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Staunton: City to hold second community meeting March 5 on revitalization of West End

Rebecca Barnabi
Stella Mia Pizzeria is at 2040 W. Beverley Street on the West End of Staunton. Photos by Rebecca J. Barnabi.

The City of Staunton will host a community workshop on Tuesday, March 5, at 5:30 p.m., the second of three community engagement meetings for the West End Revitalization Strategy.

The city is working with residents and property owners to shape the future of Staunton’s West End. The meeting will end at 7 p.m. and will be held in the Irene Givens Administrative Building at Montgomery Hall Park.

Open to everyone, residents who would like to participate are encouraged to arrive by 5:30 p.m. The workshop will start with a brief presentation outlining what was learned at the January 9 community meeting, and verify a list of community needs and four to five goal statements.

Participants will break out into groups for discussion and brainstorming with the help of consultants and city staff. A large portion of the workshop will allot time for the small groups to create up to five specific actions to help address goals for the West End.

The exercises at the workshop will build on the data and input collected from the meeting on January 9, and the online survey. January’s open house helped build awareness, identify community needs and guide the goal themes for the workshop on March 5.

The planning process will continue to develop a cohesive vision that bridges livability and economic prosperity for the West End, find achievable approaches to revitalize West Beverley Street, and improve the overall quality of life. The process will build on the work already done through the Brownfields Grant, which is conducting environmental assessments at various sites around the West End.

“We are excited by the number of citizens getting involved and the energy being put into this planning process,” Staunton Mayor Stephen W. Claffey said. “Revitalization of the West End is important for all of Staunton and City Council wants everyone to have a chance to weigh in on the future of the area.”

More information on the West End planning process and previous studies is available online.

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca J. Barnabi is the national editor of Augusta Free Press. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, she began her journalism career at The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star. In 2013, she was awarded first place for feature writing in the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Awards Program, and was honored by the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2019 Media Honor Roll Program for her coverage of Waynesboro Schools. Her background in newspapers includes writing about features, local government, education and the arts.