Mayor Mike Miller, Jamie Preacher and Dennis Rodgers, pictured above, met on the site of Wagener's new parking lot to discuss construction progress. Parking lot plans include about 22 parking spaces, a town clock and a green area. The clock will not be completed until December. It will stand tall on the corner of the lot at Main and Church Streets.
In a mid-July conference, Mayor Mike Miller fielded questions about the decision to build a parking lot on the land generously donated to the town by the Ingram family of Garvin Oil Company. This lot is where the original Kent's Korner stood.
"We have angular parking in most of the town." Miller stated. "Angular parking isn't permitted by law anymore, but our current parking places are grandfathered in and can remain. Any future parking places on the street have to be parallel parking and that consumes a lot of space. Many of the town parking spots are often full. This parking lot will be well used."
Miller also explained that previous contamination of the land prevented the town from building a park there. "The contamination has been cleaned up and is not a problem anymore, but the people who gave us a grant frowned on a playground because of the history of the land."
Miller has been mayor long enough to know that some people are going to be critical of whatever the town does. Miller commented "You can't please everybody. Some people say this parking lot is for First Baptist Church, others say it is for the Bed and Breakfast, but that's not true. If it helps them, that's great. One thing I heard early on is 'Why a parking lot? Why didn't you put a McDonalds in there?' A McDonald's isn't going to come here now, there isn't enough support for that."
As of mid-July, the sidewalks were poured, the foundation was built and the light poles were up. The town will landscape the green space, keeping within budget. The clock is being built by the Christoph Paccard Bell Foundry of Charleston, SC. The town hopes that the clock will be installed in time for its annual Hometown Holiday, the first weekend in December.