Marketplace to move to Main Street; Additional Parking proposed for 1st Street
1st Street Parking Concept Plan – A: This plan shows the proposed new parking spaces and sidewalk along 1st Street.
1st Street Parking Concept Plan – B: This plan shows the proposed parking space plan on 1st Street if the lot to the right of the photo is purchased by the Town for this purpose.
By WILLIAM PAINE
Patriot Publishing
Pulaski Town Council heard presentations from the Friends of Peak Creek and the NRV Regional Airport at Tuesday’s meeting, but plans involving a new location for the town’s Marketplace and additional parking on 1st Street will have the most direct impact on the citizens of Pulaski.
Pulaski’s Economic Developer Shannon Ainsley announced that the Town of Pulaski will receive a $50,000 state grant designed to support local food production in the state. The grant requires a 50 percent match from the town.
“Now we are going to take the Marketplace to the next level,” said Ainsley. “The new permanent open air marketplace structure will be built on Main Street, providing centralized space for local agricultural producers to connect with customers.”
The future home of Pulaski’s Marketplace is set to be on what is now a vacant lot on East Main Street between the old jail and the pedestrian bridge spanning Peak Creek. Before the grant was announced, this lot was to be paved and used for parking.
According to Ainsley, the “open air marketplace structure” will be built on the lot along with some additional parking. The dimensions and design of the building are yet to be determined and no timeline has been set for completion, but it won’t likely happen before 2027. Initially at least, there will be no restroom facilities in the structure so that portable toilets will be necessary.
“We’re looking for walkability,” said Ainsley. “This connects with the brewery, the 28 new apartments, the skate park and the basketball park. It’s going to really bring a boost to our economic development by bringing activity down to that end of Main Street.”
The Town’s engineering department announced plans for more parking on 1st Street NE, which is where much new development is ongoing. Town leadership will consider placing several diagonal parking spaces and a new sidewalk along 1st Street NE in the area in front of the skate park and soon-to-open brewery. A more ambitious plan would include adding more parking in the vacant lot situated to the east of the skate park, but Town Manager Todd Day has yet to make contact with the owner of that property.
“We’re looking at about $3,000 in asphalt, about $5,000 in concrete, $2,500 for bump stops and about $525 for painting parking lines,” said Doug Phillippi of the town’s engineering department. If the vacant lot next to the skatepark is to be turned into a parking lot, that cost estimate would effectively double.
Vice Mayor Brooks Dawson expressed enthusiasm for both the Marketplace relocation and plans for additional parking.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, council voted to adopt the 2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan formulated by the New River Valley Regional Commission.
Christy Straight of the NRVRC explained that an approved plan means eligibility for FEMA’s mitigation funding. Individuals from localities within the NRV were joined by representatives from Radford University, Virginia Tech, NRCC and the National Weather Service to formulate the new plan, which took two years to complete.
Severe winter weather, high winds and flooding were ranked the highest hazard risks to the region, while earthquakes and terror attacks were the least concerning. Channel dredging for Peak Creek, replacing the railroad bridge across the creek and the acquisition of repetitive loss properties were listed as Hazard Mitigation Opportunities for the town.
Aaron Brummitt, Manager of the New River Valley Airport, made a contribution request to council, while explaining the significance of the airfield and its facilities.
Brummitt was accompanied by Nick Glenn, Chairman of the Airport Commission and a former mayor of Pulaski.
According to Brummitt, out of 65 airports in Virginia, the 6,201-foot runway at the NRV Airport is the 9th longest in the state. The airport has two full-service maintenance shops and a flight school, where pilots can earn their Federally issued pilot’s license. Brummitt also noted that helicopters used for medical emergency flights and fire suppression often use the airport’s services.
Air freight accounts for most of the airport’s revenue with Volvo-related incoming shipments making up 90 percent of those flights. Airport staff is responsible for moving freight off the aircraft, servicing and refueling the aircraft, as well as maintaining the runways and cutting 120 acres of grass surrounding the airport.
An airport taxiway is set to be rehabilitated at a cost of $4 million with 90 percent of those funds coming from the Federal government, 8 percent from state government and 2 percent from local sources.
Brummitt asked council to continue allocating $16,500 in annual funding for the airport and noted that this request has stayed the same since 2021. The NRV Airport is supported by the Town of Pulaski, Pulaski County, Giles County, Montgomery County, the City of Radford, the Town of Dublin, and the Town of Christiansburg.
Cathy Hanks, President of the Friends of Peak Creek (FOPC), gave an update on her organization, while asking for the Town’s continued support. The Friends of Peak Creek recently completed 16 cleanups which collected over eight tons of trash and 490 tires from area streams.
“We’ve been here 12 years and we’ve gotten to 12 streams,” said Hanks. “We were able to add six this year, simply because of the AmeriCorps team and Bravo Company from the Corps of Cadets that came. These streams are out in the county, but they all flow into Peak Creek and eventually to Claytor Lake.”
Hanks described several other FOPC activities including testing for water quality in six streams, the ongoing maintenance of two pollinator gardens and efforts given to evasive plant removal. Hanks also mentioned that FOPC hired April Martin as Operations Manager, which has resulted in increased educational opportunities for children.
Hanks finished by mentioning a study conducted by Ohio State University aimed at “looking for Appalachian bright spots.” According to Hanks, FOPC represented an Appalachian community organization that deviated from the negative stereotype of being environmentally lax and were referred to as “Positive Deviants.”
Hanks embraced the concept and had T-shirts with Positive Deviants printed on the front, but they are not for sale, only FOPC volunteers qualify for the Positive Deviant t-shirts.
No vote was taken to provide FOPC’s annual $3,500 from the Town, nor was a vote taken to provide the NRV Airport with its requested $16,500, but both organizations will likely receive the requested funds.
The Town Council did vote to settle the ongoing Dehart Litigation, which involved a Pulaski fireman, but no further details were available.