Published March 11, 2009

NEWPORT — Newport is getting an outside opinion on its path to the future, but the specialists want to hear the views of local residents. A team of six architects and planners will arrive in Newport on Wednesday, March 18, for an intensive five-day examination of the city.

The group will produce a book containing their recommendations for the city. In addition to their own observations, the architects are relying on comments from community members to guide their vision for the city.

The visit of the experts, known as a Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team (RUDAT) is sponsored by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Newport is the first Vermont community ever chosen for the RUDAT treatment.

The AIA will cover the experts’ fees, but other costs, including transportation, meals, housing and production of the final report will be borne by the city, the Newport City Renaissance Corporation and Newport area businesses. The additional costs will amount to approximately $40,000, according to Patricia Sears, head of the renaissance corporation.

Once they arrive here the RUDAT team will have barely an unscheduled moment. Team members’ time will be spent meeting local residents, touring the high and low spots of Newport and, finally writing, publishing and presenting a report of suggested actions.

The design assistance team is made of architects and planners with a wide range of expertise. James Logan Abell, of Tempe, Arizona, is the team’s leader. According to information provided by the renaissance corporation, Mr. Abell has had a distinguished career in architecture, landscape architecture and community planning, working mainly in the western U.S. and the United Kingdom.

Eduard Freer hails from Madison, Wisconsin. He is listed as a landscape architect and urban designer, but Newport residents may be most interested in his experience in waterfront design.

Carla Legman’s focus is on housing and community planning. She has been involved in creating master plans, redevelopment planning and neighborhood planning in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

The process of building a vision for Newport’s future will be smoothed by Joel Mills, of Washington, D.C.

From Phoenix, Arizona, Judie Scalise brings expertise in economic development planning.

J. Todd Scott is a specialist in historic preservation and downtown revitalization. He comes from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The first RUDAT event, starting at 7 p.m. on March 18, is a kick-off reception at the North Country Union High School at which the team, city officials, school board members, business people, and other community members will have a chance to meet the group and learn how they will approach the job.

At 9 the next morning, after an interview on NEK-TV, the team will embark on a tour of the city starting at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Church and winding up at the East Side Restaurant for lunch with a small group of city officials and the business community.

After that, the team will head to the Gateway Center at 2 p.m. for consideration of Newport recreation opportunities, possible improvements to Main Street, the Crescent (the area surrounding the Causeway), and finishing with a discussion about the possibility of resort development on the shores of Lake Memphremagog.

The group will then head north to Magog for a tour and dinner.

Friday will bring a series of sessions that will focus on aspects of city development. People representing businesses and nonprofit organizations have been chosen to participate in these focus groups.

They will start at 8 a.m. in the Emory Hebard State Office Building with an examination of tourism, followed by similar conversations about the waterfront, regional partners, and the Causeway.

At 6:15 p.m. the team will judge projects by North Country high school and career center students, before a 7 p.m. town meeting at the North Country cafeteria. An open microphone will be available for comments from the general public.

Tim Kavanagh, a Newport native and host of Late Night Saturday on WCAX-TV, will serve as master of ceremonies of the meeting.

On Saturday, March 21, the team will be cloistered as they work to create the report they plan to publish at the end of their visit.

That work will continue on Sunday and local students will be brought into the process to assist team members. The group’s only break on March 22 will be an afternoon visit to a local sugar maker’s operation.