Community gardens, a sheltered farmers market, a splash pad recreational feature, increased broadband capability and a potential return to extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) zoning are among recommendations from one of four new Vision Committees in Mount Airy.
Plans for those groups were first announced last December by Mayor Pro Tem Ron Niland to help the city move ahead in certain strategic areas. These include economic development; community development/connectivity; downtown/small business development; and municipal partnerships with non-profit organizations, county government and schools.
Each of the Vision Committees, headed by members of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners and containing volunteers from the public at large, has been meeting this year to explore plans in their respective categories and formulate firm recommendations.
The first to announce the fruits of its labor is the committee on community development/connectivity chaired by the board’s Steve Yokeley.
“I’m ready for lots of positive changes,” Yokeley said of priorities presented by the 10-member group during the last commissioners meeting on May 6. “Some will cost a little bit of money, but some won’t cost anything at all.”
Farmers market
Much attention was devoted during the presentation to improving the Mount Airy Farmers Market, which now operates on Fridays in a parking lot at the city post office.
Two separate concepts are suggested for a more permanent, sheltered market facility, one that would be developed on municipal property at the corner of Cherry and South Main streets, and the other prescribing a central downtown location attracting more foot traffic.
Amy Zalescik, one of several members of Yokeley’s committee who gave mini-reports on the various ideas, said a sheltered facility also could have restrooms and be used by multiple groups for events in addition to the farmers market.
Plans for a splash pad or other water feature could be incorporated with the farmers market shelter, under the community development/connectivity group’s vision.
A splash pad typically is located in a public area, involving nozzles providing a spray of water to allow both adults and children a means of cooling off in the summer in lieu of a pool.
It was noted that the farmers market/splash pad could be part of the overall project area downtown where a proposed hotel and convention-type center are being pursued on former Spencer’s textile property.
Community gardens
While those additions will require more planning and unspecified funding, Yokeley’s committee also focused on what was described as “low-hanging fruit” — projects that would be easy and inexpensive to implement.
One is the development of community gardens with assistance from local garden clubs and civic groups such as Rotary.
“They’re inexpensive and they bring communities together,” Zalescik said. The gardens promote a positive mental outlook and also physical health benefits including better nutrition, she mentioned.
Commissioner Tom Koch said there is much interest in the community for the gardens, based on his contacts with citizens.
Zalescik also brought up another idea springing from the group, in which Mount Airy would become a Tree City USA Community.
“Planting trees along the entryways (to town) and other streets would be a relatively inexpensive way to improve the appearance of our city,” says a written report it prepared.
“Better aesthetics along West Pine Street should be considered a high priority.”
Another “easy” enhancement, mentioned by fellow committee member Brandon McCann, involves providing wayfinding signage, especially near downtown, to better guide tourists to popular venues.
McCann said this should not present a big burden to the city due to plans already approved by the N.C. Department of Transportation to provide signage for identifying stops along what is known as the Yadkin Valley Heritage Corridor.
He also cited another need identified by the committee, to increase broadband, or high-speed Internet availability and accessibility especially in the downtown area, with emphasis on underserved areas.
Broadband improvements would boost economic development, McCann said.
Revisiting ETJ
Another recommendation issued by the committee includes exploring a possible need for extraterritorial jurisdiction zoning, which the commissioners eliminated in 2019 through a 3-2 vote.
The ETJ zone was an area once extending for one mile outside the city limits where Mount Airy maintained control of commercial and residential development. It existed for nearly 20 years after being implemented ahead of a massive round of annexation, to oversee and manage growth in fringe areas eventually brought in to the municipality.
After the special zone was phased out in 2019, the areas it included reverted to county government control.
Commissioner Yokeley was the most-adamant defender of the ETJ zone on the city council, arguing that it was still needed to protect in-town property owners from undesirable fringe development.
The committee’s recommendation includes having the city planning staff study areas where the zoning might be needed.
Caution urged
Yokeley also was insistent during the May 6 meeting that fellow commissioners accept his committee’s report and instruct members of the city staff to explore the feasibility of the projects outlined.
While the board did vote unanimously in favor of a motion by Yokeley to that effect, there was discussion on the need to proceed slowly with some of the recommendations such as the farmers market plans.
City Manager Barbara Jones warned about “going all over the place” with such projects, given the possibility that other Vision Committees will have differing views on facilities when their reports are presented.
“I will choose to wait (on taking major action) until everybody has given a report,” Commissioner Jon Cawley said of the four committees.
“What happens when one group wants to go this way and one wants to go that way?” he said of desiring to avoid a situation in which differing plans are pursued simultaneously. Cawley added that the board should learn everything it can about the various recommendations before making final decisions.
That is expected to come this summer, when Niland seeks to hold a summit including all the committees in which ideas can be reconciled and a priority list prepared.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com