The Highlands Town Board on April 17 directed town staff to ask the North Carolina Department of Transportation to reassess the striping on South Fourth Street after a presentation showed angled‑to‑parallel conversion could reduce available parking from 16 spaces to eight in a narrow segment.

Public testimony and business owners at the meeting warned that losing multiple downtown street parking spaces could harm merchants. One shop owner, who represents a group of local artists, said eight lost spots could threaten her business’s viability and the market for roughly 25 local artists who rely on foot traffic. Another resident and former business owner cited safety concerns with parallel parking on the curve and argued that diagonal spaces keep drivers and exits farther from moving lanes.

Town staff presented measurements showing the narrow section near Spring Street is constrained by the traffic lane and a double yellow line; the town’s street‑geometry measurements showed the current diagonal spaces fall short of standard 45‑degree space depths and that converting to parallel parking would leave narrower travel lanes. Commissioners said the section has been in its current configuration for many years, but DOT review is appropriate.

Board direction and next steps: The board asked town manager and public works staff to contact DOT to discuss whether stripe adjustments, placement of designated compact‑car spaces or curb modifications could retain more spaces without compromising safety. Staff were asked to return to the board with DOT feedback and potential restriping or design alternatives.

Ending: Commissioners emphasized they were not prepared to remove parking citing concern for local businesses, and they instructed staff to research alternatives and pursue a DOT conversation before bringing a proposal back to the board for formal action.