COMMUNITY AWARENESS TEAM

OBSERVATIONS

Ottawa Visits Mt. Gilead

1. The sense of this report from the Ottawa Visiting Team is the town does not make itself accessible to shoppers. It is difficult to find the downtown when entering from certain highways. The entrance signs are described as “non-descript” rather than inviting. Helpful people and good materials are in place but access through transportation, signs, buildings and displays is lacking. Often the more difficult task is friendly and helpful staff. What has Mt. Gilead tried in the past 10-15 years to enhance the downtown? Did those efforts stand out for the visiting team?

2. The report highlighted the attractiveness of most residential areas yet the attractiveness of the central business area was found lacking. It made me think of Mt. Gilead as a bedroom community. Is that the community’s goal?

3. The Ottawa Visiting Team saw a Victorian architecture in the downtown and even suggested Victorian style street lights. Is a Victorian theme a style that Mt. Gilead may want to study for possibly setting their community apart from others?

4. The visiting team praised the cooperativeness and helpfulness of so many public and private office staff. However, if the visiting team had not made an extra effort to find things they never would have known of this very positive characteristic. It seems that access, both physical and directional, are barriers to finding the services the community and staff provides. What might Mt. Gilead do to reduce those access barriers?

5. The questions regarding taste, smell and sound said nothing negative about the community. While that is good it would be nice if the community had some characteristic that stands out. How would Mt. Gilead like to taste? Smell? Sound?

6. Possible follow up programs listed in the Addendum focus on downtown revitalization, planning and tourism. These programs can help Mt. Gilead to identify the image that they want to project and take the steps needed to make that a reality.