Town officials mull projects at hotel “retreat”

by Tom Chillemi – 

Urbanna has more than a dozen projects pending. Some of them involve major construction, such as a new community swimming pool, a new well, upgrading and installing fire hydrants, repairing a culvert (a short bridge) leading to the town marina, and extending the boat ramp at the town marina. This is just the beginning.

On Saturday, Oct. 31, at the town council’s “retreat” at the Marriott Courtyard hotel in Williamsburg, council was given “homework” in the form of a spread sheet, by Town Administrator Garth Wheeler. The list of projects is long and there are many blank spaces to be filled including “cost estimate and funding source.” Each councilor and the mayor will fill in the blanks and return to Wheeler for consolidation. The spread sheet is a way for council to determine priorities.

Added to the list during the retreat is building a pier at the end of Virginia Street.

Also added to the project list was stabilizing the wall in front of the Urbanna Museum and Visitor’s Center and repairing the museum’s porch which is pulling away from the main structure.

Projects still in the planning stage are a “Blue Water Trail” of historic sites on Urbanna Creek, a gazebo in Taber Park, and fixing storm water drainage issues on Kent Street, which VDOT has declined to address…