Main Street Plan

Salisbury, along with their design consultant, ESP Associates, Inc., held an informational public meeting on July 23, 2024, to present draft construction plans for proposed improvements along Main Street between Horah and Kerr Streets. The meeting was an open-house format that allowed the public, property owners, residents, and business owners the opportunity to review the plans and speak with city staff and members of the design team. In addition, a public comment period remained open through August 20, 2024. Through the meeting and comment period, the City received 83 comments and/or questions regarding the design through 53 attendees at the public meeting and 14 electronic responses. We have grouped the questions into eight (8) categories and provided responses in this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document. All categories are equally important, and we have listed them in alphabetical order. Actual questions/comments received are also provided on our website.

Bicycle Facilities

Several comments focused on bicycle facilities in the downtown, including the provision of attractive bike parking and dedicated bicycle facilities. Staff and the ESP design team are working together to ensure attractive and purposeful bicycle racks are designed and placed throughout the project limits. Adding separated bicycle lanes on Main Street within the core downtown area is not a feasible alternative without decreasing sidewalk widths or eliminating parking spaces. All these elements are important, and we are working to balance the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and business owners. The plan will continue to use “sharrows” to indicate shared road usage for vehicles and cyclists. Roadway elements will be added to help keep traffic slower in the downtown area, and pedestrian crossings of Main Street will be shortened to enhance safety. Dedicated bicycle lanes will remain on both North and South Main Streets beyond the current project limits. In addition, the City was awarded a grant for a new Multi-Modal Plan. This plan is separate from the Main Street Project, and will evaluate all modes of transportation and make short and long-term recommendations for improvements both in the downtown and throughout Salisbury.

Bump Outs

Comments concerning bump outs were mixed, and the proposed design reflects the goals of the original Master Plan adopted in 2020. Using the Master Plan, combined with the latest input received, staff reviewed bump out locations and worked with the consultant to eliminate some of the smaller bump outs while enhancing locations at intersections and mid-block. In addition, the design of the bump outs will be adjusted to address abrupt points and provide smoother radii. Bump outs at the intersections are an important element to enhance pedestrian safety by reducing crossing distance. Pedestrians will also receive a leading pedestrian interval (LPI) built into the traffic signal timing to establish their presence within a crosswalk prior to the release of traffic. The shorter crossing distances created by the bump outs will allow more efficient timing plans for both motorists and pedestrians. The bump outs will not be designed to accommodate easy turning maneuvers by tractor-trailers, but will accommodate longer wheel-base single unit vehicles. The addition of mid-block bump outs will provide interesting spaces, add colorful, planted elements, serve as an extension of the sidewalk space in some areas, and provide opportunity for future mid-block crossings.

Construction Impacts on Small Businesses

Lessening the impact of construction on businesses is a top priority for the City of Salisbury. A communication plan will be in place to ensure businesses and property owners are informed of progress and can plan accordingly. Construction will be phased to limit the extent of the active construction zone, and intermediate completion times will be established as part of the contract documents to help alleviate impact during the holiday season. Temporary access will be maintained by the contractor when feasible, and times of impact to front door access will be communicated well in advance to allow businesses to plan for alternate access. Impact to front doors will be limited as much as possible, but unfortunately, is necessary to provide items such as sidewalk tie-ins and utility work. The City will have inspectors in the field daily, and will communicate frequently with Downtown Salisbury, Inc. and the Communications team to ensure updates are disseminated as quickly as possible. We cannot currently predict a timeline by block or section, but the duration of the construction is anticipated to last about 18 to 24 months. The City and Downtown Salisbury, Inc are developing grant programs to support businesses impacted by the project, and plan to roll out at least two separate programs. Both will consist of multiple funding cycles throughout the phasing of the construction. One will be similar to the existing façade grants, the Main Street Improvement Grant, offered by the City. DSI plans to offer one that will support grants for business expenses to help them through the project, such as website development, marketing assistance, etc. More information will be available about these grants as the programs are finalized.

