by Leah Justice
leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

The Town of Tryon decided last week by a 2-1 vote to spend another estimated $16,500 to completely repave Depot Street after discovering it would crack if the asphalt was only milled as previously planned.

Milling is taking off the top one to one and a half inches of asphalt and resurfacing.

Tryon Town Council met Sept. 16 and approved spending the extra $16,500. Commissioner George Baker voted against, with commissioners Bill Ingham and Happy McLeod voting in favor. Commissioner Roy Miller was absent.

Public works director Joel Burrell said if the asphalt was milled, it would crack later. He said by removing all the asphalt and placing a good foundation, it would help with some drainage issues there as well.

The asphalt will be removed and replaced from Depot St. to Dr. John Hooker’s dental office.

Before the vote, McLeod asked why the town thought in the original plan that it could be milled one and a half inches and ended up needing three times as much.

The contractor with Trace and Company said wherever you see cracks they will come back. He said they hate to pave it and next year have the cracks come back.

Ingham motioned to spend the money to get the job done properly. Burrell said it was his recommendation to do the job correctly, saying the town would have a good paved road for likely the next 20 years.

Council also discussed paving in front of businesses on the private property sections of the road. Tryon Economic Development Director Crys Armbrust said Trace and Company is getting quotes together for the private property sections and three of six property owners have already agreed to do the paving.

Baker said if all the property owners will do the same thing, that would change his mind on the vote, but he said he has concerns whether the town is really accomplishing anything for the extra $16,000 without it all being done the same way.

The Depot Plaza project was scheduled to be complete prior to the town’s beer festival on Nov. 8. Trace and Holding said even if the asphalt cannot be completed by then, there would at least be a gravel surface in order to hold the festival there.

The project is being paid for through a $150,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Commerce Main Street Solutions Fund (MSSF) grant.

The town is paying $23,000 of the original contract for infrastructure upgrades in order to eliminate the chance of utility line breaks occurring after the asphalt is complete. The extra $16,500 will mean the town will pay for $40,000 of the project.

The town will either pay for its portion out of contingency or fund balance. At the end of the year, depending on other street projects, some of the total could be transferred from the town’s state Powell Bill fund.