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Town leaders discuss Mill Street improve plan

By Lisa Majors-Duff
Mill Street The future of Sylva's Mill Street should include "more green space" and fewer "visual insults," landscape architect Curtis Stewart told town leaders Monday during a meeting to discuss Phase II of the downtown revitalization effort. "Nothing is set in concrete," Stewart said. "We are still developing ideas. This is not our project; this is your project." - Herald photo by Lisa Majors-Duff
Conceptual plans for Phase II of Sylva's downtown revitalization effort - improvements to Mill Street - were unveiled for town leaders Monday.

Representatives from town government, Sylva Partners in Renewal, the Department of Transportation, Verizon Communications, Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority and PSNC Energy (natural gas company) met with landscape architect Curtis Stewart of Barge, Waggoner, Cannon and Sumner in Knoxville, Tenn., to review a plan to "soften Mill Street."

"When you live in an area, you kind of gloss things over," Stewart said. "But Mill Street looks like an alley."

Mill Street is composed of several "visual insults," Stewart said, including overhead utility lines, air conditioners protruding from buildings, propane tanks and garbage cans lining the sidewalks, and a "hodgepodge of architectural colors and styles."

Visual and safety problems also exist with the town's parking lot, and nothing currently connects Mill Street with Main, which under went a revitalization effort in 1998, he said.

Stewart's plans call for visual techniques that "capture your eye" and draw it from Main to Mill to the areas where the old depot once sat below Spring Street and to the town parking lot below Landis Street. Items discussed for these areas included a replica of the old depot, a pavilion and a gazebo.

"Sylva is going to have to decide if its going to commit itself to the automobile or to the pedestrian," Stewart said about taking parking spaces away from the depot area. "We feel it would be a benefit if we do away with that parking."

Removing utility lines from Mill Street won't be as easy as planting trees, Stewart said.

"It's possible to put them underground, but it's very expensive," he said.

A bridge over Scotts Creek to connect downtown with Poteet Park was also discussed, along with a "riverwalk" to take advantage of the waterway.

Coordination of construction with the entities involved will be a necessity, said town board member Maurice Moody.

"If you are going to tear up the street, tear it up one time," he said. Electrical, telephone, natural gas and new sewer lines are all being considered for underground installation.

While Stewart said his company has lots of ideas for improving the appearance of Mill Street, Railroad Avenue, the town parking lot, the old depot location, and the banks of Scotts Creek, only property owners can improve the appearance of their individual buildings.

"That's more of a community pride issue," he said.

Stewart stressed that plans to date for Mill Street "are not set in concrete. It's your plan." Therefore, the next step in the process will be a daylong planning session during which local residents, business owners and property owners will be invited to discuss their areas of concern.

Back to Archive: 02/14/02.