Neighbors get look at Market Street makeover plan

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization says Market Street needs a makeover. Monday night, the organization held a public meeting to educate the community on its plan for the corridor. Folks who attended say they have mixed emotions about the changes.

“Their intention to limit accidents is admirable but not at the sacrifice of making Wilmington and uglier place,” Wilmington resident Tilghman Herring said. “It just doesn’t have to be done.”

Herring says he is not a fan of the Market Street Corridor Plan.

“I’m skeptical,” Herring said. “I’ve seen the map. It pretty much reaffirms what I thought is that they’re going to put a little 6-inch concrete median there and when you want to turn left across Market Street. You’re going to have to go a quarter mile out of your ways and do a U-turn and drive a quarter mile back to get where you want to go initially.”

Herring says although he thinks improvements are needed, he’s not sure this is the way to go. WMPO says it has been working on the study for many years now and think it’s the best plan for the area.

“This study looks at integrating transportation and land use from Colonial Drive out to the New Hanover/Pender County line,” said WMPO Executive Director Mike Kozlosky.

In 2008, the WMPO met with stakeholders to discuss options. They came up with the plan that was presented at Monday’s meeting which they hope will soon become a reality. Before that could happen, area leaders asked the organizations to present the plan to the public a few more times before decisions were made.

“We were asked to go back out and hold one more round of workshops to get any additional feedback prior to the plan being considered by the county commissioners as well as city council,” Kozlosky said.

Those who attended the meeting were asked to write down their comments so the WMPO would have a record. Herring says he thinks there are other options the Cape Fear should consider and he let the WMPO know what he thought about the plan.

“It’s counterintuitive. It’s ugly. It takes away from the aesthetics of the city and it may be expedient but I think it’s very short sided,” Herring said.

Kozlosky says Wilmington City Council and the New Hanover County Commissioners will discuss the plan in June.

If you were not able to attend the meeting on Monday, the WMPO will hold another meeting Tuesday at Ogden Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. located at 3637 Middle Sound Loop Road.