What could Wellington's main street look like?

Chuck Mayhugh is a semi-retired architect with a deep interest in his work and a desire to give back to his community. Heading up the design committee for the main street project for Wellington and creating a detailed plan for what could happen on both sides of Cleveland Avenue allows him to indulge both his passions.

His work has taken lots of research, playing with numbers and visionary planning. He explains that currently Cleveland Avenue is a state highway which means any changes would be severely restricted, probably impossible. In order to establish medians and parking areas, Cleveland will need to become a city street, a change Mayhugh sees as easily accomplished.

He describes Wellington as a destination town; for bicycle riders heading for the Chocolate Rose and motorcyclists from all over the country who have read about the T-Bar Inn. He believes Wellington businesses can nurture this reputation and help it to grow. There are plenty of open spaces along both sides of Cleveland Avenue to house all sorts of small businesses and specialty restaurants. His drawings imagine an in-fill that would change and enliven the heart of the town and provide for 616 convenient parking spaces. He understands that the main street he envisions will change with input from the planned assessment and over the course of time.

The assessment that the Wellington Main Street Revitalization program hopes to have conducted will provide a master plan — a basis for making decisions and a way to measure progress. The plan could be valid and helpful for as long as 25 years.

A food court type area close to Interstate 25 with adjacent parking spaces and accessible by walking is part of his plan. “So many people, especially young ones, prefer to eat out rather than cook,” he says. He believes that several fast food restaurants would thrive in the area.

Mayhugh established an architectural firm in Fort Collins in 1976 and had 10 architects working for him. Over time he specialized in energy conversation, earth-sheltered homes, athletic clubs, specifically racquetball courts and later in small-town fire stations. After he closed his business, he spent time in Wyoming, eventually returning to Colorado and choosing Wellington as home because of his affinity with small towns. He is currently involved with plans for a new Boys and Girls Club in Wellington. Because of his love of hand drawing with pen and ink, he does not use computers in creating his intricate and detailed plans.