|
Proposed site for post office has pluses, minuses
A recent proposal by a pair of Dahlonega, Ga., developers to build Sylva’s new post office on Railroad Avenue is intriguing, but it also raises some serious traffic issues that must be resolved if the project is to go forward.
The proposed site would include property owned by Herald Publisher Jim Gray as well as a portion of the adjacent public parking lot owned by the town.
The location is perfect regarding its proximity to downtown. With the Postal Service planning to leave its Landis Street site, in use since 1965, keeping the post office close to downtown would be a boon to ongoing revitalization efforts as well as to merchants on Main and Mill streets.
Another positive is ample parking now missing on Landis Street. With the Railroad Avenue parking lot currently under utilized, having the post office nearby would not only mean adequate parking for postal patrons but downtown employees might be more likely to park there during the day, freeing up parking for customers of Main Street businesses.
Another plus is the developers’ offer to build a pedestrian bridge over Scotts Creek and the gazebo Sylva Partners in Renewal hopes to install for concerts, reunions and farmers’ markets.
As is often the case, if something sounds too good to be true it usually is. The catch here is the potential for traffic congestion on Railroad Avenue at its intersections with Allen Street and Grindstaff Cove Road.
The developers are unfamiliar with Sylva traffic patterns, but town board members and local postal officials are not. Before any deal is struck, town, postal and Department of Transportation officials must agree that traffic issues can adequately be addressed.
While developers have proposed adding turn lanes, that won’t work at the intersections, The railroad is on the south side of the street while LifeWay Community Church is on the north side at the Allen Street end. A crematorium recently opened by Moody Funeral Home is on the north side at the Grindstaff Cove end.
As things stand now, vehicles traveling west on Railroad Avenue that want to continue west on Mill Street or turn left toward Main Street must wait at the stop sign until the light is green for Grindstaff Cove Road and traffic is clear. Increased traffic would make that problem worse.
At Railroad Avenue’s other end, vehicles must ease out past the stop line to get a clear view of Allen Street. Increased traffic would not only make this problem worse but would also mean vehicles backed up across the railroad track on Allen Street.
We’re not saying these issues can’t be worked out, but a workable plan must be in place before moving forward on a decision that will impact Sylva for years to come.
|
