Town of Amherst moves downtown square forward

By Scott Marshall

Published: November 13, 2008

By Scott Marshall

        The Amherst Town Council is moving ahead with a project to create a downtown square, voting to solicit bids for what would become a special-events venue and gathering place.

The council voted 4-1 Wednesday night, with Councilman Haney Mottley opposed.

“I’m in favor of the project, but not spending the money at this time,” Mottley said. “I just want it loud and clear, now is a bad time to be spending the money.”

“We’re not committing to spending the money,” Mayor Jacob Bailey said. “The motion is just to take it to bid.”

The Town Square is 2,750 square feet in the heart of downtown, and the longtime goal has been to finish the project in time for dedication on April 15, 2010 –– the town’s 100th birthday.

The price ranges from a minimum of $273,250 to as much as $548,842. A fountain in the center of the square, not included in the minimum price, would cost about $22,000. The minimum price also does not include potential renovations to Goodwin and East Court streets or utility relocations.

In other business, the council approved an agreement with developers Lee Cobb and Roger Beeker to market and solicit businesses for the L. Barnes Brockman Business & Industrial Park.

Cobb and Beeker offered their marketing and consulting services for the business park for $500 a month.

If they attract businesses to the 150-acre park, then their firm would be paid up to $150,000 in commission. The agreement is for a 25-month contract beginning Dec. 1. They would not market any other industrial site in the region during that time.

They will advise the town on zoning and pricing for the park, create marketing materials and visit prospective tenants.

The agreement also calls for the town to set aside $10,000 to $12,000 to advertise the park in Lynchburg and Charlottesville for one year.

The council also approved a request by Poplar Grove Golf Club community to connect to the town’s water and sewer system, at no cost to the town.

The Poplar Grove development began in 2003 and features a golf course and 120 developed building lots, with 57 sold, 17 existing homes and three under construction. Build-out projections are for 770 detached single family homes, townhouses and condominiums, the golf course and commercial development that would include hotels and restaurants.

Poplar Grove would pay for its inclusion in the system. Under Town policy, the system must have sufficient capacity before connection of water users and wastewater generators.

In other business, the town decided to move forward with selling an antenna tower at the town shop, although no potential buyer was disclosed; and to accept a bid of $426,600 for extension of sidewalks on South Main Street.

The council also declined to regulate parking on South Main Street, after conducting an informal survey and concluding spaces were routinely available.

Some downtown merchants asked last month that the town regulate parking, contending that motorists were staying for hours at a time since meters were disabled earlier this year.

The meters formerly cost a penny, which was not enough to deter parking violations.

The town conducted 51 counts of parking spaces between Oct. 15 and Nov. 7. In 48 of the counts of 20 “prime” downtown parking spaces, at least seven were empty, and there were never fewer than four vacant spaces, according to the survey.