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February 14, 2006

Jamestown's downtown

Not a lot of "news" came out of the town planning board's meeting last night: The board recommended approval of a small zoning case and basically rubber stamped some new planning rules from the state that it didn't have much choice on to begin with.

What was interesting was more of a loose philosopical discussion that took place after Fred Browning brought up the town's sign regulations. It quickly became a discussion between some of the planners, Town Manager John Frezell and Carl Galloni, owner of River Twist, about ways to improve downtown Jamestown.

Galloni talked about finding a way to build a parking lot in the valley that runs along the back of the buildings just south of Main Street. The land is on the Ragsdale farm. His idea was that a nicely done parking lot with brick pavers, trees, planting beds, etc. could be attractive for the town and solve a lot of downtown businesses' parking problems. To get to it, he suggested the town finding a way to extend Guilford College Road (soon to be renamed Jamestown Road) past its intersection with Main Street down into the valley.

It's an interesting idea. Of course the big question, as Frezell pointed out, is who is going to pay for something like that.

On the rezoning: The town planning board fairly quickly recommended approval on a 3-1 vote of Billy Edwards' request to zone 404 Main Street for business use. The daughter of the owner of one adjoining property spoke out against it although she seemed more concerned at a lukewarm reception she'd received from Town Hall to build three houses on her family property than Edwards plans. Fred Browning voted against it and the Town Council still has to take up the matter before it becomes official.

Posted by Jonathan Jones at February 14, 2006 10:12 AM