Hey Reimagine Chatham followers, many of you responded to the online survey saying you wanted more local festivals. You asked for it, and here is one brought to you by the good folks at Chatham First. Share this, spread the word, and come out for a fun event.
Attached is the final draft of the Reimagine Chatham Growth and Renewal Strategic Plan. This document is the culmination of efforts that began in the summer of 2023. The effort, branded Reimagine Chatham, is documented on the website ReimagineChatham.org.
This plan will serve as the basis for town planning and future grant applications that will unlock sustained funding for local improvements. Future postings on this bulletin will now switch to focus on efforts to implement the plan. Keep following Reimagine Chatham, as exciting developments are coming.
Already, a study has begun to determine the feasibility of expanding the town historic district. Historic District structures are eligible for tax credits for development and improvements. The Chatham Lofts were built largely by historic district tax credits.
This plan reflects the desires of the community as expressed through public meetings and surveys. The process invited public involvement and over 450 responses were received in response to various outreach initiatives, including a mass mailout of information to over 4,000 local addresses. This plan is your plan, you helped shape it.
Stay tuned to this site (ReimagineChatham.org) for information in the coming weeks and months.
Reimagine Chatham project unveils draft of proposed plan
This article ran in Chatham’s local weekly newspaper, the Star-Tribune. Reimagine Chatham appreciates the Tribune’s detailed coverage, which did a fine job in characterizing our efforts to produce a local growth and renewal strategic plan. The meeting resulted in a few comments which will be incorporated in the final report. That report is scheduled to be received on September 30.
The collaborative effort branded Reimagine Chatham reached a milestone this week for its initiative to develop a community-wide vision for Chatham and the adjacent area. The consultant firm, Hill Studio, submitted the first draft of the Growth and Renewal Strategic Plan for the town. The work, which began in April 2024, was funded by a grant from a community minded trust. It is being managed by a steering committee led by the Chatham Rotary Foundation and comprised of local civic organizations, with representatives from the town and local businesses. Since that beginning, the committee has sought broad public awareness and input. Awareness efforts culminated with a mass mailing within the study area. While the primary focus has been on the Town of Chatham, the economic impact area ranges from Tightsqueeze in the south to ODAC in the north, and beyond. The draft report utilizes public input gathered for surveys, focus groups, and stakeholder interviews.
Currently, the draft is under review by members of the steering committee. The consultants will present the study results and recommendations at a public meeting on September 11, 2024, at 5:30 pm, at the Old Dominion Agriculture Center (ODAC). The final report is due near the end of September.
The final growth and renewal strategic plan will serve as a basis for local improvements during the coming years. It will contain specific recommendations for improving the local business environment, amenities, housing, and outdoor recreation. All recommendations will be based on an economic evaluation of the local economy so that goals set are attainable within the strategies presented.
With the report on track for completion, Reimagine Chatham is turning its attention to the next phase of the work — implementation. The steering committee structure will be reconfigured, using the same general structure, and the implementation group will begin systematic evaluation and implementation of study recommendations. Currently, members are reviewing opportunities for early-on initiatives identified in the draft report as items of broad interest in the community. These include a possible feasibility study for a town system of walking trails and an evaluation of an expansion of the current designated historic district. A broadened historic district designation will offer economic benefits for development of specific structures within the zone. The current Chatham Lofts, a project which converted the old elementary school into apartments, benefited from being in the current district.
For more information on the Reimagine Chatham initiative from the beginning until the present, go to ReimagineChatham.org.
Last Tuesday, August 20, one of the best aspects of Chatham was on display. The ribbon was cut to dedicate a paved trail in Francis Hurt Park behind town hall. The new trail will vastly improve the experience of visiting this quiet beautiful spot, a place still undiscovered by many residents.
This project embodies a unique aspect of Chatham. Here there is a strong spirit of volunteerism that often combines with support from our council and local foundations to produce betterments that improve the quality of life here, things that would not otherwise occur. This trail was the result of efforts by Councilwoman Janet Bishop, approval by council, grant work by Frank Fox of Chatham First, funding by a local charity, and contract administration by town manager, Nick Morris.
Look around the park and you will see the handiwork of many volunteers working through various civic organizations. The “tot lot “ was a Chatham First ( CF) Project, the historic barn was by the local historical society, the barn interpretative sign by CF, who also provided the butterfly garden and hitching post for our Amish neighbors.
