Survey Feedback for the Future Vision of Barnesville
Hundreds of Barnesville residents as well as individuals who frequent local businesses and institutions filled out a survey that is one step towards creating a vision plan for the village.
The Village of Barnesville is working with the Community Improvement Corporation of Belmont County to create a vision plan for the future of Barnesville.
A total of 855 completed the survey, according to the executive director of the Community Improvement Corporation of Belmont County Crystal Lorimor. Of the responses, 66 percent came workforce age citizens with 339 from individuals ages 26-45 and 252 from ages 46-65
Lorimor described this as an amazing response.
The survey asked residents questions such as, “Why do they currently go downtown?” “What would they like to have there?” “How often do they go?” and “What would you change and vice versa?”
Many of these questions were open ended bringing the village and Community Improvement Corporation closer to the vision plan.
This survey is one piece of the project. Now the surveys are being compiled into usable information for the other pieces of the project. The next step is a market analysis, which looks at the area and what business might function in the village.
As part of the market analysis, there will be two focus groups hosted virtually next week. During the focus groups, the consultant will ask questions of business owners and those involved with workforce needs.
Anyone interested in participating in either online focus group session should reach out to Lorimor by email at lorimor@belmontcic.com .
The other part of the project is an inventory of potential brownfield sites. A brownfield is an underutilized or vacant property that has contamination. The inventory covers designated areas of the village identified on the accompanying map.
If any of these areas become available, the village and community improvement corporation could get them cleaned up for reuse. The Village of Bellaire recently used this process to help redevelop some vacant parcels in that community.
The end of this three-piece project will result in a vision plan for Barnesville.
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