Community Improvement
Downtown Elysburg
Elysburg is a prime market for housing, industry and business. What are we doing to build on our assets and strengthen any weaknesses in Elysburg?
Environment
Check out all of the local organizations working on keeping our environment an asset and not a liability for our community.
Jobs
What kinds of jobs does our area attract? What kinds of jobs is our area suited for. Explore with us.
Community Visioning
Failing to plan is planning to fail. What will the future of our community be?
Main Street Program
Communities around the nation have used the Main Street program to market and strengthen their local communities. Is a Main Street program right for our area? Check it out.
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As a longtime resident of Elysburg, I feel compelled to say most of us live here because it has small town charm and lacks the"progress" that you seem to be promoting. There are many residents who feel as I do; i.e., we live here because we enjoy the atmosphere and have always been hopeful someone would not come along and speak of "progress." The improvements you cite are costly. Many people here live on fixed income, and the so-called improvements you are promoting would be too costly for most of us to maintain our standard of living and would likely be forced to move away from the homes we've enjoyed for virtually our whole adult lives.
ReplyDeletePerhaps if you had experienced the charm of this little village nestled below the surrounding mountains from years gone by before land developers got rich by tearing up the wonderful fields of grain just to fill their own coffers, you would be able to comprehend what I'm trying to tell you.
I've experienced the growth of Elysburg from a time when the traffic along N. Market Street was low and slow until now, when it has become nearly unbearable.
I hope you will reconsider what I perceive to be your need to be recognized and consider that your plans to turn this lovely little town into just another dirty, crowded place from what, for many years, has been the dream of the residents who have been here for up to 50 years, where commerce and sidewalks have not spoiled the richness of this little taste of Eden. I welcome you to continue to enjoy Elysburg as it is, with its charm and innocence.
Joan Horne
Thank you for sharing your insight, Mrs. Horne. I believe the best perspectives on community issues come from those who live here -- and especially those, like yourself, who have called this home for your whole life...and for many, several generations. My family just moved here last June, but we grew up nearby and have always loved the Elysburg charm you speak of, which is why we put Elysburg on our list of areas to consider raising our children, perhaps starting a business, and living our lives. We do not want to be lone voices in these matters, but want to be part of a larger community conversation about where time will take our community.
DeleteI share your concerns about retaining small town charm, the scenic views, and reducing speed/traffic on Market St.
We actually live on Market St. (I am listening to the mac trucks speed up and down the street as I type early in the morning.) I joined my neighbor in asking the Township supervisors to reduce the speed on market (or find any solution to the speeding). They sent a letter to PennDOT relaying our request, but PennDOT rejected the request. I will try to post the letters on here when I get some time.
I am worried that Elysburg lacks a plan to keep the town community centered. What I see now is disregard for the residential, small town atmosphere -- not on purpose, but as a natural outcome of not having an intentional vision of what Elysburg should be.
I don't envision big businesses. I would like my kids to be safe riding their bikes around town, and to the parks. I would like to take walks to the park safely with my kids. It would be nice to stop at some mom and pop stores while we are downtown. That is the quality of life I am talking about. There are some places already downtown, but it is not nice walking down there.
I have heard from several people that Elysburg is considered a 'bedroom community' where people only sleep, and then leave to go to work. That image makes it easy to disregard concerns of residents -- and I don't think it is true. Elysburg has basketball, baseball, soccer, garden clubs, knitting clubs, bridge club, day cares, senior centers, parks...all vibrant parts of the community (and that is just what
I've seen since last June).
Without a community centered vision/plan, I fear this area will continue to suburbanize *around* the town. Suburbinization favors highways, strip malls, and shopping plazas.
Without a community centered plan, this little village may become an industrial center. For instance, the cell phone tower on Mill will likely change the market of Elysburg away from residential and toward industrial.
I thank you for commenting because these are exactly the sorts of conversations we need to have, and most people are hesitant to add their voice. I go to the township meetings every month, and as far as I have seen, I think we have good people in place who will listen to people's concerns -- but if the people aren't adding their voices, leadership only hears from big businesses like housing developers, Sheetz, Dollar General etc.
Best Regards,
Kat Bullington
Nana Joan,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on Elysburg's small town charm and trying to keep it that way, However I have seen a major increase in development and traffic over the years, and if there is no vision for the future, I fear that charm might give way to more industry and commercial business that you fear. I think it would be nice if more residents speak up about how they envision their community, because right now there seems to be little or no voice. I feel anyone pushing for more community involvement and trying to make neighborhoods a better place to live is a great asset. As far as the "progress" you believe Kathryn is speaking of, what has been proposed does not seem to be a cost to residents, rather quite the opposite. Better quality of our town life and incentive for small town business will only bring more equity and a sense of community, and it seems to me reasonable and much needed improvement. It would be up to those voicing an opinion to steer it in the right direction. Simple things can make our lives better and safer for our families and our neighbors. I don't think Kathryn is trying to attract attention to herself, rather she is trying to attract attention to the fact that this is a great small town and she is asking how can we work together to keep it that way. I hope more neighbors can come together to keep this town a great place to live and raise a family regardless of whether you live in the center, on the outskirts, or if you are of low, middle or high income. Every community can use more support from its members.
Thanks for listening and giving me opportunity to speak.
I linked the letter from PennDOT about the speed limit on Market St. under the ISSUE: PennDOT, and under Speed Limit on Market Street on that page.
ReplyDelete