Walk along Main Street and see the results of our civil organizations and volunteers, often in cooperation with the town and local charitable foundations. To name a few, there are decorative lamp posts by Chatham Rotary, banners and flower baskets by Chatham First, maintained by the town. There is Giles Corner, developed by Chatham First, supported by foundations and maintained by PATHS. Competition Alley was the result of a whole team of folks who are listed on a plaque in the gazebo there.
Enjoy these amenities, but do not assume they just happened. They are the result of dedication and cooperation. These people did not have to do this, they chose to do so out of a love of community and dedication to make things better. Everywhere you look in town, it is the same story, whether it is the various parks, ball fields, or landscaped areas that beautify our community.
Our nice new trail is just a glimpse of things that can be. Many of you are tracking progress on the initiative known as Reimagine Chatham. When the growth and renewal plan is completed in late September, it will provide an opportunity to unlock the doors to funding for a vast array of betterments intended to help transform our community for the better in the coming years, while maintaining those aspects of the town we all love and cherish. If you are unaware of what is happening, go to ReimagineChatham.org and get updated, then plan on attending the presentation of the draft study on September 11 at 5:30 pm at the ODAC. Better yet, get involved if you are not already doing so. All of our civic organizations are eager to welcome new members.
Several people have expressed an interest in the raw data upon which the Reimagine Chatham survey summary was based. Attached is a file showing responses to each of the 26 questions contained in the online survey that ran from late May until July 24.
About the data: There were 451 responses but not everyone responded to every question. The consultant team said this is not unusual and that they believed that these results represent a good level of response.
From the beginning, the steering committee has sought broad public awareness and input. This included placing flyers in Town water bills which reached about 900 customers/households in the study area. Additionally, over 4000 flyers were mailed to households in the study area.
Date: July 31, 2024
The meeting was held at the Pittsylvania County History Center (Train Station) and convened at 1:00 pm.
Attendees:
Steering Committee: Joe Rogers – Chairman, Dick Camp – Vice Chairman, Donna Yeatts, Phil Mauger, Langhorne Jones, Nick Morris, Alisa Davis, Bill and Mary Lee Black, Delilah White, Frank Fox. Dean Rogers joined at 4pm for the small business session and wrap up. John Harris joined at 4 pm via a Zoom link.
Consultant Team:
The meeting adjourned at 5 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Joe Rogers
Chairman, RC Steering Committee
July was an eventful and significant month in Reimagine Chatham’s progress toward the development of a community Growth and Renewal Strategic Plan. Public outreach efforts concluded after informational update cards, including request to provide input to the online survey, were included in the Town of Chatham water bills and in a mail-out of over 4000 informational fliers within the study area. The work of the consultant team of Hill Studio and Arnett Muldrow shifted from data gathering to evaluation and the formulation of initiatives driven by public input.
The online survey opened in late May and closed on July 24. The survey received about 450 responses. See the survey summary here:
Survey data was evaluated along with input from two days of focus group discussions in late May on the topics / categories of Community Amenities, Outdoor Recreations, Housing, and Small Business and interviews with local stakeholders like the Mayor, Town Manager, County Development Director, Business leaders, Youth workers, and others.
On July 31, a “Visioning Session” was held by the consultant team to brief findings to the Steering Committee members and several stakeholders. The intent was to discuss the information and help jointly set priorities and direction for an initial draft of the plan. At the end of the session, topics to be addressed on the plan were listed and attendees were asked to vote on their top three issues in the four categories listed above. Voting was done by applying stickers to the chosen topics to charts listing the major initiatives on each category.
Though preliminary, some items of broad interested were improving awareness of what the town has to offer, local amenities like walking trails, more restaurants and eateries, improving housing opportunities and addressing derelict structures, and establishing a dedicated business development organization supported by local civic organizations.
During August the consultants will be preparing an initial draft of recommendations and plans for implementation. One requirement for all recommendations is that they be based on local economic realities, the area market, and the feasibility of being successfully developed. A public meeting will be scheduled for September 11 at 5:30–6:30 (location to be determined), at which the consultant team will present the draft plan.
