Last Updated on September 28, 2026 10:09 am
Blowing Rock Town Manager Alice Derian shared a series of updates this month covering infrastructure projects, council actions, and community events.
Main Street Crosswalk Improvements Complete
The crosswalk project on Main Street and adjoining side streets is complete. The Town thanked its Public Works staff for providing traffic control during the project, which helped reduce costs and allowed the scope to be expanded. The Town had asked NCDOT about adding striping for a crosswalk near Chetola, but that location does not meet NCDOT's criteria for crosswalk pavement markings due to the speed limit and relatively low pedestrian volume.
Council Approves Traffic Safety Measures
At its Sept. 8 meeting, the Blowing Rock Town Council approved three-way stop signs at both the Laurel Park Road/Dogwood Lane and Country Club Drive/Country Club Lane intersections, with signage installation and refreshed roadway markings to follow. Public Works has also purchased a new paint machine and started re-striping roadways town-wide, including Morris, Sunset, Laurel Lane and Green Hill Road, with the list continuing to be updated.
Foothills Conservancy presented plans for a potential three-mile public trail on the 330-acre John's River Headwaters Preserve. The Town Council directed the Conservancy to discuss the plan with Planning & Zoning and the Fire Chief to develop a proposal for Council's review.
Council also updated the parking ordinance to comply with new North Carolina legislation taking effect Jan. 1, 2027. Under the new requirements, parking ratios will serve as recommendations rather than mandatory minimums for new development, while the Town will continue to regulate parking design and circulation standards.
Waterline Replacement Underway
The Town's contractor has begun the Pine Street waterline replacement project as scheduled, with work expected to continue for several weeks. Once Pine Street is completed, the contractor will begin the Park Avenue waterline replacement. The project will replace existing 4-inch cast iron lines with 6-inch ductile iron lines on both streets and add a fire hydrant to each.
BRAHM 15th Anniversary and Repair Schedule
The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum will celebrate its 15th anniversary on Oct. 1, 2026. Sidewalk repairs around the museum are scheduled to begin Monday, Oct. 5, followed by parking deck repairs on Nov. 2. The parking deck is expected to be closed for approximately two weeks once that work begins.
Planning Board Forms Subcommittee
The Planning Board met to discuss the Special Use Permit process and Commercial Design Standards, forming a subcommittee to study Special Use Permits. Bill McCarter and Brandon Walker were appointed to the subcommittee, with two more members to be appointed at the next meeting.
Clark Street Parking Lot Improvements
Due to weather, Clark Street parking lot improvements are anticipated to begin within the next two weeks.
Rotary Club Blood Drive: Sept. 29
The Blowing Rock Rotary Club has partnered with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive at the American Legion, 333 Wallingford Street, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Those wishing to schedule a donation may call 1-800-733-2767 or use the Red Cross online appointment scheduler, using zip code 28605 and selecting the American Legion site.
Have Your Say on Transportation Planning
Watauga County is updating its 2013 Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP), a long-range, multi-modal transportation plan developed with NCDOT that covers a 25- to 30-year planning period and is used to identify transportation projects for future funding. Recommendations guided by a local steering committee and public input will address highways, public transportation, and bicycle and pedestrian modes of transportation. Residents are encouraged to submit input as the update process continues.
