DEMOPOLIS – The Arch Street Committee held a meeting on Tuesday to further discuss the development of the Arch Street River walk project. The committee approved the minutes from the last meeting and then the festivities began.

The chairman of the committee, Jay Shows opened the meeting by talking about the old business held over from the last meeting. There were nine questions that needed to be answered during this meeting ranging from the walkway itself to the lighting around the walkway.

Committee member Mark Pettus talked with Chip Kates, who is an associate of Almond&Almond Associates from Tuscaloosa about the questions. One of the questions involved the length of the walkway. Kates said, the walkway must be at least 10 feet across in length and they would really whether have it be 12 feet across.

The committee still needs more information on a couple of the questions before the committee can even think about taking a vote on the life of the project.

The committee reviewed a letter written by Webb Jackson, who is a concerned citizen about the project and the items left out of the original grant. The committee took no action on the letter because it wasn’t written directly to them.

Shows said the committee needed to start looking at the different kinds of lights and fencing needed for the project. The committee wants to make sure the residents of Arch Street have a say in the materials used in he project.

Committee member Gwen Turner said, “The Chickasaw Gallery is the most beautiful area in the town and we need to make sure the fence and lighting look professional.”

Dr. Judy Travis, who is also a committee member, said she had concerns about the free docks in the project, when the public docks are just down the river. She also had a concern about the lighting and that it only needed to shine on the walkway and not on the residents.

Louise Reynolds had some more questions for the committee before they left for the night. “Why are basing our decisions on Almond&Almond Associates, who stand to gain from this venture?”

She said, “I think it is an conflict of interest.”

After listening to the question Travis said, “I think all this is, is just stalling.”

The meeting continued with many other questions and quotes from committee members. The next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 8 at 5:15 p.m. at the Demopolis Chamber of Commerce.