The general public has a chance to weigh in on the future of downtown Mount Airy during an upcoming series of workshops, the first of which will be held Monday.
It is scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Mount Airy Museum of Regional History in the heart of downtown at 301 N. Main St.
Other workshops are planned at the same times next Thursday and on April 19, also at the museum.
These sessions are coming on the heels of a November vote by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners to allocate $67,000 in city funding for an update of a master plan for downtown Mount Airy. The goal is to enhance a previous plan completed in 2004 to incorporate the present economic climate and other factors.
When the update is completed this summer, it is expected to better guide future investments in Mount Airy’s central business district, both private and public, in a coherent and cost-effective manner.
In addition to the city government funding allocated toward the modernized plan, financial input from the group Mount Airy Downtown Inc. also is involved for a total commitment of about $125,000.
Workshop topics
The upcoming series of workshops is considered a key part of the master plan update by the Benchmark consulting firm that already is handling planning-related services for Mount Airy through a privatization move started in 2011.
Monday’s initial gathering will focus on potential designs for North Main Street, including concepts for a “new” street to improve accessibility and functionality, according to a March 3 presentation during a commissioners meeting by Benchmark President Jason Epley.
Changes to downtown traffic patterns have been mentioned as potential outcomes of the master plan update, such as converting the present one-way system to two-way and removing stoplights.
The topics for the second workshop next Thursday include pedestrian connectivity, greenway connectivity and parking (including management and long-term strategies), along with tourism and development sites.
Meanwhile, the third workshop will provide a summary overview of the main ideas for downtown Mount Airy’s future.
City government officials are urging anyone interested in that to attend the workshops and offer his or her suggestions.
“We need your ideas and input to maximize the planning efforts for the downtown and surrounding areas,” states an announcement from Assistant City Manager Darren Lewis.
To this point the master plan process has included a survey to gauge downtown concerns of the public and listening sessions held over two days in February which included 55 people.
Updating the plan will be a nine-month process ending in July, according to Benchmark officials.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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