By Matt de Simone
A food truck will soon be making an appearance in Fincastle.
Fincastle Town Council approved a “mobile restaurant” at last Thursday’s meeting at the Fincastle Volunteer Fire Department Training Room. The food truck will soon appear on the 200 block of Botetourt Road and between the
intersections of Route 220, Back Street, and Federal Street. The Special Use Permit application was submitted by Kevin and Michael Hix and Hix Brothers Enterprises, LLC.
Town Council also authorized the purchase of new town banners. The project will cost the town roughly $3,300 for new hardware to hold up the banners plus the production of the new town banners. Council member Paige Ware clarified that the proposed banners will hang vertically from light poles.
Town Manager David Tickner requested to council that, if approved, the purchase would not exceed a specific dollar amount ($3,300) for the proposed 15 new banners (five on Route 220, 15 hung in town). He also suggested that a couple of the banners could be “seasonal” so they can rotate a few banner locations annually.
Photos courtesy of Town of Fincastle
“In my opinion, we do a regular banner in the summer,” Ware mentioned. “In the winter, change it. Maybe next year, we can buy a fall and a spring [banner].”
The Route 220 Historic Fincastle Inc. banners located along Route 220 will remain in place. Ware hopes the additional banners will be another way to shed some light on the historical aspect of the town that draws more visitors.
Local trail-builders spent last week continuing their work on Big Spring Park. They built a drainage crossing last week and appear to be well on their way to finishing up the project soon. Tickner noted that “the project is moving along very quickly” and the production is currently under the projected budget for the park.
The town manager mentioned one of the next phases in the ongoing project is the design of an outdoor classroom in walking distance from Breckinridge Elementary School. According to Tickner, the goal is to have an accessible classroom that could be used by the school. To better mitigate security and access, he believes the closer the outdoor classroom is to the school, the better. The town is currently coordinating plans with the school.
Should Back Street be entirely one way or not? Ware believes that should be the case. During his manager’s report, Tickner suggested the town consider having Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) begin a study of the stretch of the road from the General District Courthouse to Route 220. The board approved the study.
In other action, Town Council reappointed Scott Critzer and Ed Bordett to the town’s planning commission. A “museum celebration” is scheduled for this spring in coordination with the moving of the old Breckinridge Law Ofices and former home of the Botetourt County Historical Society & Museum. Mayor Mary Bess Smith noted that the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors gave the town “first dibs” on coordinating the event.