City Council votes to table downtown Lynchburg master plan discussion for later

The proposed downtown Lynchburg master plan would bring major changes to the area in the next two decades if it is passed at the rescheduled meeting Nov. 13.

According to the official Lynchburg website, a vote was held to halt discussion about the plan until Oct. 23. At the meeting, the discussion was moved once more to the Nov. 13 council work session, where issues and concerns with the plan will be met with answers and further discussion.

Lynchburg council work sessions are open for citizens and community members but are not public hearings where citizens can voice their opinions. 

Rachel Frischeisen, Planner II for the city of Lynchburg, said the main concerns were with the idea of two-way traffic that will be implemented on Church and Main streets and the “(renovation) of the surrounding neighborhoods of downtown.” 

The News & Advance reported that during a public hearing, 16 residents supported the plan and six were against it. Two of those six are the owners of Lynchburg Camera Shop, William Puckett and Don Ogle, who composed a letter to the city council addressing their concerns about two-way traffic.

“Our fear is that two-way traffic, along with the accompanying increase in paid parking, will cause our customers to simply avoid downtown completely. We do not feel that the negative effects of two-way traffic have been sufficiently considered, and we would ask that you please vote ‘no’ to this very costly and ill-advised proposal,” Puckett and Ogle wrote in their letter.

Frischeisen said the concerns will be addressed.

“City staff is currently working on responses to the concerns raised during the public hearing,” Frischeisen said. “We are positive that we can mitigate the two-way traffic issues and have added language about inclusivity and suggestions to lessen the impacts of gentrification and displacement on the neighborhoods.”

The current downtown Lynchburg master plan will take about 20 years to complete, according to city council member Beau Wright. 

The plan includes two-way streets, paid street parking and better accommodations for pedestrians and families. 

The purpose of the plan is to improve the downtown area so visitors, store owners and residents can have the best living and visiting experience possible. 

Frischeisen explained the purpose of the plan is also to make the downtown area a place for everyone.

“The plan proposes a lot of exciting improvements to public spaces in downtown Lynchburg, from small projects such as public art to larger plans for new parks, trails and even an outdoor amphitheater,” Frischeisen said.

“There is something for everyone in Downtown 2040. The plan recommends improving accessibility to and throughout downtown, whether that’s via car, bike, bus or on foot. We want to make being downtown a positive, memorable experience for everyone, and we want it to be a place that people love and visit often.”

Wright said there are many individual projects within the master plan, and some will be completed sooner than others. He said it is hard to pick a favorite because they are all “designed to work in tandem.”

Once the plan is approved, two-way traffic will be the first project to be completed.

“Once approved, the first recommendation in the plan that we would implement is the conversion of Church Street to two-way traffic,” Frischeisen said.

Frischeisen said upon approval, the design will be finalized during the winter, and implementation will take place during the spring and summer of 2019.

The concerns and plan will be addressed further at the Nov. 13 meeting. Wright said it is possible the vote could take place on that day, but there is no guarantee. 

For the upcoming meeting agenda, visit, http://www.lynchburgva.gov/city-council-meetings-video-minutes-agendas.