Can it all be as simple as trees and signs?
The Mississippi Main Street charrette team that visited West Point this week seems to think so.
Delivering its master plan for city improvement after a whirlwind three days of research and design Wednesday night at The Ritz Conference Center, the team unveiled its much-anticipated suggestions for improving Highway 45 Alternate. The eyesore corridor has long provided the lone impression for traffic and travelers passing through West Point.
Randy Wilson, charrette facilitator and director of design services for Mississippi Main Street, suggested more vertical elements to break up the monotony of gray concrete, gas stations and fast-food chains. Photo illustrations of Highway 45 included trees, banners on existing traffic light poles, and signage identifying West Point as well as providing directions to downtown and other historic areas of town.
At the intersection of Highway 45 and Main Street, where a crumbling bridge has slowed traffic for months, the charrette team suggested a trestle or some type of covering rising above the bridge, once repaired, to add another vertical element as well as discourage 18-wheelers from turning down Main Street.
Even though the intersection experiences virtually no pedestrian traffic, Wilson said crosswalks would provide another splash of color and serve to raise driver awareness of surroundings.
Along Main Street, the charrette team envisioned expanded sidewalks and trees to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment.
City Grant Writer Melanie Busby said the charrette team had already begun working to identify possible funding sources for their suggested improvements, but those sources would be spread out among many different agencies.
That means a lot of grant writing for Busby, but she points out it also means a lot of waiting and possibly reapplying for grants which aren”t offered every year. Many of those agencies are also experiencing shortfalls due to state budget problems.
“Sidewalks, for example, are very expensive. The only grant we”ve won, that”s taken so long to get it done, is Safe Routes To School (in 2008). Those sidewalks are still going to be redone and we”re waiting on the Mississippi Department of Transportation. We”re on like the third round of approvals. Even if you win (a grant), sometimes it takes years to implement the plans,” she said.
However, Busby says the grant process can”t start until the city has a plan, and that”s what the charrette team has provided.
The West Point Garden Club and the local Main Street chapter will likely be heavily involved in any planting along Main Street or Highway 45. Kristen Stevens, a member of both organizations, says they”ll take care of the planting if the city widens the sidewalks and build the plant beds.
“We have the manpower and the feasibility to buy the trees, but the city is going to have to provide the space,” she said.
The charrette team suggested eliminating right-turn lanes and implementing parallel parking along main street to leave room for wider sidewalks.
Valeda Carmichael, owner of Culin-Arts on Commerce Street in downtown West Point, liked what she saw from the charrette team regarding improvements to downtown and directing traffic from Highway 45 to the shopping district. She believes the suggestions will motivate the city.
“I think they inspired a lot of people that probably didn”t have any interest just by getting people”s brain cells moving in that direction,” she said. “If they left anything out, we in the community will address those things in the future.”
As the charrette team pointed out at length, West Point is more than just Highway 45. It”s also more than downtown.
Turning an eye to West Point”s rich musical history as the home town of blues legend Chester “Howlin” Wolf” Burnett, the team suggested Blues Place, a revitalization project on Cottrell Street in West Point”s historical black district.
Richard Ramsey, director of the Howlin” Wolf Blues Society, says the corner the charrette team identified for a possible performance spot is right on target.
“It”s a very historic area in West Point that not only housed the juke joints that Wolf played in, but blues stalwarts such as Bobby “Blue” Bland, Koko Taylor, Little Milton and tons of blues stars played there over the years,” he said.
It”s also the corner where one of Burnett”s aunts lived and is located right across the street from the former Rainbow Room, where Burnett often played.
Ramsey is also working to get West Point another Mississippi Blues Trail marker for Cottrell Street.
The charrette team recommended moving the Howlin” Wolf Museum into the historic Carnegie Library building and moving the Clay County Growth Alliance, current tenants of the library, to the former McClure Furniture building on Commerce Street. The library is located right next to a statue of Howlin” Wolf and his Blues Trail marker.
While the charrette team attempted to be comprehensive in its effort to “tell West Point”s story,” some of the approximately 100 citizens in attendance Wednesday night noticed some omissions.
“In the branding, they did not reference Old Waverly Golf Club and I think that”s one of the most important things we have here,” said Stevens. “And I want to make sure the private school (Oak Hill Academy) is represented in education because we have one of the best private schools in the state.”
John Jackson, a life-long West Point resident and civil rights leader, felt job creation wasn”t given adequate attention. Without jobs, he says many of West Point”s aesthetic offerings aren”t priorities and attract customers only for a select few businesses.
“I”m interested in the economics of people who don”t have that. The people that”s got it can enjoy all of that, but the people who don”t have it can”t,” he said.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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