History is not being kind to the city of Mount Airy concerning plans for a major upgrade in a key section of its downtown area.
This involves the discovery of a lease that was forged in 1938 between those owning land on Market Street at that time and the town, allowing a public use of their property — or right of way — by the latter. The problem is, that lease expired in 1965.
While this decades-old tidbit might draw a collective “so what?” from local citizens, its private ownership is hampering plans for a project in the here and now — a revitalization of Market Street’s infrastructure to enhance its appearance and economic vitality.
A plan reviewed recently by Mount Airy officials calls for ambitious features with a potential price tag of $375,025, including granite curbing, decorative lighting, granite islands, brick pavers, landscaping, a brick sitting wall with a granite cap and more.
The project is aimed at making Market Street, which already boasts White Elephant Beer Co. and several retail shops, into more of a nightlife destination.
Parking plan snag
However, the discovery of the terminated lease affects plans for angled public parking spaces on Market Street, according to City Attorney Hugh Campbell. The street now has parallel parking.
Campbell recently researched old property records after the city council learned on March 10 there could be a problem due to the newly discovered presence of an old easement for Market Street and its right-of-way implications.
“In summary, the angled parking spaces are not within the public right of way,” the attorney explained Tuesday regarding research that included consulting GIS (Geographic Information Systems) maps and identifying property boundaries.
“In my opinion these parking spaces are within the boundary of the property owned by Main Street Granite, LLC,” the attorney added regarding a private entity with holdings in downtown Mount Airy.
It was mentioned during the March 10 meeting that not having the right to construct public-use features on the private land would affect plans for structural work and parking availability.
City Engineer Mitch Williams said then that having to design the parking around the property in the absence of its present owners giving consent could mean the loss of at least eight spaces.
Negotiation plans
The city attorney reported this week that a possible solution is in the works.
“Mitch Williams and I are initiating negotiations with the property owner’s attorney, and we intend to meet with them to determine whether there is enough interest on both sides to continue moving forward,” Campbell disclosed.
Mount Airy officials have a history with Main Street Granite in recent years, including its donation of a small strip of land at the corner of North Main and West Oak streets which led to the building of Carlos Jones Blue Ridge Park there. That name partly honors the old Blue Ridge Hotel once occupying that location.
Main Street Granite agreed to transfer the property in exchange for the municipality constructing a sidewalk alongside its building nearby, which at that time housed a toy business.
More recently, in February, a license agreement was adopted by Mount Airy officials regarding the city’s planned placement of statues along the “Whittling Wall” on West Oak Street — a wall owned by Main Street Granite.
That agreement calls for the municipality to pay Main Street Granite $1 per year for a term of 50 years.
