The purpose of the meeting is to gather input from the community to assist with developing a vision statement for the introduction to the Comprehensive Plan. A group exercise will be conducted to engage participants to state what they value about Ashland, and how they would like Ashland to be in the future.
Former Planning Director Neil Holthouser will facilitate this session.
The comments and input gathered from this meeting will help Town staff and Planning Commissioners understand the values and priorities of the community, and how to address these within the Comprehensive Plan document.
Potential Questions to be asked on April 10 - please feel free to respond, comment, or make suggestions now on the blog!
Community Identity
What contributes to the best qualities of the identity of Ashland?
What makes Ashland different from other communities around Central Virginia?
What are the threats to the identity of the Town?
What can we do to maintain or get to the desired identity of Ashland?
How do neighborhoods, college, the railroad, etc. contribute to Ashland's identity?
Natural, Historic, Cultural, Educational Resources
What are our key resources?
What resources are missing, and needed?
What features do you value, and why?
What are the threats to these resources?
How can we best utilize these resources?
Economic Vitality
What types of commerce - including retail, offices, and industrial - do we already have throughout Ashland?
What types of commerce would you like to see occur in Ashland?
Are there needs that you have that cannot be met in Ashland?
What do people shop for in Ashland and what do they shop for outside of Ashland, and is that the right mix?
What types of commerce would you not like to see occur in the Town?
What types of industrial uses would be appropriate or not appropriate for the Town?
How would - and should - economic growth relate to the citizens of the Town?