Ashland Downtown Planning

Ashland, Oregon

Ashland, Oregon is a renowned destination for tourists seeking arts, culture and proximity to outdoor recreation. Fregonese Associates president, John Fregonese, served 15 years as the Ashland’s planning director, making a major impact on the city.  His work on the Ashland Site Review Ordinance and Ashland Site Review and Use Guidelines earned the city a Special Award of Merit from the Oregon chapter of the APA.

Downtown revitalization became a focus while Fregonese was planning director. From 1985 to 1992, the Ashland Downtown Plan was developed and implemented. The Ashland Downtown Plan considered the assets that Ashland needed to enhance in order to reach the community’s goals. The plan included citizen workshops to form ideas and goals for the plan, out of which a master plan was developed.

The plan included redevelopment and infill strategies, revitalization and expansion of Ashland’s historic public plaza, and extensive traffic calming and pedestrian improvements. Fregonese lead an effort to restore many historic buildings and fountains including the City Hall built in 1889, and the restoration of the Butler-Perozzi Fountain located in Lithia Park.