Gazette comment of note

Below is a response to a commenter who was outraged by the square improvement project being in the works for over a decade:

If it wasn't just the flagpole at issue, the problem would have been resolved years ago. But the flagpole became part of a larger issue ... how to preserve the square, the village, and handle all the traffic at three major intersections (Blue Mtn. Parkway, Balthaser, and Mt. Road).

It shouldn't surprise us that it has taken a decade to work out, especially considering it's a state road and the whole process has involved very committed, very hard working residents in the area, not just traffic engineering experts. The process has invited citizen involvement from the get-go.

There were plenty of disagreements about the best way to deal with the problem. The plan wasn't ill-conceived from the start. It was studied and studied from the start ... with lots of citizen input. The work to preserve something of historical value takes time, but it's time well spent.

As new residents move into this area, it's natural for them to be upset with traffic problems and look at the Square preservers standing in the way of progress. But this area does have a history, and it's important to learn about it before criticizing our best efforts to preserve what we have.