Above all, it’s Concept #2

The Walhalla mayor and council agreed last night to direct Seamon Whiteside to develop Streetscape based on the engineer/design company’s suggested concept #2. At the end of a near two-hour City Hall meeting, the mayor and council approved #2 which reduces four blocks of Main to two lanes, provides a median, and keeps angle parking—though it’ll eliminate about 15 parking spaces. The city’s leaders appeared to be swayed by Fire Chief Doug Kelley’s request to adopt the plan that would best allow his department to position an extended ladder truck, in the event of a building fire. But they and the audience were also agreed that Streetscape requires some kind of median, which concept #2 provides. The mayor and council will rely on their design/engineers to map out some of the finer details, such as how their preferred plan will affect the width of the sidewalks on both sides of Main, from Ann to Tugaloo streets. Darlene Greene, president of the chamber of commerce, and restaurant owner Kay Owens, a member of the project steering committee, were among those in the large meeting room audience that provided input as the mayor and the council reached their decision. Long-time advocates of change to the downtown were ecstatic. Fay Workman of the Partners for Progress said, “Can you believe it!”