Lead downtown revitalization still a vital option
Posted: Wednesday, November 21, 2012 11:30 am
Black Hills Pioneer
LEAD — Citizens in Lead have called for commissioners to move forward with ideas for ways to improve the downtown business district, now that voters have settled the Main Street parking issue.
On Monday, members of the Lead City Commission passed the first part of an ordinance that will maintain the current parking configuration on Main Street. The action closes a debate that has been ongoing for more than a year, about whether to remove some parking from Main Street in favor of streetscape improvements designed to promote pedestrian traffic for shoppers and visitors, and accommodate tour buses. On Nov. 6, voters overwhelmingly supported a city ordinance commissioners passed in December 2011, which officially maintains parking on the south side of Main Street from Galena to Siever streets.
Now that the issue has been settled, Lead residents are ready to move forward.
“I am anxious to hear what you propose to improve Lead’s downtown district,” Deb Vardiman told commissioner Denise Parker, who has supported keeping parking on Main Street.
Rose Burns reminded members of the commission of a two-part study conducted by Tall Grass, a graphic landscaping architect from Custer, which analyzed parking in Lead as well as downtown revitalization possibilities.
“That is still a viable option,” Burns said of the downtown revitalization plans that Tall Grass presented to the city. “One would hope that you would work hard on the plan that was already paid for and move forward with that.”
Burns was referring to a set of drawings that Tall Grass generated for the city, to graphically show what Main Street would look like if parking was removed. As part of those plans, the company also generated a separate set of drawings to show some ideas for how Lead’s downtown district could be improved, with parking upgrades, improvements to the library, and other projects.
“I am disappointed that nothing has been achieved except talking about parking,” said Glorianne Davis. “We have a plan and we have some good work from Tall Grass, and I don’t know why we can’t move forward with some of those ideas. There has been a suggestion that we get someone in here to work on economic development. Something needs to be done to move forward instead of just talking.”
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Wednesday, November 21, 2012 11:30 am.
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