On Friday, about 100 Upcounty residents, business owners and government representatives met at The Crossvines in Poolesville spending a half day to map out a prosperous future for the Greater Poolesville Area.
Reminding each other the last such forum was held in 2012, participants look to develop a more purpose driven plan for the years ahead.
State Delegate Lily Qi pointed to government leadership as the key to boosting the area and turning the Ag Reserve into a “treasured asset to the rest of the country and area.”
Often mentioned, the closing of White’s Ferry cast a large shadow on future plans. As noted by the speakers, some of the other challenges to economic growth include location, accessibility and a lack of overnight accommodations to attract and hold onto visitors. For now, day tripping remains the only option for tourists.
As for residents, they continue to live in a medical care desert with only two doctors to serve the area’s 12,000 residents. Fair Access Chair Link Hoewing cited a recent study showing the loss of an intown grocery store since 2012 now drives half a million dollars a week from the Poolesville area to the Safeway in Quince Orchard.
Sarah Rogers of Heritage Montgomery indicated the rich historic assets of the area could become a strong visitor attraction given more promotion.
Recently, the Chamber of Commerce refreshed the Poolesville website making it more interactive with the hopes of making it a “go to for visitors to the area.”
With many players from small business owners to elected officials with an interest in a higher profile for the Western County in place, sponsors like The Fair Access Committee of Western Montgomery, The Town of Poolesville, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, Visit Montgomery and the Poolesville Area Chamber of Commerce hope to gain traction moving forward.
