In the next few months, Garner could start to see the downtown area get a facelift, Chris Walsh with the Louis Berger Group, Inc. said. The new Streetscape design and Transportation plan were unveiled Mar. 3, allowing Garner residents to envision a downtown area that is more pedestrian-friendly and connects new and historic parts of town.

The new design would give Garner a gathering place for town events on Main Street to draw people to the historic downtown area.

What would be known as the “visual spine,” the downtown area would have divided sidewalks for trashcans, benches and lighting as well as space for pedestrians to browse local businesses.

Also, the plan would create a roundabout at the intersection of Benson Road and Main Street to better manage traffic and add curb appeal to the area.

Bicycle lanes and sidewalks throughout the major areas of Benson/West Garner, Benson/Main, New Rand/Garner, New Rand/US 70 and downtown will help with one of the steering committee’s goals to go green.

The plan proposes to help pedestrians by eliminating fast right turns at the intersection of New Rand and Garner Roads. Crosswalks with pedestrian-activated signals would also be a priority.

However, Walsh said the main priority of the project is Garner’s downtown.

The last plan, completed in 1999, was less than 50 pages. The new plan is nearly 200 pages.

“The thing to do is to really keep this a living plan,” Walsh said.

That would mean a reassessment every five to seven years.

The steering committees hope to present the plans to the Town Council in the next 60 to 90 days. After approval from the Town Council, Planning Director Brad Bass said projects like sidewalks could commence immediately. However, no schedule is set at this time.