The fall 2009 edition of the High Point Market officially ended Thursday, but an important market-related issue is the focus next week as city planning officials consider a proposal to create a Market Overlay District in much of downtown.

The High Point Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in City Council chambers to discuss the overlay proposal, which – although overall is a sound idea – has created controversy and concerns among some home furnishings showroom operators.

Several owners and managers of showroom facilities that lie just outside boundaries of the proposed district have said exclusion will devalue their properties or give the impression that their showroom facilities are less significant than those inside the district.

We urge city officials to listen to concerns of these owners and managers and provide them with the reasoning behind why proposed overlay district boundaries lie where they are. City officials say boundaries proposed include the greatest concentration of existing showroom properties, however, a number of showroom properties in the northwest area of downtown – roughly bounded by the west side of N. Wrenn Street westward and north of the railroad tracks – are excluded. Several of these property owners and managers have raised concerns that should be heard and considered by planning officials.

The commission’s meeting comes during the week after market, but the issue is one of wide interest to many of the tens of thousands of visitors who attended market this week. We urge the city and the High Point Market Authority to keep market attendees abreast of what’s happening on this through their network of information sources. The issue also will be covered in depth by the Enterprise, and market visitors from around the state, nation and world can follow reports and commentaries on our Web site at www.hpe.com.

The High Point Market ended Thursday, but the business of making this the world’s finest goes on.