Details of Sparta Retail Strategy are unveiled at meeting

Members of the Alleghany County Commission and the Sparta Town Council were provided with an update on the Sparta Retail Strategy at the meeting on April 30. The information was presented by Bob Bamberg, who serves as the executive director of the Alleghany County Chamber of Commerce.

The report was prepared for the town by Economics Research Associates (ERA).

Bamberg later noted that ERA also did the impact study for the proposed Sparta Teapot Museum.

As Bamberg passed out documents, he told the members of the boards that, in 2005, about 100 residents of Alleghany County gathered and discussed a vision and plan for the town, where the individuals wanted Sparta to be in 2010.

"The thing that I find most remarkable—I've been here 25 years this fall, and I've been involved in scores of community plans and efforts like this and most of them wind up as documents on a shelf," Bamberg said. "I come here tonight to do two things. One, I'm making a presentation that was an outgrowth of this group...and I also just want to call attention to the Sparta 2010 planning effort. We hope it will bear fruit."

Bamberg noted that, in part, the planning was the result of plans for the teapot museum. "There was a lot of fear that we would start experiencing a lot of growth and it would get ahead of us and we wanted to try to be prepared for that," he said, adding there were

also concerns surrounding downtown revitalization efforts. Bamberg continued, "Luckily, we qualified for a Small Town Economic Prosperity Program (STEP) grant, an initiative supported by a $10.5 million appropriation of the Rural Center. Part of our 2010 planning helps us get this grant and the grant was to assist us in planning, so it's helped us move forward."

Bamberg then made note of the vision created by the 100 residents. The vision, as amended, now reads: "In 2010, Sparta is a well- planned, quaint and thriving mountain community with unique characteristics that will attract tourists and still be community- based around the needs of its residents. The bypass is well on its way to completion and streetscape improvements have been completed. Other physical infrastructure improvements include convenient downtown parking and pedestrian-friendly walkways to access our beautiful, unique businesses and attractions. Sparta's businesses are thriving thanks to the cooperation among merchants, businesses, (the) Chamber of Commerce, town and county government and a full-time economic developer dedicated to growing a new and existing small business and industry in the county. A retail and professional recruitment plan is in place, which complements the needs of the community."

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