Sunday, July 04, 1999
Waynesville made for walking
Magazine call it one of country's best places
BY RICHELLE THOMPSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
WAYNESVILLE — The Antiques Capital of the Midwest has another honor to tack to its moniker: Most Walkable.
The village in northeast Warren County was named one of the country's 11 most walkable communities in the August edition of Walking magazine, out on newsstands last week.
“It's another feather in our cap,” Village Manager Kevin Harper said. “I keep telling you Waynesville's the best place in the world. Slowly and surely we're being discovered.”
The award increases the village's visibility, he said.
Also, it “helps people to know that Waynesville is a good place to live and work, as well as visit,” he said.
Communities named Most Walkable in the magazine's second annual contest had a comprehensive network of sidewalks and trails, a safe and aesthetically pleasing environment, diversified development, and a pro-walking culture. The magazine also considered whether residents were “out and about on foot.”
In addition to Waynesville, the magazine named Annapolis, Md.; Chicago; Duluth, Minn.; Glenwood Springs, Colo.; Kingsport, Tenn.; Madison, Wis.; New York City; Naperville, Ill.; Savannah, Ga.; and Vancouver, Wash.
Waynesville has spent the past decade on the path to Most Walkable.
A consortium of merchants, chamber of commerce representatives and village officials formed Maintain Old Main Street a decade ago to preserve the business district and to maintain the historical character and tradition, said member Dick Hobbe. The group raised about $100,000 for public restrooms.
In the past few years, it has spent about $50,000 in its beautification program. The group fixed crumbling sidewalks, erected new street and block signs and planted 18
crabapple trees. Members also placed 40 planters around the village.
In the evenings, residents often walk through the downtown, stopping frequently to chat, Mr. Harper said.
“It's part of the small-town character,” he said.
Walking noted the proximity of some of life's staples.
“All essential services, such as schools, post office, grocery stores and churches, are within walking distance of downtown,” it said.
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