Timing could be better

  • City of Blue Ridge employees work on changing out water lines, sewer lines and storm drains on West Main Street while blocking the street in front of the recently opened Blue Ridge Station Tuesday, December 31.
    City of Blue Ridge employees work on changing out water lines, sewer lines and storm drains on West Main Street while blocking the street in front of the recently opened Blue Ridge Station Tuesday, December 31.
  • Cars navigate their way around the West Main Street construction that blocked one lane on Mountain Street in Blue Ridge. No flagger was present to direct traffic Tuesday, December 31, despite lane obstructions.
    Cars navigate their way around the West Main Street construction that blocked one lane on Mountain Street in Blue Ridge. No flagger was present to direct traffic Tuesday, December 31, despite lane obstructions.

    One downtown business owner believes the timing of water line, sewer line and storm drain replacements on West Main Street in Blue Ridge could have been better, and she spoke out  about the work’s effects last week.

    Angie Haney, owner of Southern Charm Restaurant, said that the weeks around Christmas through the new year are critical for the success of her business. 

    “This week (the week of a New Year) is what I survive those couple of winter months off of. That’s where the majority of my revenue comes for those months when we have nobody.

    “It’s (Streetscape Project) affected our revenue. It’s affected people wanting to come to the restaurant. ... That whole road is closed right up to my restaurant,” Haney said.

    The are some 42 businesses along West Main Street and Roberts Way directly affected by the closing of West Main between Mountain and the alleyway just north of Southern Charm.

    Construction began December 2, and the grant funding the project required the work be completed within 90 days according to city Planning, Zoning and Project Manager Jeff Stewart.

    During a called meeting December 20, Mayor Donna Whitener said the city did not expect to change out all of the piping, but since the pipes only have another “four to five years” of life left, she thought it would be best to go ahead and take care of it. The initial project was to resurface streets, replace sidewalks and fix water leakage.

    After speaking with Whitener, Haney was under the impression that construction was to halt the week of December 30. After the fact, Whitener said the construction crew helping with the project, Caldwell Construction, was on a break for the week, but city employees were still working.

    Haney said, “I’m kind of fortunate. I do have some locals, local business, which I’m very thankful for during those winter months or I would really be, you know, it would really be bad. 

    “(But) Even they don’t want to come downtown right now. They don’t even want to come to my restaurant because they can’t get there without having to park up at City Hall or somewhere else to try and walk there.”

    Brendon Doyle, owner of The Boro Inn Irish Pub, said the work has caused an issue regarding parking, however, “They (the city) have stepped into unforeseen casualties that were under the earth for many many years.

    “Those type of things have to be addressed and are being addressed on a very methodological and professional level and just, you know, we just have to grin and bare and hope that the good weather will hold favor during the duration of the construction and development that everything will be able to stay on a healthy, professional field of redeveloping it.”