Two weeks after the public got its first look at the initial draft of Highlands’ first-ever comprehensive plan it was time for the planning board to dissect the document on Monday.
Several members of the board have been active in crafting the document alongside town staff and consultants from Stewart Inc., an independent firm that specializes in municipal planning.
“I have read this cover to cover and I think it’s a good document,” planning board chair Brad Armstrong said. “I personally like that it’s aspirational and not prescriptive. It lays out a roadmap for future town boards to follow in order to make Highlands the way we want it to look without getting into things the town ‘must’ do just to maintain the status quo.”
While the draft plan wasn’t intended to be up for public discussion during the planning board meeting, Armstrong opened the floor for several members of the public in attendance.
Chip Wisdom voiced concerns about the future of the towns’ sidewalks and asked about a possible sidewalk extension to Little Bear Pen Road. Highlands Planner Michael Mathis noted that a sidewalk from Poplar Street to Little Bear Pen is in the town’s master sidewalk plan and thus will be included in the comprehensive plan.
Ricky Siegel also advocated for the addition of sidewalks, particularly down NC 106 toward Highlands Country Club and along NC 28 from Highlands Plaza towards Clear Creek.
“If you drive that stretch you see people walking all the time and right now they are right along the road, which creates a safety issue,” Siegel said.
Mathis pointed out that there have been previous proposals made to the NC Department of Transportation regarding the extension of sidewalks along major state roads around Highlands, but thus far no funding has been made available.
“The town does not own the right of way along those roads in many cases, so we can’t just go in and build sidewalks there,” Mathis said. “We have to work with the NCDOT, which we have, but the response is usually that they will look at it if money ever frees up.”
Siegel suggested the town ask for permission and pay for the sidewalks itself rather than wait for state funding to come through.
“I can’t imagine if we had the money together and we asked for right of way access they would say no,” Siegel said. “If it’s something we need and they don’t have to pay for it, it’s a win-win.”
Griffin Bell also voiced concerns about safety on NC 28, particularly related to litter and road debris. He pointed out that the road is used to get to the Macon County Landfill’s Highlands Transfer Station and construction debris is a common sight.
“Those big trucks drive fast down 28 and things blow out of their trucks,” Bell said. “There has been a large cardboard box, something like a mattress would come in, along the side of the road for three weeks now.”
Bell proposed a litter action plan be included in the comprehensive plan.
“Everybody in Highlands gets fired up about litter when the Chamber of Commerce does its cleanup, but to my knowledge that is just once a year,” Bell said. “Litter is a continual problem throughout the summer and fall tourism seasons, and really all year long along NC 28.”
Following the public input, Armstrong made the planning board aware of a specially called meeting with consultants from Stewart Inc. at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 13 at the Highlands Community Building. At that meeting board members will be able to give direct input on items they would like to see added or subtracted from the draft plan.
Following the composition of the final draft of the comprehensive plan the document will go to the town board of commissioners for adoption.