WPL has reopened the 14th Street entrance since renovations are almost complete. Mark your calendar for the open house on June 11. 

“Discovering Community Assets: a Community grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they’ll never sit in – Greek Proverb”.

When: Saturday, May 12, 2012 from 10 am until 2 pm
Where: at the Landfill (300 N Winchester Ave- just off of Delphine Avenue and 6th Street, behind the Recycling Center)

Our greater initiative goal is to add to the growing sense of community in Waynesboro by providing a venue for partnership to promote skillful community asset management –
the “Kick Off” event of the day:  cooperative planting of a meadow with wildflowers on the top of the landfill. In addition, some of the 100+ acres of landfill trails will be open for the day so that the public can experience this community asset and help dream of how it could be used to promote Waynesboro. In addition to planting and hiking activities, we will offer our unique blend of hands-on activities for children and informational presentations for adults.

Recycling Raffle
Any recycler bringing recyclables to the Recycling Center on Public Works Day (from 10 – 2pm) will be entered in the Recycling Raffle. They will receive one ticket per household and will be eligible for one of two great items. You do not have to be present to win. The recyclables need to be clean but will be sorted for you that day. We accept plastics 1 - 7, glass, aluminum, tin, cardboard, newspaper and mixed paper. To add to the fun, there will also be an exhibit set up to show case ways to recycle and to provide a chance for kids to make some crafts using recyclables.

The Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce has named the City of Waynesboro’s Department of Tourism as “Tourism Business of the Year”.  The award was presented to Waynesboro’s Director of Tourism, Katie McElroy, at the Chamber’s annual awards banquet held on Tuesday evening (March 20, 2012).

The award is meant to recognize exceptional leadership and innovation in the development and promotion of the tourism industry in the Waynesboro, Staunton and Augusta County area.  Among the accomplishments cited in the presentation of the award were the implementation of a new City tourism website, the successful completion of a branding project and the receipt of various Virginia Tourism Corporation grants totaling more than $127,000.  In addition, the Waynesboro program has forged productive and essential partnerships with other local tourism departments, regional and state organizations and stakeholder businesses.          

Virginia ranked #5 in nation

Staunton/Augusta/Waynesboro’s economy ranks among the country’s strongest micropolitan areas, according to Site Selection Magazine.  In the recently published March issue, Staunton/Augusta/Waynesboro is tied at #13 in the national ranking with 6 projects.  The only other Virginia locality to make the list, Martinsville, comes in at #32.  The digital issue of the magazine is available online.

“Micropolitan” is defined by the US Census Bureau as an “urbanized area based around a town or city with a population between 10,000 and 50,000 people”.

Rankings are established by including projects that meet at least one of three criteria: at least $1 million in new capital investment, a minimum of 20,000 square feet of new construction, and / or creation of at least 50 new jobs.

Three projects in Waynesboro include the nTelos, Inc, Lumos Networks expansions and the PPI / Time Zero, Inc development.  The other three contributors are the Cadence, Fisher Auto Parts, and Innovative Refrigeration Systems expansions.

Virginia received the number five ranking nationally, up from number 10 last year.  New corporate facilities and expansions increased 44% over 2010.

WAYNESBORO, VA - The City of Waynesboro has received a $409,700 Safe Routes To School (SRTS) grant to make safety improvements near four schools. Download Grant Map.

The Safe Routes To School initiative is a federally funded program administrated by the Virginia Department of Transportation.  It will provide the City of Waynesboro with funding for a total of eight infrastructure projects to construct sidewalks, crosswalks, curb ramps, walking paths, pedestrian lights, and traffic calming devices near Westwood Hills Elementary School, William Perry Elementary School, Wenonah Elementary School, and Kate Collins Middle School. Engineering for these projects should begin in fall 2012.  Construction of these projects should start in 2013.

“It is the City’s intention to improve walking and biking environments near schools to allow safer, easier access for students.” stated Waynesboro Director of Planning, Michael Barnes, upon learning that the City had been awarded the grant. “Waynesboro Public Schools are actively engaged in various programs to educate and encourage students to walk and bike to school. This grant supports that by providing primary infrastructure improvements on and off campus.”

This is the second SRTS grant awarded to Waynesboro. In 2009, the City received a $231,765 pilot program grant for Berkeley Glenn Elementary School for infrastructure projects and for non-infrastructure programs. In addition to numerous educational programs, the grant will construct sidewalks along Lyndhurst Road and Windsor Avenue, and build pedestrian improvements in the Jefferson Street/Lyndhurst Road Intersection. The Berkeley Glenn infrastructure improvements will be completed by summer 2012.

In 2010, based on the success of the Berkeley Glenn pilot program, the City Planning Department working collaboratively with City School Staff, students and parents developed a Travel Plan for the remaining elementary schools and Kate Collins Middle School. A Travel Plan is a required first step before a community can apply for a SRTS grant.  Its purpose is to diagnose existing barriers to walking and biking to school and to propose infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects which overcome those barriers. The Travel Plan was completed in May 2011 and it identified 19 potential infrastructure projects. The infrastructure grant request was submitted in June 2011 for 9 of those 19 project.  Eight of the projects were successfully awarded in February 2012.

“Healthy, active children are better learners.” said Kathy Gunther, a teacher and the SRTS coordinator of Westwood Hills Elementary, as well as an active walker and a resident living in Waynesboro. “In an effort to promote healthy lifestyles and improved school learning, this grant helps us achieve our goals. Thanks to parents, the community at large and city staff, the entire community, including school students will more easily and safely move about our city.”

VDOT awarded $5.9 million in SRTS grants this year to 28 schools in 18 communities from across the Commonwealth. These grants are designed to make it safer and more convenient for children in kindergarten through 8th grade to walk and bike to school. The funding will support projects including new sidewalks, bicycle parking, bike/ped crossing improvements, and multi-use trails.

The City is currently implementing streetscape improvements on West Main Street between Wayne Avenue and Church Street, and on Wayne Avenue between Federal Street and West Broad Street.  The following images conceptually show the improvements, which will include new paving, sidewalks, street lights, street trees, and crosswalks, among other things.  Click here for the Wayne Avenue plan, and here for the Main Street plan. Construction is expected to start in 2013, but the design process is currently underway.

A Citizen’s Information Meeting was held December 13th to gather public comments on the plans. Citizen’s comments from that meeting will be integrated into the project and will go to the City Council on January 9th, 2012 for their review.

Citizens and groups are encouraged to get involved in this and other ongoing City projects. For questions about Planning Department activities, please call (540) 942-6604.

These streetscape improvements are funded through VDOT and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, with the grants providing 4 dollars for every dollar that the City furnishes.  The streetscape project is part of a a concerted effort Waynesboro has been making to take advantage of Federal and State grants.  These investments will improve economic and aesthetic conditions in Downtown and represent a necessary step in encouraging the private sector to invest in our Downtown area.  These improvements will reinforce other efforts that will be made in the Downtown area in the coming years.