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Council OKs Taking Bids On Alleyway Project
By Randal Seyler
Managing Editor
CHIPLEY — After a lengthy discussion, the Chipley City Council agreed to let the Chipley Redevelopment Agency take bids on the CRA’s alleyway renovation project.
CRA Director Ted Everett said the project is estimated to cost $40,000 and will involve paving and leveling the alleyway, replacing some water lines, installing solar lighting, moving air conditioner units to the top of buildings and painting the alleyway walls.
“This is not just pressure washing the alley and putting up some murals,” Everett said.
“The CRA has been very generous, it bought the parking lot for the city. We believe a vibrant downtown has to look good, and we wanted to spruce up the alleyway.
Alderman Kevin Russell asked if it would not be better to have the mural painted on a bigger wall in the city. Everett replied that the planned artwork will be painted windows, not a 20-foot by 40-foot painting.
“We’ve brought this project before the city council, and we’ve spoken about this for more than a year,” Everett said. “We are looking to put CRA dollars to the best use.”
“If you look at every alleyway in downtown Chipley, can you tell me you are proud of them?” Everett asked. “If we can make this one look the way we want it to, you will want us to make them all look this way.”
Russell asked why several the buildings in town are the same color of brown. Everett replied that in 1985, the city council decided the downtown’s colors should all be Earth tones.
The downtown building owners have 25 percent of their own money invested in the building renovation grants that the CRA has provided over the years, which allows the building owners to pick the colors of the buildings, Everett said. He noted that three of the buildings which are the same color are owned by the same person.
Everett also noted that there are several downtown buildings that need serious repairs to bring them up to code.
“Eventually, we are going to have to look at adding a living component to our downtown,” Everett said. “Every town around the country that has tried to renovate their downtown area has had to look at the living component.”
There are apartments in downtown Chipley that could be rented today if the building owners had that option, he added.
“There are a lot of upstairs areas in these buildings where we could bring in the living component.”
Everett noted that as a rule, business follows traffic, so it is inevitable that growth will continue toward Interstate-90. However, that doesn’t mean the downtown area can’t remain vital.
“We will have to have businesses open on Saturday and Sunday to bring in the traffic,” he said. I know I am saying things that can get me in trouble, but we’re going to have to have everybody playing ball, or eventually no one will get to play.”
Mayor Linda Cain said the council needed to make a decision so the CRA could get started on the alleyway.
Council member Lee Dell Kennedy said he thought the alleyway project is a good idea. “We need to do something to help the downtown,” he said.
“I think we should allow Ted and the CRA to proceed with the alleyway project and put it out for bids,” said City Manager Dan Miner. Once the bids are in, the CRA will come back to the council with the bids for approval.
In other business, the city council members also signed a letter to CSX railroad requesting maintenance be performed on city railroad crossings. At the Feb. 7 council work session Miner requested the council to write a letter to CSX and also requested that the public contact the railroad about maintaining the city’s crossings.
The railroad may be contacted at 1-800-232-0144 or by email at tellcsx@csx.com.
The council also heard a request from T.J. Smith to implement a new parade route for the 2013 Martin Luther King Jr. parade. The council said they would submit the proposed route to the police chief for consideration before approving the changes.
