Sylva First United Methodist Church received approval Thursday (Feb. 6) to improve this portion of Cowan Street in exchange for town action to close Church Street, which bisects the church's campus. Methodist officials plan to expand their facilities and want to eliminate Church Street as part of the project; town leaders made closing Church street contingent on the church paying for repairs to Cowan Street. Church Street connects Cowan with Jackson Street and provides an alternative to the one-lane portion of Cowan. - Herald photo by Lynn Hotaling
A downtown church can move ahead with plans to expand its facilities now that Sylva officials have approved necessary changes to two town streets. Members of Sylva's town board Feb. 6 unanimously endorsed Sylva First United Methodist Church's proposal to close Church Street in exchange for church-funded upgrades to the one-lane portion of Cowan Street. Sylva's street committee agreed Jan. 30 to recommend the Methodists' plan to the town board. The church's proposal, developed by engineer Alex Stillwell of Sylva, calls for widening Cowan Street in accordance with Powell Bill requirements and installing a storm water drainage system to capture runoff and pipe it into Sylva's storm sewer system. Methodists plan to construct and fund the entire $144,000 project with the understanding that Sylva will reimburse the church some $40,000 for the drainage system. The town can repay the $40,000 over three years, said Joe Hurt, chairman of the Methodists' trustees. Discussion concerning the fate of Church and Cowan streets began almost two years ago when Methodist leaders asked town board members to close Church Street to clear the way for church expansion. That request was approved in January 2002, but approval was made contingent on Sylva Methodist bearing the cost of needed improvements to Cowan Street. An October 2001 recommendation by the town's street committee indicated that the lower portion of Cowan would have to be upgraded before any consideration could be given to closing Church, which connects Jackson and upper Cowan Streets. Church serves as an alternative to the unimproved, one-lane portion of Cowan, and committee members said closing Church without improving Cowan would compromise emergency vehicle access to residences on Cowan Street. In other action Feb. 6: - Sylva officials unanimously granted the Sylva Fire Department approval to locate a training facility on town-owned property on Fisher Creek. Sylva firefighters intend to apply for grant funding to construct the facility but must have an approved site before their application can be considered. Thursday's vote commits the property to the fire department's use for a minimum of five years. - Sylva leaders voted unanimously to appoint former town board member Lynda Sossamon to the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority Board. Sossamon replaces former town board member Ronnie DeHart on the TWSA board. DeHart was not reappointed because he no longer lives within Sylva's town limits. In other appointments, Sylva board members named Veronica Nicholas to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and appointed Kevin Pennington chairman. Town board member Eldridge Painter agreed to serve on the ABC Board through August to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Brucie Green. Nicholas will replace former Chairman Jim Holland, who also resigned, and her term will run through 2004. Pennington's term will expire in August 2004. - Engineer Larry Bartholemy of Cavanaugh Associates provided an update on the Moody Bottom sewer project. Bartholemy told board members that Cavanaugh has received approval from N.C. Department of Transportation officials to use PVC pipe and soil backfill in constructing the project, which could save the town as much as $60,000, Bartholemy said. Bartholemy indicated last month that DOT officials had stipulated ductile iron sewer pipe and stone backfill for the 6-foot-deep trenches. Board members voted Oct. 3 to extend sewer access to the Moody Bottom area. Bartholemy estimated the cost at about $534,000. - A street committee recommendation to extend street lights along Business 23 from East Sylva Shopping Center to Food Lion was unanimously approved. - Board members tentatively approved a resolution asking North Carolina to join a class action lawsuit against the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Approval was made contingent on board members having until Friday (Feb. 14) to review the resolution. If no objections are voiced by Feb. 14, the resolution will be mailed to N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper. Avram Friedman of the Canary Coalition told town board members about the EPA's recent decision to eliminate of the New Source Review that required older facilities to upgrade pollution controls before expanding. Eleven states have entered into a class action lawsuit to block the EPA decision, and the Canary Coalition is urging North Carolina to join the suit as well, Friedman said. - Board members scheduled a planning work session Saturday, March 29, at 9 a.m. at Mayor Brenda Oliver's house on First Avenue. - A zoning board hearing to take public comment on developer Wayne Smith's request for a variance that will allow him to expand his Broad Street manufactured home park will be held Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m. |