Developers

are redesigning the Pine Trail Road exit from

Uptown Square, the Barnes and Noble shopping

center under construction across from Fayette

Pavilion, but they won't have to repaint one of

the stores.

The

shopping center exit has been the key point in a

storm of controversy surrounding the shopping

center ever since it was first proposed two years

ago.

Residents

of the subdivisions behind the shopping center

strongly opposed any curb cut on their road at

all, but when city leaders began to support the

notion, residents argued instead for an exit-only

curb cut.

That's

what was approved, but residents say now that

it's built, the exit is designed in such a way

that it's easy for motorists to use it as an

entrance.

City

planning director Maurice Ungaro last week

reported to the Planning Commission that

developer Concordia Properties Inc. is

redesigning the exit and the changes will be

approved by Mayor Kenneth Steele, who has been

adamant is demanding that the driveway be

changed.

Meanwhile,

the Planning Commission last week gave Concordia

a pass on the color of the Linens and Things

store in the center.

Commissioners

voted 2-1, with Allan Feldman opposed, to allow

the store's color to stay as is and not require

repainting it the color originally approved as

part of the shopping center's development plan.

Commissioners

said the color is acceptable as long as the exit

and some minor problems with lighting and the

design of drainage downspouts are taken care of,

but Feldman didn't think so.

"They

still have avoided the due process. I think they

should go in and redo the whole thing," said

Feldman.

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