‘Help us move forward’: Waxhaw eyes solution to traffic woes in downtown

The top complaint from neighbors in Waxhaw is traffic, but town officials hope to fix that with a new project.

The town is preparing for a growing population, and they’re starting with their eyes on a downtown parking garage.

“Everybody agrees with the parking issue, I think,” one patron told Channel 9’s Gina Esposito on Monday.

The parking woes didn’t stop her and her friends from grabbing lunch in downtown Waxhaw, but they agreed that finding a spot can sometimes be rough.

Now, the town of Waxhaw’s 71-page proposed Downtown Master Plan lays out a strategy for growth over the next decade. There’s a spot north of downtown between Broome and Church streets where it recommends adding a three-story parking deck.

“I think that’s great, I think it will help a lot there,” said Myrna Seropian, who lives nearby. “A lot of neat places on the side streets, but you can’t park on the weekends.”

A study conducted for the master plan says Waxhaw is projected to add an additional 3,000 residents over the next five years. IT found ther’ea need for more connectivity, parking, retail, and entertainment space.

“The goal is to create a walkable environment,” said Waxhaw Mayor Robert Murray.

Murray says if the plan is approved, some projects could happen in a year or so, while others like the parking deck could take up to a decade.

“This is not something that is going to happen overnight or exactly as it is written. This is meant to act as a guide to help us move forward,” Murray said.

You can share your thoughts on the plan until next Tuesday, and see the plan yourself, by clicking this link.

(VIDEO: Waxhaw businesses, residents frustrated by repeated outages during Duke Energy upgrades)