Town Board discusses Greenway, pole attachments, B1 zoning

The Town of Highlands Board of Commissioners met Thursday, Oct. 15, for its monthly meeting to hear an update on the Highlands Greenway Trail, consider a request to make Memorial Park Drive a one-way and discuss pole attachments and a master plan study for the B1 district. Highlands Greenway Trail Update Highlands Greenway Vice President Jim Ward presented an update on the trail's progress, outlining the proposed route as part of planned expansions towards U.S. 64 and Little Bear Pen Road. The proposed trail would begin across from the Pinecrest Road entrance on North Fourth Street and continue north to Little Bear Pen Road toward Cashiers. From there, it would follow the road to the hairpin turn, cross the road and continue along the right side of North Fourth Street heading out of town. The trail would end near the entrance to Sherwood Forest Road, where hikers can return to town via Sherwood Forest Road and the Kelsey Trail. "There is some really nice loop potential there and some beautiful woods in that area," said Ward. "There are a lot of big rock cliffs up there, so we're going to have at least a spur trail in that area for people to enjoy." Ward also presented two options for access to the trail from the Pinecrest Road entrance. While a sidewalk exists on the left side of the road, there is no sidewalk on the right side, where the trail entrance is proposed. Ward asked the town to consider either constructing a new sidewalk along the right side leading to the trail entrance or installing a crosswalk from the existing sidewalk on the left side. Mayor Patrick Taylor expressed concern about sight distance for drivers entering town, but acknowledged the Greenway's preference for the construction of a new sidewalk. "The sidewalk is a better, safe option," said Commissioner Amy Patterson. Ward said the proposed sidewalk would be 400 feet long. Trail users could use parking along Poplar St. Memorial Park Drive One Way Request Jack Gay represented homeowners on Memorial Park Drive who signed a petition asking the town to establish a preferred traffic flow pattern. Under the proposal, vehicles would enter at the northern entrance and exit through the southern entrance to create a safer and more predictable traffic pattern. "We want to establish a consistent, one-way traffic pattern to be able to enter Memorial Park Drive at the northern intersection," said Gay. "More predictable movements at both intersections will help reduce potential traffic conflicts." The proposal would also help maintain orderly access to the neighborhood, improve funeral traffic flow and facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles when needed. Board members reached a consensus to have town staff review the petition and develop a plan and design before bringing the proposal back to the board for final approval. Master Plan Study for the B1 District Town Manager Josh Ward said the Public Works Committee met Oct. 5 to review the renovation of Main Street, including the replacement of street trees and decorative light poles. Following discussions, the committee recommended expanding funding for the Town Hall study to encompass the B1 zoning district. Ward said the district has experienced issues with trees and light poles, including several lights that are no longer working. He also noted that the lights need to be converted to LED. "The big thing is that we can go ahead and replace street trees and replace all the light posts, and then come back in a year-and-a-half to decide on a master plan and make changes — that's silly," said Commissioner Jeff Weller. "Before we spend all that money doing street trees, etcetera, I think we just need to reexamine it all again." Weller added that the study could identify areas for parking improvements and incorporate outside, professional perspectives into the planning process. Taylor agreed with Weller, describing the work as a maintenance and improvement initiative. Town staff will define the specific area to be examined before drafting a request for quote (RFQ), which will return to the board at a later date. Pole Attachment Discussion Taylor noted that communication lines remain unattached in certain areas throughout town. When lines go down, he said, the town is "at the mercy of" the communication companies to determine when workers will arrive to reattach them. Tosco said the town revised its code of ordinances in March to permit the town to give a company 60 days to reattach a pole or line, even when no current agreement is in place. If the company fails to do so, the town can complete the work and charge the company for the cost. "This is the town's property and right of way," said Commissioner Amy Patterson. "So the town gets control of what goes on in the right of way." The town will enforce the ordinance approved in March to bring communications companies into compliance and improve the appearance of rights-of-way. Mitch Stone is a reporter at The Highlander and can be reached at reporter@highlandsnews.com

Town Board discusses Greenway, pole attachments, B1 zoning

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