Note: An overarching criterion in developing the plan is to maintain the character of the town and the features that the community has indicated they most like about living here. Further, the plan is not an end. It is simply the basis for a long-term system of community betterments that will involve collaboration of the local civic groups, the town, local businesses, various philanthropic foundations, and governmental grant programs.
These are exciting times, so please share this information with your family and friends and suggest that they follow us on Facebook and sign up for our email list on the website, ReimagineChatham.org.
The data collection phase of the Growth and Renewal Strategic Plan has been concluded and the consultant team of Hill Studio and Arnett Muldrow has begun evaluating the data. The data collection consisted of an online survey in which many of you participated. Also, there were two days for focus groups sessions addressing; community amenities, outdoor recreation, housing, and small business. These efforts were augmented by interviews with various stakeholders. We appreciate the effort of everyone who participated. Over 400 survey responses were received during the period that the survey was open, May 29 – July 24.
On July 31, the consultant team met with the steering committee to present the results of all the public input. This data is contained in a .pdf file which is attached to this update.
All input is important and will be used. However, the steering committee has reviewed the community input and worked with the consultant to help prioritize the issues that might have the biggest impact on the quality of life in our community. This will allow the team to begin drafting a report that will be presented in a public meeting to be held September 11 at 5:30–6:30, location to be determined.
As the draft study begins taking shape, now is a good time to remind everyone of the significance of this effort and why it was undertaken. The report is NOT the end of the process but rather the beginning of what can be an exciting period for our community. The strategic plan will provide the basis for establishing a structure and collaborative effort among the local groups, local foundations, business, and the town to secure funding that is both significant and sustained to address needs and desired improvements in our town and the adjacent area. This is a plan for the long haul and should be looked at as a 2-5–year improvement plan.
Please take time to look over the attached file. It is the beginning of a map for the future and it is something many of you helped shape.
June was a busy month for Reimagine Chatham. The consultant team focused on data gathering and the steering committee launched two initiatives to try to broaden awareness and outreach across the community.
During the week of June 17, Hill Studio held two days of focus group sessions and conducted stakeholder interviews. Additionally, they monitored results from the recent on-line survey. All this data will be evaluated to help form a picture of how citizens see their town and help define issues important to our future. The focus groups were attended by over forty people representing specific interests. The groups were divided into four categories and discussions were held addressing Community Amenities, Outdoor Recreation, Housing, and Small Businesses. Stakeholder interviews involved one-on-one discussions with our consultant by people whose work impacts the community on a routine basis. These are individuals like the Mayor, Town manager, Business leaders, business development organizations, etc. A draft summary evaluation of all this community input is expected in early July.
Outreach and awareness continued during the month with two efforts intended to reach across the study area. Informational flyers were included in the Town of Chatham water bills, a distribution reaching over 900 customers. Further, a flyer for mass mailing was developed and is intended to reach anyone in the area with a mailing address. Each of these actions is intended to inform and solicit involvement, including encouraging local citizens to complete the online survey.
By mid-June, nearly 400 survey responses had been received. This level of responses is reportedly well above the number of replies needed to be statistically significant. The survey will remain available until July 23 and Reimagine Chatham encourages anyone who has not taken it to please do so. After it closes, the data will be evaluated, and a “visioning session” will be scheduled for the steering committee to hear an initial assessment of all the input gathered from the various sources. The public input data will be combined with economic and business evaluations to begin forming a basis for the draft study recommendations.
As the growth and renewal strategic plan development reaches the mid-point of the schedule, thought is being given to how best to organize to implement the recommendations. There will be more on this in subsequent updates.
Some users have reported problems with survey input when using a smart phone. The issue has typically occurred with using the sliding scales on certain questions. There have been no reported problems when using a pad or laptop.
To facilitate reliable phone input, the survey has been modified to eliminate the sliders. They have been replaced with a series of number choices as is common in many surveys.
If you re-enter the site, you can finish any incomplete survey or start another.
We apologize for any confusion and inconvenience, but we hope anyone who gave up on the process will resume or complete another survey from scratch. Your opinion and input is needed.
Thank you!
Joe Rogers
RC Steering Committee Chairman
Another important milestone is here for the Reimagine Chatham initiative. An online survey has been developed by our consultant and is now available. Your input to the survey will help the consultant understand how you see our community and where you would like to see it go in the coming years. This is one of several opportunities for public input planned for the study.
