January 2009

By FRANK M. JOHNSON, Mayor, Town of Mt. Airy
As published Jan. 21, 2009

1. Holiday Events

Many thanks to the organizers of the Tree Lighting downtown, including Main Street Association members, on Dec. 5 and the Holiday Parade handled by the Volunteer Fire Company which was on Saturday, Dec. 6.

Although the weather was challenging and many fire company trucks were already in use – at a nearby house fire and on Rt. 27 and Rt. 70 – the event was still enjoyable for everyone who came out.

Many thanks also to the Mt. Airy Lions Club and business owners who helped with the Santa Clause Lane setup at the municipal parking lot, which included a Santa for kids, from Dec. 11–14.

2. Budget Planning Continues

The news as to the economy and expected revenues remains a concern for almost everyone. All governments, including Mt. Airy, are planning for difficult budget preparations for the next few years.

While current projections do not suggest that dramatic changes will be needed – in no small part due to conservative budget planning for many years – there will be some reductions in expected revenue that will have to be addressed. This will require careful planning, potentially some postponement of worthy projects, and general limits on expenses that can be reduced or in some cases avoided.

3. Downtown Parking Concerns

Many merchants are asking that everyone take reasonable steps to ensure that convenient parking is available for customers in the downtown area. There is a two-hour limit on parking in the Main Street area, and downtown employees should of course park in the employees area at the municipal lot between Center Street and Park Avenue.

There are several convenient areas for parking available even beyond Main Street. Not only are spaces available on the municipal lot, but some additional parking spaces are also available on Center Street and Park Avenue.

4. Master Planning Process

Several new requirements are required as part of the master planning for each jurisdiction, including future planning for water resources and future growth. These elements are required to be adopted by the fall of 2009 and require cooperation between towns, counties and state authorities as well.

Mt. Airy will be working with the state and both counties, and Carroll County has consultants who will be working closely with all municipalities to accomplish the task. In addition to these required new elements, consideration of planning and land use for the town’s future will also be under broad consideration.

The recent resident survey will certainly be a major consideration, but there will be many opportunities for public involvement and comment during the process. While town staff will be handling much of the work, the Planning Commission will begin discussions now.

5. Design Planning for New Development

Among other efforts, the Growth and Development Task Force continues to discuss potential design guidelines that may be used for new development. In the survey conducted about a year ago, many made it clear that they prefer that any new development reflect the character of our community – rather than simply look like it could fit anywhere.

Town staff and the Planning Commission have been working closely with new developers on their designs for new projects, so that new development does reflect community character in its appearance. Guidelines, if eventually adopted, will also help to provide examples of what types of designs may best reflect our community character.

Within the next few months, the Growth and Development Task Force will make recommendations to the Planning Commission for their consideration.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year, and thanks for reading!