Profile: Lynne Mason wants a ‘vital downtown area’
By Frank Ruggiero
ruggiero@wataugademocrat.com

The following is part four in a series of candidate profiles for the 2007 Boone municipal election, to be held Oct. 9.

As director of Hospitality House of Boone, Lynne Mason is already considered a public servant. Add to that six years on the Boone Town Council, and one could hardly say otherwise.

The Boone municipal election approaches, though, and Mason will learn whether or not voters say otherwise, as she attempts to reclaim her seat, one of three opening on the council.

Mason, also mayor pro tem, describes the current council as one “that has abandoned the status quo and that has been willing to take a stand on the many difficult issues facing our community.”

One such issue is the often rocky relationship between the town of Boone and Appalachian State University, a matter Mason recalls from her earliest days on the council. Since then, Mason said she’s learned it’s “not worth playing the blame game,” but said she’d like to see better communication on the university’s part.

The proposed college of education, the plans for which do not conform to town land-use regulations, will be the catalyst better communication, Mason said.

“I’m optimistic we’re at a point where we’ll be really able to work closely with ASU,” she said.

When it comes to growth for the town and university, though, Mason would like to see both in accordance with the newly-revised comprehensive plan, which was developed through what she called a “very community-involved process,” in which community members met with planning commissioners and council members to share their concerns with the previous plan. Mason said she’d like a new college of education, as long as its development proceeds in a non-conflicting manner.

She admitted the town’s current Unified Development Ordinance is rather cumbersome and not very user-friendly.

To address this, the council initiated a smart growth audit, which will assess the current regulations and recommend changes and potential improvements.

Mason hopes this will address housing issues, including mixed-use development and a lesser dependency on automobiles. She called it the three Bs: bus, bike, walk. “We want to foster the kind of community where you can walk to a restaurant or an evening activity,” she said.

Before any growth can occur, regardless of its smartness, there must be an ample supply of water. With the town moving to increase its treatment capacity, Mason said the council should find a way to better update the community of its progress in the matter. She proceeded to do so.

Mason revealed that an additional source has been identified further down the New River. One of the town’s intakes is on the South Fork of the New River. Regarding the cost of expansion, she said the council is trying not to place the burden on taxpayers and water and sewer customers.

At the same time, she’d like to continue one of the council’s current priorities – the strengthening of single-family neighborhoods. Different problems have been addressed over the years, such as occupancy violations and cut-through traffic, she said, adding that encroachment into such neighborhoods remains a problem.

When the county proposed a new Watauga High School in the Perkinsville area and near several neighborhoods, both town and county worked together to ensure a favorable outcome for the nearby residents. Mason called the collaboration “a good example of how different government units can work together.”

“Everyone knew what was expected,” she said. “That’s where zoning’s so important.”

Mason supports the neighborhood life and said she’s committed to keeping them “viable and livable.”

Though measures were taken to address occupancy issues in neighborhoods, particularly student housing, Mason said they still continue to be a problem. Considering the issue of affordable housing, the situation can become rather sticky.

To accommodate some affordable housing, Mason suggested the option of permitting accessory apartments in single-family neighborhoods.

The primary home would have to be owner-occupied, but by renting an accessory apartment to a tenant, homeowners could have an easier time paying their mortgage.

“That’s a national trend, looking at an increase of housing stock through something that simple,” she sad.
Smart growth, she added, could also help address the problem by way of mixed-use development – high density in certain areas with businesses on the ground level and residences above. She’d also like to see smart growth incorporate the zero-waste concept into the broader picture.

A more pedestrian-friendly Boone would also fit in, allowing residents to walk from home to nearby businesses. Mason said she was in particular favor of small businesses, calling them “the heart of the town.”

Many such businesses are located on Howard Street in downtown Boone, an area slated to receive a thorough overhaul – aesthetically and in its infrastructure.

“We’re getting real close to beginning that,” Mason said. “We’re working real hard to get voluntary easements to reduce the cost to taxpayers. Rather than a bond installment loan, it will be funded through the general fund each year.

“We want a vital downtown area. I have great hopes we’ll continue the theme from Howard Street to King Street.”

Regarding the meandering pace the project seems to have taken, Mason said, “If you have a good plan that’s involved community input, it’s going to move slowly.”

Mason gained a bit of notoriety with what’s referred to as the Mason Compromise, a variation of the steep slope and view-shed regulations that was presented at a special public hearing. Citizens and area landowners took concern with the notion that it seemed Mason had prepared the statement before hearing public comment at the hearing.

She defended the compromise, saying the steep slope task force was designed to represent a broad spectrum of the community and met over the course of 18 months in numerous meetings, all of which were open to the public.

“It was a community-involved process,” she said, noting that multiple public information sessions were also held. “I feel like what we’ve recommended is very reasonable. It puts in place measures to protect health and safety and the view-shed, while supporting tourism, a vital part of our economy. Unfortunately, misinformation spread and even today, some people don’t understand what the policies do.”

One particular group that opposes the steep slope and view-shed regulations is Citizens for Change, a political action committee. The committee seeks to place candidates it endorses on the council, and its members interviewed several candidates, with Mason not being one of them.

For more information on Lynne Mason, call (828) 265-3212, e-mail masonlo@aol.com or visit www.lynnemason.org on the Web.