Future Ideas

Generally, the design for Main Street is considered timeless, but allows for elements to be added in the future. The public comment period provided many good ideas to consider. Among those were EV charging stations, drone delivery zones, and solar power for receptacles. Expanding the improvements to alleys and other adjacent areas is also desired. Staff and the design team are working to maximize the grant dollars for enhancements along Main Street. New lighting and mast arms are one element that will make a big impact, along with the enhanced pedestrian safety improvements and streetscape elements. Also included in the project is the abandonment of the existing aged waterline in Main Street and the addition of new water mains on each side of the road, making it easier to provide service for domestic and fire protection. EV charging stations were considered, but consensus of the team was to plan for this amenity on side streets or other properties within the downtown due to the size of required infrastructure. If future demand supports additional EV charging, it can be easily added in the future, as the project also includes a new electrical duct bank along each side of Main Street. NCDOT will not allow for drone deliveries within the right-of-way, but designated public spaces for deliveries could potentially be an option for the future. We are happy to see that Salisbury citizens and businesses are creative and concerned about a “future proof” design.

Landscaping

Landscaped areas will increase with the Main Street plan, but are being designed to be sustainable and not create a heavy burden for maintenance. The project does not include irrigation, and will utilize plantings native to this region that are relatively low maintenance. The plantings will be a mix of evergreens, deciduous, and perennial plants that will add seasonal interest and color. Existing trees have reached their expected life span for an urban environment, and will be replaced with new trees in areas designed to eliminate impacts to sidewalks, including root barriers and structural soil. Hardscape elements are being designed to enhance the overall appearance of the downtown and blend with improvements already installed along the 100 block of West Innes Street. Both concrete pavers and brick pavers will be installed over a concrete base to allow for seamless replacement in the case of future underground work. Signage blocked by trees continues to be a concern, and the design team is taking this into consideration as they choose species. With the current design, trees are spaced approximately 70 feet on center.

Lighting

A lighting plan is included as part of the construction plans. Currently, both vehicular and pedestrian scale lighting is leased from, and maintained by, Duke Energy. The project will install a new electrical duct bank on each side of Main Street within the project limits to accommodate the installation of City-owned and maintained lighting. The Community Appearance Commission and Downtown Salisbury, Inc. Design Committee reviewed and selected fixtures and poles for vehicular scale lighting, pedestrian scale lighting, and traffic signal mast arms. All lighting will be white LED to enhance visibility and safety, and will be night sky friendly with cut-off fixtures. Poles will be decorative and will be dark green in color. With the current plan, we anticipate vehicular scale (roadway) lighting to be staggered two per block, plus one on each mast arm at intersections. Pedestrian lighting will be eight per block (four each side). The City-owned lighting and duct bank opens opportunities for additional amenities to be added in the future, but the poles will be designed initially with banner arms and outlets at the top to accommodate seasonal decorations or other amenities.

Parking

Phase 1 of Main Street was coordinated with NCDOT’s resurfacing project, and involved reducing travel lanes from four to three, and changing parking from 30-degree to 45-degree angled spaces. The change in angle decreased the required width of each space at the curb, allowing more parking spaces per block. Blocks with parallel spaces were adjusted to allow 22-foot long spaces for interior, with 20-foot long spaces on the ends. The total number of parking spaces on Main Street between Horah Street and Kerr Street prior to Phase 1 re-striping was 190. Phase 1 allowed a generous 268 spaces along this section of Main Street. The final parking space count with Phase 2 of the project is estimated to be 207 parking spaces, which is an increase from the original layout. This number does not include areas designated as loading zones, which will also be provided in strategic locations. The final plan is designed to upgrade aged infrastructure, improve ADA access and pedestrian safety, create a sense of place, and provide an attractive and vibrant atmosphere that supports economic growth.

Wayfinding

Existing wayfinding signage in the downtown was provided by Rowan County Tourism Development Authority. The City will continue to work with our partners to enhance both vehicular and pedestrian scale wayfinding signage in the downtown. Any wayfinding signage along Main Street must be approved by NCDOT.

An informational public meeting was held on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, to present the draft construction plans for proposed improvements along Main Street in Downtown Salisbury. The meeting was an open house format that allowed the public, residents, and business owners the opportunity to obtain information about the project, review the plans, speak with city staff and members of the design team. The comments below were received during the open house. Similar or related comments have been grouped together for discussion.