What do you see as the biggest challenge the City of Harrisonburg is facing over the next 5 years?

Nov 1, 2019

What do you see as the biggest challenge the City of Harrisonburg is facing over the next 5 years? Please add your comments below!

market street

Answers so far include:

Smart growth
Making decisions
While growth and housing are huge issues I’m going to go a little more big picture. What does Harrisonburg want to be when it grows up?
I think we need to deal with traffic issues. Push bike lanes, public transportation and becoming more pedestrian-friendly
1. We have taken 10 years to take baby steps. Of course, in the ten years (approximately) before that, there were no steps at all. (To clarify, I am speaking mostly of bike lanes and creating a more friendly biking/running community.)
2. The thing that concerns me is JMU building the parking garages, considering the number of students that live off campus, I think they ought instead to open more bus routes. The scooters are a disaster.
The temptation to force an identity that isn’t its own. There’s a historic, unique identity that exists, and we need to materialize that existing identity into the inevitable development (physical and social) that will come with growth. It’s probably easier here in the City to not fall victim to that, but is more difficult at the County level where land development is more open-ended and where the majority of new development will occur.
1. Not necessarily mistakes that have already been made here (well there is…entirety of east of 81 lol)…just a temptation to fight against as we grow. Examples would be Manasses, Fredericksburg, Cville. There’s a certain lack of character once you get out of the City as it becomes more sprawl based living and strip mall shopping (not saying it’s a bad thing, but can we tie community identity into it?). This is pretty grey, obviously, and is more dependent on individual developers/developments. Revising/Adopting new Code and DCSM would certainly help define that intent more.
We need to get rid of free parking. Make Main St ,around Court Square, a pedestrian mall, have free electric trolleys around town like Staunton. Reorganize HEC, to open it up to renewable energy.
I’d be interested to see what mixed commercial/residential zoning changes would do to reinforce the different neighborhood characters and boost walk-ability.
Making sure Harrisonburg and Rockingham County are resilient in every way which means exploring deeply where our weaknesses are, esp. Infrastructure.
The City needs to invest in the necessary infrastructure that will lead to smart, sustainable growth. 5 year short term “band aids” are no longer the solution. Generally stronger sense of fiscal responsibility is necessary to make that happen though.
They are not small business friendly. Taxes are too high and are just difficult to deal with. Businesses are moving out. Too much BS.

As always, this event is free and open to everyone, and refreshments will be provided by Gaines Group Architects.

Series Name: An Interlude of Water

Medium: Hand-cut Montage

Artist Statement: “An Interlude of Water

The stillness of a hot, lazy summer evening broken by the laughter of good friends as fishies bite and the sun slowly slips towards the horizon.

The pond collection swirls and twirls like the eddies at the shoreline. Developing slowly to capture the quiet aspects of what creatures could quietly inhabit a pond within the Shenandoah landscape.

The past eight months have been a creative frenzy of exploration, joy, and personal contentment, from envisioning a cohesive grouping of collages that share a color palette to letting my imagination play. The resulting collection has stretched my artistic skills and broadened my perception of interpretation and idea development.

My Process:

Each collage starts as a line drawing, creating a detailed map of the imagery to be included within the work. Moving the drawing to the wooden panel entails many bits of hand-cut paper, acrylic mediums, and acid-free paste. A sticky mess, but it so satisfies the need for detail my brain requires. All papers used are colored with acrylic paint applied with painting tools or a Gelli plate. A lot of time is spent pressing (lever press, heavy books, etc) and drying the glued papers before and after mounting on the wooden surface. Acrylic varnish provides a protective sealant for the completed collage. From concept to finished work, the process takes, on average, four weeks.”

Artist Bio: I’ve always been one to dabble in new trends and techniques. Treading water, seeking the thing that would capture and devour my imagination. In 2018, when life was overwhelming and my soul needed an escape, I fell back in love with collage. Over the intervening eight years, my artistic practice has settled into an obsession, forcing a growth in style and technique with results that personally bring me joy. A relocation to Harrisonburg, Virginia, has allowed me to establish a permanent studio space, adding momentum to my artistic journey.

*Accessibility Note: This building was previously restored from a fire. The elevator shaft is currently not functioning and there is an absence of ramps in the space. Because the show is on the 2nd floor, this may pose an issue for those who have mobility challenges. We are aware of this need and we apologize greatly if this changes your ability to attend.

This event is free and open to everyone. Snacks and refreshments will be served and we look forward to seeing you there!

Each month we host a new artist in our building’s 2nd floor gallery at the Chesapeake Western Depot at 141 W. Bruce St. (second floor entrance is on Chesapeake). Artwork will remain on exhibit through the month. Come view the show anytime and get a tour the Depot!