Alley to get facelift? [Culpeper Star-Exponent, Va.]

Aug. 25--A colonial-era alleyway downtown is on track for a major facelift.

The town of Culpeper takes its $100,000 beautification plan for the narrow passageway between Knakal's Bakery and Gayheart & Willis law offices on East Davis Street to the architectural review board for approval today. The board meets at 5:30 p.m. in town hall.

Included as part of the town's original 1759 layout, the alley is actually one of a pair that still exists; the other one is located a few buildings over between It's About Thyme restaurant and Thyme Market.

More than 250 years ago, the alleys led to the public square, which housed a courthouse, jail, whipping post, stocks and clerk's office. Baptist minister James Ireland, age 21, was imprisoned on the site in 1769 as a religious dissenter -- it is said he continued to preach through the prison bars.

The area around Davis and Main streets, like today, was also established very early on as a commercial center. The first retail business was established in 1760 on lot 18 in the original town center, according to Eugene Scheel's "Culpeper."

By 1767, Roger Dixon was advertising a tavern for sale in town, and by 1771 two taverns for rent. Colonial settlers inevitably used the alleyways to get where they were going.

"A lot of times, all of the services came off the alleys for the buildings on Davis Street," said Culpeper historian Zann Nelson. "They were service roads."

Enhancing downtown alleyways has been a longstanding goal for the town, according to the staff report going to the ARB.

The plan for the Knakal's alley, located in a town-owned right of way, is to replace existing asphalt with brick or concrete pavers and replacing the rear staircase to match.

In addition, the town proposes to resurface the concrete retaining wall, replace the existing metal railing, install new brick piers around the base of the light poles and introduce basket planters on the railing.

Finally, planting-beds beside the new staircase are planned along with signs directing pedestrians to shops and parking.

The town included $50,000 in this year's budget to provide matching funds to help facilitate a public-private partnership to complete the project, according to Culpeper Town Planning Director Patrick Mulhern. The town's portion would tap federal block grant funds for the beautification project, similar to the downtown revitalization that occurred in the 1990s.

The project's timeline will depend on when a private party submits a request to partner with the town, said Mulhern.

"It is not likely the project will be constructed this year, but it could happen," he said.

Downtown merchants group Culpeper Renaissance Inc. has played a part in reviewing and making changes to the Knakal's alleyway project. The town also intends to allow other building owners to review the final draft before moving forward.

Unfamiliar with the plan

Dwayne Whitt, owner of Knakal's Bakery, said Tuesday he hadn't heard anything about the town's plan for alleyway beautification next to his business. Told about it, he said it sounded like a good idea.

"As long as they keep the alleyway open so people can walk freely," Whitt said, adding that the public alley serves as a major access point for his customers, who primarily park in the Cameron Street lot behind the bakery.

For that reason, Whitt said, he does not favor placing tables or chairs in the alley like in the one beside Thyme.

Mulhern said tables are not proposed in the Knakal's alley.

"The alleyway and other improvements are intended to provide a clean, safe and attractive means for citizens and tourists to get from the East Cameron Street parking lot to the shopping areas on Davis and Main streets," Mulhern said.

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Copyright (c) 2010, Culpeper Star-Exponent, Va.

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