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Plymouth council juggles some development issues
Joint meeting considers downtown, U.S. 64 growth
By DAN PARSONS
Staff Writer
PLYMOUTH — Washington County’s seat is growing and will be developed, the town’s mayor insists.
How and where that development will affect the small community on the Roanoke River were topics of discussion Monday night.
“One of the desirable things for downtown is to have residents there because it brings in businesses,” Board of Adjustment member Willie Drye said Monday night at joint meeting between the board and the Town Council.
Councilwoman Mary Ann Byers asked how many buildings downtown were appropriate for residences according to town ordinances. Planning and Zoning Director Ben Howell said there are six buildings on Water Street that have more than one story and between three and five buildings that would qualify to have residences on their first floors.
Councilwoman Vicki Sawyer worried that allowing too many first-floor residences would deter visitors from coming downtown.
“If you went to all first-floor residences, you’d become a bedroom community, as I call it,” Sawyer said. “I would like to see developers come in and build some new things. I don’t think were restricted to these two blocks.”
Councilman Shelton McNair worried that regulating building heights, setbacks and building design in downtown might scare away prospective developers.
“Sound’s like we’ll need a crystal ball to know what the future holds,” McNair said. “I wonder if what we might tie ourselves to tonight might hurt us in the future.”
Howell said strict regulations downtown, in his experience as a planner, would not scare developers away but attract the type builders the town would want to bring in.
“Ultimately, developers will want to come,” Howell said. “We don’t want to be in a position where we push them out, but the right developers are not going to run away because of regulations. Those are the things that will attract the good developers.”
Drye said he envisioned an initial “colony” of residents downtown that would help attract residents developers and businesses.
“People have told me that, at one time, you couldn’t get a parking spot downtown,” he said.
Mayor Brian Roth said the realization of a revitalized downtown are on the minds of board members and council members, but that circumstances are different from when Plymouth once bustled.
“We all share the same sentiment. That’s why the maritime museum and the Port O’ Plymouth Museum have come downtown. That’s why we’ve had the boardwalk projects,” Roth said. “But 40 or 50 years ago, there wasn’t the amount of development on (U.S. Highway) 64. Back then, what (U.S.) 64 is was Main Street Plymouth. Our community is going to change drastically in the next few years. Right now, our growth has been stunted by the Washington Street project. We’ve lost an entire tourist season downtown this summer because of that project. But we have to continue to rebuild our infrastructure, which will allow us to move forward.”
Washington Street is the main artery leading from U.S. 64 to downtown Plymouth. The road has been closed to through traffic at different times since August so utility lines under the street could be replaced.
Council members and board members agreed that tapping into the pool of potential tourists traveling U.S. 64 is critical to the town’s plan to grow and prosper. Byers said Plymouth is a “perfect stop for eating.”
“We’re two hours from Raleigh and an hour and a half from Manteo,” Byers said. “We need things like restaurants on the backs of these (Water Street) buildings to draw tourists downtown. Are our local people going to support that? No. It’s those people out on (U.S.) 64.”
Discussion then turned to what the town could do to check development along the section of U.S. 64 within its jurisdiction. Roth warned that regardless of what regulations the town put in place, the property is privately owned and would be developed. It is the responsibility of the council to work with those property owners to “put the right safeguards in place to meet everyone’s needs,” he said.
“Whether we want to become Greenville Boulevard or not, (U.S.) 64 is going to develop. ... It’s private property,” Roth said.
By DAN PARSONS
Staff Writer
PLYMOUTH — Washington County’s seat is growing and will be developed, the town’s mayor insists.
How and where that development will affect the small community on the Roanoke River were topics of discussion Monday night.
“One of the desirable things for downtown is to have residents there because it brings in businesses,” Board of Adjustment member Willie Drye said Monday night at joint meeting between the board and the Town Council.
Councilwoman Mary Ann Byers asked how many buildings downtown were appropriate for residences according to town ordinances. Planning and Zoning Director Ben Howell said there are six buildings on Water Street that have more than one story and between three and five buildings that would qualify to have residences on their first floors.
Councilwoman Vicki Sawyer worried that allowing too many first-floor residences would deter visitors from coming downtown.
“If you went to all first-floor residences, you’d become a bedroom community, as I call it,” Sawyer said. “I would like to see developers come in and build some new things. I don’t think were restricted to these two blocks.”
Councilman Shelton McNair worried that regulating building heights, setbacks and building design in downtown might scare away prospective developers.
“Sound’s like we’ll need a crystal ball to know what the future holds,” McNair said. “I wonder if what we might tie ourselves to tonight might hurt us in the future.”
Howell said strict regulations downtown, in his experience as a planner, would not scare developers away but attract the type builders the town would want to bring in.
“Ultimately, developers will want to come,” Howell said. “We don’t want to be in a position where we push them out, but the right developers are not going to run away because of regulations. Those are the things that will attract the good developers.”
Drye said he envisioned an initial “colony” of residents downtown that would help attract residents developers and businesses.
“People have told me that, at one time, you couldn’t get a parking spot downtown,” he said.
Mayor Brian Roth said the realization of a revitalized downtown are on the minds of board members and council members, but that circumstances are different from when Plymouth once bustled.
“We all share the same sentiment. That’s why the maritime museum and the Port O’ Plymouth Museum have come downtown. That’s why we’ve had the boardwalk projects,” Roth said. “But 40 or 50 years ago, there wasn’t the amount of development on (U.S. Highway) 64. Back then, what (U.S.) 64 is was Main Street Plymouth. Our community is going to change drastically in the next few years. Right now, our growth has been stunted by the Washington Street project. We’ve lost an entire tourist season downtown this summer because of that project. But we have to continue to rebuild our infrastructure, which will allow us to move forward.”
Washington Street is the main artery leading from U.S. 64 to downtown Plymouth. The road has been closed to through traffic at different times since August so utility lines under the street could be replaced.
Council members and board members agreed that tapping into the pool of potential tourists traveling U.S. 64 is critical to the town’s plan to grow and prosper. Byers said Plymouth is a “perfect stop for eating.”
“We’re two hours from Raleigh and an hour and a half from Manteo,” Byers said. “We need things like restaurants on the backs of these (Water Street) buildings to draw tourists downtown. Are our local people going to support that? No. It’s those people out on (U.S.) 64.”
Discussion then turned to what the town could do to check development along the section of U.S. 64 within its jurisdiction. Roth warned that regardless of what regulations the town put in place, the property is privately owned and would be developed. It is the responsibility of the council to work with those property owners to “put the right safeguards in place to meet everyone’s needs,” he said.
“Whether we want to become Greenville Boulevard or not, (U.S.) 64 is going to develop. ... It’s private property,” Roth said.
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