By Michelle Fields, Standard Correspondent
Village beautification and parking led the discussion at this week’s trustees’ meeting.
Village Trustees decided to join in with the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Commission in encouraging commercial business owners to maintain the exterior of their businesses in order to sustain Woodstock’s attractiveness as a destination for visitors.
“There are some buildings that are pristine and buildings that I think we all agree need a little help,” Woodstock Chamber of Commerce President and Woodstock Inn General Manager Gary Thulander said.
The Woodstock Inn, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Village have already joined forces on one aspect of beautification by literally rolling up their sleeves one morning a week for the past seven weeks and trimming trees along Elm and Central Streets as well as along the Green and the East End entrance to the Village. Trustee Ward Goodenough publicly thanked Thulander, whom he saw trimming trees on his way to work.
The encouragement to local business owners will come in the form of a letter from the three boards.
“We decided to invite the owners of commercial buildings to join us,” Thulander said.
The letter invites building owners to look at the exterior of their buildings “in regards to paint, awning condition, landscaping and cleanliness” noting that “each building downtown is representative of how our destination is perceived.” It also notes that Woodstock is a “Designated Village Center” so tax credits may be available from the state for improvements.
“Our Rotary Club is also always looking for projects,” trustee chair and Rotary Club President Candace Coburn added.
Trustee Jeffrey Kahn noted that the Parking Subcommittee has received a lot of input on one of their recommendations and has thus decided to amend it. “We are now recommending that we no longer consider the electric gates (on the proposed employee parking area on Mechanic Street).”
Kahn noted that Parking Subcommittee does, however, still want to continue with implementing the employee parking area, it would just be permitted but not gated but violators would be charged $50 for parking there during daytime weekday hours. The idea is that a six-month parking permit would cost $200 (half the cost of feeding a meter full time) payable in two increments. There would be a lottery system of full-time village employees to see who would get the 16 permits.
“This would be a three-year experiment to see how it works,” Kahn said noting that the Woodstock History Center Parking Lot could possibly be leased as additional employee parking if it is successful.
Another parking change is the elimination of the two-hour and four-hour suggested parking zones. “As long as there is money in the meter, you are not in violation,” Swanson said noting this has generally been the practice for the past ten years so it makes sense to make the signage change.
Last month the trustees approved the move to digital parking meters which will accept credit card payments but they are still waiting for the representative from the meter company to come out to determine if the new heads will fit in the current housing. In the meantime, they determined the new parking rates, which will be 10 cents for five minutes and 25 cents for 12 minutes in front of the post office, which will continue to be just a 12-minute zone for post office use.
Around the Green parking will be 50 cents per hour while the rate on Elm and Central Street meters (to Lincoln Street) will be $1 an hour.
The cost to the village for the digital meters will be a 13-cent surcharge per credit card swipe as well as $5.75 per month per meter.
In other business, confusion in delivering packages has led to a question of whether Terrace Street (a small street across from Vail Field along Route 4) should go back to its previous name of South Street Terrace. Concern with the fact that the beginning of the road name is the name at South Street itself led to the change in 2008. Terrace Street residents can come in to next month’s Trustees’ meeting or send in a letter with concerns or the name will remain the same.
A mention in last month’s meeting regarding changing the name of Highland Avenue Extension(due to the same concern) brought Joan Sterner to this month’s meeting. “I’ve been on that road for 27 years…I’d like to have some input on it,” she said.
Noting her concerns, Village Manager Phil Swanson said, “Absent a hue and cry from the neighbors, I don’t see the Trustees wanting to step into that one.” Trustees agreed if they ever want to change the name, they would invite the residents in to discuss it.
Sterner, who is a member of the Ambulance Department, also noted concerns about the lack of numbers on some buildings in the village. “It really needs to be rectified…I felt like Lewis and Clark,” she said about trying to find someone for a recent ambulance call.
The Woodstock Police Department now has a bicycle and bike patrols will begin in the near future. Police Chief Robbie Blish has also been invited to the White House on August 16 to participate in a discussion on community policing.
This article first appeared in the August 11, 2016 edition of the Vermont Standard.