Thank you to everyone who attended and provided feedback at one of the Town Manager’s Community Meetings in February.
We realize that taking time out of your day to attend Town meetings requires planning, considerable effort, and in some cases, securing childcare or time off from work. We value your time and are committed to addressing your concerns in a timely manner.
Topics of discussion varied at each meeting, but here are a few common themes that surfaced at all three:
- Sidewalks, sidewalks, sidewalks: You'd like more of them and better connectivity between them. Town Manager Josh Farrar mentioned at the meetings that the Town intends to go on a "sidewalk blitz" in the coming year. Our Parks & Recreation Committee will take on a sidewalk prioritization process very soon, so please stay tuned to their future meeting agendas for more details and further opportunities for input.
- Public Safety & Traffic: Ashland is growing, which is great for our economy and quality of life, but with growth also comes growing pains. Whether it is neighborhood noise disturbances, speeding, or traffic backed up along Route 1 creating overflow issues on our residential streets, we are committed to responding to your concerns and helping alleviate your pain points in partnership with VDOT, Randolph-Macon College, and others.
- Beautification Projects: From improving the appearance of the I-95/Route 54 interchange to investing in the England Street Master Plan to ensuring our parks and roadways stay clean and litter-free, our Planning & Community Development and Public Works Departments are already hard at work on addressing these issues and look forward to sharing progress very soon.
Click here for a detailed list of comments from all three meetings and the follow-up actions already underway and/or planned next steps.
We hope you found these conversations as valuable and worthwhile as we did. If you were unable to attend these meetings and have a comment, concern, or question, please do not hesitate to contact Josh Farrar (Town Manager) or Martha J. Miller (Community Engagement Manager).