Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rising Sun updates: new restaurants, development progress and winter extravaganza plans
Summary
Town staff reported on new and reopening businesses (Rising Sun Group, Rory's Place, Sunrise Grill and Tractor Supply), ongoing developments (Stevens Preserve, Palm Valley/Knutsen) and detailed entertainment and safety plans for the winter extravaganza and tree lighting.
Town staff used the Dec. 9 meeting to update the council on local economic activity, development approvals and a busy weekend event schedule.
Town Administrator Calvin told the board the town participated in the grand opening of the Rising Sun Group the prior weekend and reported that Rory's Place, a seafood restaurant in the former Bog Total space, is tentatively scheduled for a soft opening Dec. 19. He said Tractor Supply is performing well and that daytime parking there has been heavy; he recounted that the planning commission granted a variance on the number of required parking spaces when the store was approved.
Calvin also described a cosmetic fencing order for a propane tank that is on back order; he emphasized that the bollards are the safety measure meant to prevent vehicles from striking tanks and that the black fence is intended to soften appearance and deter casual foot traffic in that area. "Black fencing is not a safety barrier in the standpoint... that's what the bollards there are for," he said.
On development, Calvin said Stevens Preserve is finishing engineering and stormwater items and Palm Valley (the Knutsen development) has preliminary and final approvals and will likely take a few weeks to a couple of months to finish final documentation before construction steps proceed.
The mayor and chief outlined plans for the town's winter extravaganza: ice carving on Main Street, an ice-skating rink in Center Square, a Christmas market, a mechanical "bucking reindeer" attraction and a tractor parade of about 85 entries that will now begin at 6:30 p.m. (moved earlier), followed by a tree lighting at 8:00 p.m. Police leadership urged drivers and attendees to be mindful of the increased pedestrian traffic and to follow directions of traffic marshals.
The town also received reminders from staff to clear sidewalks of snow and ice to reduce slip-and-fall risk and potential liability to property owners and to the town.