Reimagine Chatham encourages you to donate about ten minutes of your time to complete this survey. Furthermore, please ask your family members and friends to also complete it. The higher the number of the responses posted, the greater the accuracy will be for the statistical model evaluating the public desires for our town. The plan is to keep this survey active for about eight weeks in hopes that word of mouth and other outreach initiatives will produce significant levels of responses.
Click the button or scan the QR code to begin the process.
Thank you.
During the May 14 kickoff, participants took an initial survey about the community. The questions and responses are posted here. Larger text represents more responses with the same word or answer. This initial survey will serve as a basis for a more detailed one as the progress progresses.
Skip to PDF contentDate: May 14, 2024
Background: The meeting was held with the consultant team of Hill Studio and Arnett Muldrow as part of the official kickoff of the growth and renewal strategic plan study. The meeting preceded the first public session. Prior to the meeting, the consultants were given a two-hour tour of the town as part of their orientation. Earlier in the day, Delilah White facilitated coverage on WDBJ7 TV about the kickoff.
The steering committee convened its meeting at the Pittsylvania County Community Center at 4:00 pm.
Attendees:
Joe Rogers
Chairman, RC Steering Committee
The Reimagine Chatham formal kickoff occurred on May 14, 2024, with the first of several public meetings planned for the study. Prior to the meeting, several Steering Committee members guided the consultant team on a 2-hour tour of the town and study area from Tightsqueeze to ODAC. Following the tour, the team then met with the steering committee to discuss their early impressions of the town. Those committee members present then completed an initial set of survey questions about their personal opinions on the positive and negative aspects of the town. Real time results were displayed on a screen by the system Metri-meter. The public session began at 6:00 pm. Counting steering committee’s members, the total attendance was about 37 despite it being a rainy day. The consultant team seemed satisfied with this initial public session. Earlier in the day, committee member Delilah While had facilitated coverage of the kickoff by WDBJ7 news and the clip was available to show at the public session. It is also posted on the website.
The team was impressed with the town and indicated that it had numerous aspects unique to a town this size such as many beautiful historic homes, two private schools, several small museums, county seat, strong and organized civic groups, etc. They hope to build on these assets. At the public session, the team presented an early economic assessment and an explanation that any strategy presented in the final plan will be driven by the local economic realities. Those attending completed the same automated survey that the steering committee members had completed earlier. Email addresses of those who signed in will be added to the mailout list and survey results will be posted when they are available.
The next actions by the consultant team will involve developing a more detailed survey to expand public input to help shape the growth and renewal strategic plan. Focus groups will need to be defined in cooperation with the steering committee so meetings can be scheduled to look more deeply into specific aspects of the community.
Awareness and outreach efforts continue. Informational cards will be mailed with the Town’s water bills at the end of May. These are intended to reach nearly everyone in the study area, regardless of whether they have internet access. This is because town water serves nearly everyone from Tightsqueeze to ODAC.
The committee encourages you to help in the awareness effort by sharing information with anyone who may be unaware but might possibly be interested. This is all intended to hopefully have people sign up for the email updates. The email list will be important in sending out the more detailed surveys and obtaining as much information as possible to help arrive at the desired community consensus on a town vision. Please check the ReimagineChatham.org site routinely for new information and visit our Facebook page if you use that medium.
WDBJ7 reports on our Reimagine Chatham initiative prior to the May 14 public kickoff meeting:
Community members start Reimagine Chatham initiative to make town improvements
Following is a copy of the final schedule for development of the Growth and Renewal Strategic Plan. Some changes are likely during the course of the six month contract. However, the activities and sequence of events should remain essentially as shown.
The Reimagine Chatham consultant study team of Hill Studio and Arnett Muldrow and Assoc. will hold the first of several public meetings scheduled for the Growth and Renewal Strategic Plan for Chatham and the adjacent area. Meeting information is as follows:
May 14, 2024
Pittsylvania County Community Center
6 – 7 PM
The meeting will be an opportunity for attendees to meet the team and learn about the scope of the project and upcoming opportunities for engagement. Some preliminary market analysis data will be available. There will also be a an opportunity to share your perspective of your vision of the Town of Chatham with the project team. This will be an important meeting. Come and bring a friend!
