December 10, 2019
Honorable Mayor Sellers, Council Members Harwood, Matheson, Powell, Sweeting, and Yount and Town Manager Fox:
2019 is ending on a much more positive note than the beginning of the year!
After two divisive public hearings in the beginning of the year, we have focused on building community consensus among stakeholders and encouraged public input into matters of long-term significance to promote “Progress and Preservation” of our Historic Village. I am personally encouraged by the open lines of communication representing all stakeholders.
We have a fresh start for 2020 after hiring a new Town Manager and experiencing a very positive campaign cycle by our candidates resulting in adding a new council member. We wish to welcome Mr. Harwood to the council and express our appreciation to Mr. Steele for his many years of dedicated service to our community.
Everyone seems to be focused on addressing the long-term needs of preserving and growing our community, so how we move forward in 2020 will be important to our future. Let’s keep in mind the Shared Vision documented in the 2014 Comprehensive Plan – “Embrace change while remaining vigilant to ensure that the Town’s unique character and quality of life is not compromised”.
To that end we would like to recommend 10 Top Priorities for the Council to consider and incorporate in your Winter Retreat and work plan for 2020.
1. Complete Valley Boulevard Vision Process, evaluate recommendations and update the Land Use Code as appropriate
2. Approve a similar process including a professional advisor to update the 2014 Comprehensive Plan during the 2020 summer to maximize community input
3. Update Land Use Codes for West Main Street as recommended in the 2014 Comprehensive Plan (Page 3-3) to preserve existing setbacks and greenspace
4. Adopt Conditional Zoning Permit and eliminate Conditional Use Permits to allow citizen input for Council consideration
5. Update the Land Use Code to clarify existing code and unwritten interpretations including definitions for hotel & residential STR, 75% green space in front setback and vested downtown parking rights.
6. Address the Downtown Congestion Problem by preparing and implementing a comprehensive Parking and Traffic Management Plan using a professional advisor
7. Acquire land to expand and complete the park
8. Set expectations for Sustainable Tourism and ask the TDA to prepare a Tourism Management Plan with community input
9. Prepare a Long-Term Capital Improvements and Funding Plan with a priority on the W&S Improvement Plan
10. Implement local EMS coverage to adequately manage our risks – Adopt 90+9 National Standard for our citizens
Thank you for listening to your community.
Sincerely,
Tim Gupton
President