During the first Blue Ridge City Council Meeting of the year, Jan Eaton and Michael Eaton were present asking the city to fix a lot of theirs located in downtown Blue Ridge.
The said property is located on the corner of Messer St. and East Main St. The problem came when the city cut a curb on the Messer side of the street.

When the curb was cut all of the runoff water from East 1st Street ran down Messer Street and flooded the Eaton Lot.

The Eatons had asked for the curb to be cut but they wanted the cut to be on the Main Street side of the lot.

The lot was a grass semi flat piece of property that the owners used to help get adoptions and donations for Tri-State Pet Rescue which is ran by the Eatons.

People were able to park on the lot if a donation was made to the organization.

During the meeting Rodney Kendall would say,

“It is obvious we did not go by the plans or the curb would be on the right side.”

FYN spoke with Kendall about the property. He said that no matter whose property it was the city needs to fix any damage that it causes.

After a heated discussion during the morning work shop, the mood of the meeting was tense.

After the swearing in of the new council, Kendall made the following motion,

“I’d like to make a motion that we put in access from East Main Street, fix the issues down Messer Street and fix Mrs. Eaton’s lot.”

Mayor Donna Whitener would take a moment and read to the audience an agreement for easement from the Eatons to the City allowing them to put a sidewalk and other such improvements in.

Council woman Rhonda Thomas urged the council to think of the safety concerns on a curb cut. She would also interject,

“It is going to take away three parking spaces which are very valuable to the downtown area.”

After the lengthy discussion Angie Arp made one of her first acts of the City Council by seconding Kendall’s motion. Thomas would be the only nay vote making the motion carry.

Mayor Whitener spoke with FYN saying they had turned down people in the past when they ask the city for gravel.

“I don’t think we should put it on personal property.”

Another concern that the Mayor spoke of was in putting in the curb cut it caused sidewalk height changes which could be a trip hazard and other safety concerns for citizens.

$2692.11

This is total cost of the improvements to the lot. This includes the truckloads of gravel to fix the parking area.

FYN spoke to property owner Jan Eaton. Eaton told FYN that currently there is no parking on the lot but plans are being made to allow people to park there seven days a week.

When this become available it will be a $5 dollar donation to park. All of the profits will go to support Tri-State Pet Rescue.