After years watching morning traffic increase and commercial buildings sprout where homes once stood along Lillie Avenue, residents of Summerland have begun voicing their dreams for an eclectic downtown.
Last week at a workshop in the town church, about 30 residents compiled a wish list of priorities for the strip, presently lined with antique stores, restaurants, cafes, day spas, shops and the occasional home.
It's also lined with bumper-to-bumper traffic most weekday mornings as northbound Highway 101 commuters look for relief.
Lillie Avenue was once predominantly residential, but became the default main street when the original business district along Wallace Avenue was wiped out in 1951 to make way for the freeway.
With several new commercial projects already approved or under construction, and several more potential developments on the horizon, residents say now is the time to make their desires known.
The finished wish list was presented at a county Board of Architectural Review meeting. The board, along with the county Planning Commission, makes decisions on the projects that get built in the town of 1,500 people.
Posted by gandlwoods at October 25, 2004 05:38 PM