a distinct zone and EAST OhioHealth WEST GLESSNER/
EAST
destination. WEST HOSPITAL GATEWAY
GATEWAY
HOSPITAL Mansfield GATEWAY
STURGES NODE
GATEWAY
Hospital

12 West End & Glessner Corridor

P HASE 1
IM PR OVEM E N TS
The area from Sturges Avenue to Wood
Street represents a near term opportunity
to significantly enhance the safety,
accessibility, and the aesthetics of the
Glessner Avenue corridor. The following
preliminary site plan and recommendations
are followed by a series of before and
after images to illustrate the proposed
improvements. G L ESSN E R P A R K CO N S I D E R A T I O N S :
• Identify a highly visible location along
RECOMMENDATIONS: the Glessner Avenue corridor to create a
community recreation space.
• Repair and/or replace existing
• Consider a fitness/wellness themed park that
vehicular curbs, drive aprons,
provides recreational opportunities for a
pedestrian sidewalks, and ramps. wide range of abilities.
• Locate pedestrian sidewalks to • Incorporate quality lighting and maintain
maximize tree lawn areas. Establish views through the park to enhance safety
street trees between the vehicular curb and security.
and the pedestrian sidewalks. • During the preparation of this study, several
• Reinforce critical pedestrian crossings parcels were identified along the Glessner
corridor as potential park opportunities.
with decorative crosswalks.
The City and other local partners should
• Provide additional pedestrian lighting continue to evaluate these sites based on
with decorative streetlights located in cost, availability, visibility, and access to the
the tree lawn. Add decorative banners West End neighborhood.
to the light posts to reinforce corridor
branding and identity.
P O T EN T I A L P A R K LO CA T I O N S
• Where surface parking lots exist

RRY
ERR
M BERR
along the corridor, provide low (3’

ETT

R
EE
T EE

BE
SE SSTRE
TRE
TR

ET MUL
to 4’ high) vegetative screens or
UE
E

ENUE
UE

UE
E

OUSE
SE
E U

NU
ENU
VENUU
decorative fences to diminish the view
AVEN
VEN
EN

REET
AVEN
VEN

ROU
AVEN
ENN

R E
VE

CRO
VE
VE

SSTRE
ER AV
V

ES AV
V

CR
of the automobiles and improve the
A

H ST
UR A

C
YER
ER

GES
ES

THUR

UTTTH
RGE
MYE

pedestrian environment.

SOUT
G
Y

U
OU
SOU
ARTH
RTH
LYM
LYM
BLYM

TUR
STUR
UR

ART
TU

R
BL

SST
B

• Utilize low retaining walls where U E

UE
G
GLES N
NE
LESSNE
SN
SNER
GLESSNE VENUE
VE
ER AVE
NER NU
N
AVENUE
A
possible to reduce slopes behind the Pot ent ial
pedestrian sidewalks. These walls can Park Site #2
improve the aesthetics of the corridor
while reducing the maintenance P o t e n t ia l
challenges of these steep slopes. P a r k S it e # 1

City of Mansfield 13
CO NCEP TUA L SITE PL A N
LEGEND
Little Blessings Daycare & Preschool 
Vector Security 
Recovery Room 

WO O D ST R EET
Dairy Queen 

B LY M Y E R A VEN UE
Latterrain Church of God  
Potential Redevelopment 
Wash & Wear Laundry 

IMAGERY LEGEN D
Glessner at Arthur Avenue q e w
Glessner at Sturges Avenue w r
Glessner at Latterrain e
GLE SSN ER AVE NUE
t
Glessner at Blymyer r
North Side of Glessner at Wood t
South Side of Glessner at Wood y
 

HEMLOC K AVENUE

14 West End & Glessner Corridor

 B LY M Y E R A V E N U E


S T UR G ES A VEN UE




STURGES AVENUE
q

AR TH UR AV EN UE

City of Mansfield 15
G LESSNER AT A RTH UR AVE NU E q

16 West End & Glessner Corridor

G LESSNER AT L ATTE RRA IN w

City of Mansfield 17
G LESSNER AT BLYM YE R e

18 West End & Glessner Corridor

N O RTH SIDE OF GL E SSN E R AT WO O D r

City of Mansfield 19
SO UTH SIDE OF GL E SSN E R AT WO O D t

20 West End & Glessner Corridor

IM PL EMENTATION
P LAN
As part of the creation of this vision for the
Glessner Avenue Streetscape $650,000 - $700,000
Glessner Avenue corridor, the project team
(Arthur Avenue to Wood Street)
prepared a preliminary implementation
budget. The following budget ranges
represent the cost to provide final design/ Glessner Park $275,000 - $300,000
engineering and construction of the Phase (Location to be determined. Final site
1 improvements described in this plan from selection may impact construction cost)
Arthur Avenue to Wood Street.

City of Mansfield 21