Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Winchester delays decision on taking Main Street from state; commissioners ask state contact for written terms
Summary
Business owners asked the commission to request that the state transfer ownership of Main Street to the city so downtown improvements could proceed. Commissioners raised concerns about costs, maintenance and unknown subsurface conditions and directed staff to seek written terms from the state before taking further action.
Winchester — Business and downtown advocates renewed a request that the city take ownership of a segment of Main Street from the state to allow local control of streetscape improvements, but the City Commission declined to commit and directed staff to obtain written terms from the state.
Presenter Chad Wahlberg, a member and former president of the downtown Main Street group, told the commission Main Street Winchester (formerly Winchester First) had vetted a petition to transfer ownership. He described the proposed transfer as limited to West Lexington from Maple up to Main Street, and said the state had indicated the city would effectively get control within months though deed transfer might not finalize for about two years and the road would revert to the state if the city chose not to keep it.
"This will allow you guys to make alterations without all the red tape," Wahlberg said, listing improvements in the downtown master plan that local ownership…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
