City Council To Discuss Square Issue
On Tuesday at Noon

 

by: Bobby McDonald

The Sulphur Springs City Council will be meeting in a special meeting at noon on Tuesday (see agenda in a previous article) and they will be making decisions that should interest every citizen in Hopkins County. They will be deciding the future of the downtown square revitalization project. They're going to be voting on the traffic flow on the square, the way we park, and the entire project that will be affecting all of us for many, many years to come.

"Why are they metting at noon? Do they not want anyone to show up for the meeting?" questioned one concerned citizen, with some sarcasm regarding the project. "Folks need to show up and they need to fill the room to voice their opposition to changing the parking and traffic flow on the square!"

"I think the proposed plans to the downtown area of Sulphur Springs is the most positive move I've seen since moving to Sulphur Springs, over 25 years ago," stated another citizen. "I want to show up and lend my support!"

As you can see, with any project of this size and significance, there are those who support the project and those who are adversely opposed to the project. Then, there are those who are "somewhere in the middle." There are those who have "sat back" and avoided taking a stand on the issue, one way or another. Apathy tends to solve some projects, possibly in a way that we would have preferred to have had a different result!

Personally, I'll drive on the square, regardless of which way the traffic flows and even if I have to back into the parking place (please don't make it so we have to parallel park everywhere, 'cause I'm not real good at that). But, as I've seen this project unfold.....I've detected some real concerns among citizens of this community.

Let me first state that as a reporter, I'm attempting to present both sides of the issue, and hopefully by the end of this article, your want known what my true feeling are, about the project. I'm just attempting to get you to thinking for yourself and to make your ideas known to your City Councilmen, as they make decisions on Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

How many times have many of us said we would like more jobs in Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County....jobs that would allow our children and grandchildren to return to the area and make a salary that was comparative to other areas? Well, what do you think that prospective companies planning to relocate to this area, think when they see the present downtown square? Wouldn't it be much more attractive if this plan is implemented and those trying to attract business and commerce to Hopkins County could showcase our community by leading the company executives to a downtown square that looked like the one proposed? Think about it!

Then, there are several in our community that have "wondered" if we could afford this plan. "What is it going to do to our city taxes?" many have questioned.

Have you heard a breakdown of what this plan will cost and if the taxes will have to be raised to meet the demands of the plan? This is certainly a legitimate question and one that certainly needs to be addressed, before it is voted into place, don't you think? Have you heard anyone mention a price-tag?

Other citizens are already thinking of the many venues and attractions that can be hosted on the downtown square, once it looks like the completed plan. Can you imagine the 4th of July Concert, sitting among a landscaped downtown square? The possibilities are endless of the kind of activities that can be hosted in such an area!

"I'm sick of hearing about a water park on the downtown square!" voiced another concerned citizen. "There has been a fountain on the downtown square for approximately 15 years that funds have been provided to upkeep, and it remains dormant, because we supposedly don't have the manpower to keep it operating. Who's going to upkeep the square, once it would be built?"

This is a legitimate question, that you need to ask your City Councilmen. Are there funds in the project to keep it maintained, once it is changed, or will we need to raise taxes to maintain it at the level it needs to be to keep it attractive?

 

 

 

"I think this plan is one that can be implemented with the planned Veteran's Memorial and it makes sense for all of it to be tied together," expessed another citizen that is for the proposed square plan. "Both projects can benefit from the two groups working together and creating something that is lasting and beautiful for everyone!"

"I'm a downtown business owner and I just wonder if my business can withstand the construction phase," expressed another concerned citizen. "Could your business survive three to five years of construction outside the front door?"

That's another legitimate question, that needs to be addressed, on behalf of those who operate businesses on the downtown square and the adjoining properties. It may not affect those of us located in other parts of town, but it's certainly going to have an effect on those who are in the construction zone. And, will the profit potential be enhanced so, after the completion of the project, to make the construction phase worthwhile economically?

Think of the businesses that will be wanting to compete for the properties on the square, once the project is completed. Can you imagine the kinds of businesses we can attract with the project put in place? What town in all of Northeast Texas will have a downtown that looks like this? It certainly will open doors for businesses wanting to relocate to our city!

"I'm concerned about the chaos that will develop with two-way traffic and back-in parking on the downtown square," related another concerned citizen. "Call me old school, or whatever, but I drove on the downtown square when it was two-way traffic, long before most any of the City Councilmen were living in this town, and I remember that it was just like going to Cooper and trying to drive on their square. Your were playing 'Russian Roulett' and taking your life in your own hands, every time you attempted to navigate the area, and they're planning on having kids running in and out of a water park, with traffic flowing around the outside of it?"

"As for backing into a parking place, is there going to be a policeman to stop the traffic from riding your bumper, so you could park?" asked another citizen. "I think we'll have to have foot-patrol policeman on all sides of the square to ever give folks time enough to back into the parking spots, and who's going to pay for them?"

As you can see, there are many pros and cons for the downtown project and many, many legitimate questions that must be considered before a final vote on the project is passed. I trust that the citizens of Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County (those people outside the city limits will be conducting business and contributing to the sales tax of the city, even though they may can't vote in a city election, so they must be considered too, or they could decide to take their business to Cooper, Commerce, Winnsboro, Emory, or Quitman) have already contacted their City Councilmen or will before a final vote is taken, or be at Tuesday's meeting to voice their concerns in this vital issue.

And, I trust that those men who have been elected to the office of City Councilmen, will consider all sides of this issue before making a decision for or against this project. The vote will more than likely be the single most important vote they make during their elected position, or at least it will have the most far-reaching effects for years to come.

If you're concerned about this issue, it is your duty to be at the meeting on Tuesday, at noon, to lend your support or question some of the valid points, that have been presented by those who are opposed to the plan. That's what government is all about!

 

 

 

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