Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
February 8, 2007 issue
Story by Sam Calhoun
While at a North Carolina Main Street conference two weeks ago, members of the Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA) heard the story of a small town in Wisconsin—about the size of Boone—that had a dilapidated street, similar to Howard Street in downtown Boone, that was revitalized through a restoration project. Business vacancy before the restoration was 26 percent, but one year after the restoration, vacancy is down to 3 percent.
Tuesdae Rice, executive director of the DBDA, shared this story with attendees at the January 31, Boone Chamber of Commerce Lunch and Learn, held at the Boone Town Council Chambers.
The Howard Street restoration project has been in the works for many years to give a facelift to the downtown portion of Howard Street from Appalachian Street to Water Street. The plan calls for the thoroughfare between Appalachian and Depot streets to remain a two-way street and the portion between Depot and Water streets to become a one-way street. The plan also calls for the addition of 33 new trees that will include various shrubs in plant boxes, sugar maples and downy serviceberrys; 39 new parking spaces; prairie lights; new sidewalks on both sides of the street; and site furniture such as benches, a bike rack and a kiosk. The plan also calls for burying all existing power lines underground.
The continuous sidewalks on both sides of the road will allow for safer pedestrian traffic, according to Rice, who said that Howard Street’s current layout lacks Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility and that students and tourists often walk in the middle of the street.
The Howard Street restoration project grew from four different concepts reviewed by downtown business and property owners during public hearings, who opted to go with a combination of one-way and two-way streets to provide more parking and pedestrian access.
Currently, a master plan has been created with the help of the Charlotte-based community infrastructure consultant firm W.K. Dixon, with input from the DBDA and the Town of Boone. For the past year, DBDA Project Coordinator Jessica Montford, with the help of Rice, has been collecting right-of-way permissions from business owners along Howard Street that are necessary for the project to go forward. According to Rice, four landowners on Howard Street have yet to agree to donate the required rights of way.
Rice said the DBDA will make a presentation to the Boone Town Council on Thursday, February 15, about landowner concerns.
“That will literally be the decision maker on if we go forward to this or have to scale back,” said Rice.
The DBDA hopes the project will go forward, and Rice provided a long list of project benefits.
According to Rice, merchants would have greater opportunities for growth and expansion, enjoy an expanded customer base and be burdened with less financial risk. Property owners could enjoy stable or higher rents, increased occupancy rates, improved marketability of their property and higher property values.
The Chamber of Commerce could benefit from potential new member businesses, she said, a healthier overall business climate and the potential for partnerships on joint projects.
Residents would gain local accessibility to more goods and services, more employment opportunities and a stronger tax base to support other community aspects such a schools and parks. The project would also promote the preservation of the community for many generations to come, Rice continued.
Local government would see increased sales and a higher property tax base, Rice said, as well as protection of property values and infrastructure investment, reduced cost of services, such as police and fire protection, and reduced pressure from sprawl development.
Rice said that schools would also benefit, citing more youth involvement in civic projects, the use of the commercial district as a classroom for school projects and the opportunity for potential employment.
Rice added that businesses outside the municipal service district would also benefit from increased visitor traffic to the community, improved municipal services and increased business from an overall healthier economy.
Rice told the group that the project would most likely be financed with a bond referendum totaling close to $4 million. Boone Town Manager Greg Young said such a bond referendum would result in an estimated 3 to 3.5 cent tax increase to be paid back over a 20-year period, adding the people of Boone would decide if a bond referendum were the correct route to take.
But before the bond referendum can be put on a ballot, all affected landowners must sign off on the project.
“We’re looking at land easements now,” said Rice. “We’ll look at utility easements later.”
Speaking to the Howard Street landowners in attendance, Rice thanked them and added, “Whether it’s three feet or twenty feet [of easement], it still is land that is being donated for the benefit of the community.”
For more information on the project or to give public input, call the DBDA at 828-262-4532.
Graphics:
[Howard Street]
Downtown Boone Development Association Executive Director Tuesdae Rice gave a presentation about the Howard Street Restoration Project at a Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, January 31. Photo by Sam Calhoun