ASHLAND/ WESTERN HANOVER | Also serving the communities of Montpelier, Beaverdam, Rockville and Doswell
Vaughan Road retains 25 mph speed limit By Jim Ridolphi For The Mechanicsville Local
Contributed photo
Lynwood and Juliette Buchanan are remembered for their love for each other and their dedication to their community.
Buchanans made Beaverdam better By Rob Witham for The Local BEAVERDAM –It was a love story that spanned seven decades, with a legacy that left an indelible mark on Hanover County’s northwest anchor. The home of Lynwood and Juliette Buchanan sits, appropriately, just south of the historic Beaverdam Depot, mere feet from the railroad tracks which, on a map, anchor this idyllic community. This is the story of two people who completed their earthly journey in 2021, leaving behind a legacy of service and selflessness that will be hard to replicate. This is the story of Buster and Polly.
14
In the early days of the Cold War, Polly’s high school friend, Betty, mentioned to her one day that she had two brothers but one she’d like her to meet. Betty’s thought was Corky, Buster’s brother, and Polly might just hit it off. Instead, Polly, as they said in the day, took a shine to Buster. “Instead of being Corky that she fell for, she fell for my dad,” explained Carol Brigham, Buster and Polly’s daughter. “The rest is history.” On Nov. 24, 1951, Buster and Polly were married. Thus began a relationship and partnership that would bless the community they called home.
The Mechanicsville Local
see BUCHANANS, pg. 15
February 23, 2022
After hearing from a number of concerned citizens, Ashland Town Council members voted unanimously to defeat an ordinance change that would have raised the speed limit on West Vaughan Road between Chapman and Thompson streets. When the development was first approved in 2017, the plan included a road designed for 30 mph traffic. That decision was partially due to long-term transportation plans that call for an extension of Vaughan Road via Archie Cannon Parkway that would provide a cut through to Route 1 and ease traffic volumes in the downtown area. “This road is also going to eventually connect all the way to Route 1 to help distribute traffic,” director of public works Mike Jennings said at a Feb. 15 town council meeting. Residents in the subdivision that fronts Vaughan Road spoke during a public hearing and expressed concern that any increase would create an unsafe environment in their neighborhood, and many questioned the need for an increase. Jennings said VDOT encourages localities to post speeds based on road design, and acknowledged the Town does have the authority to adjust speed limits in certain situations. After reviewing the council’s 2017 action, Jennings asked members for an addition to the ordinance that governs special speed limits within town limits. West Vaughan Road has been designated a local collector road. “I did see that the road had been designed and proffered to be 30 mph, and there was some discussion at that time that it should be posted at 25 mph,” Jennings said. “Typically, we follow VDOT standards and VDOT standards is up to 45 mph. The design speed should be the same as the posted speed.” “Based on the way this road is designed and functions I recommend approval of this ordinance,” Jennings concluded.
Jim Ridolphi for The Local
West Vaughan Road is pictured as it traverses the Laura Dell neighborhood. Council members rejected a request to change the speed limit to 30 mph in the residential area. Below, the posted speed limit on Chapman Street and most adjacent roads surrounding Laura Dell is 25 mph.
But residents of the Laura Dell subdivision rejected that reasoning and identified negative impacts associated with a speed limit increase. Resident Al Lavallee said he drove the stretch of road in question at both speeds and compared the results. “I drove that area and it’s .3 of mile and driving it at 25 mph took me all of a minute. Driving it a 30 mph felt a lot faster and it saved only 10 seconds,” he said. He noted that streets surrounding the neighborhood are all posted at 25 mph, the standard for residential neighborhoods and default limit where no speed is posted. “There’s not really any gain there from making it 30 mph,” he said. Former council member Hank Lowry, also a resident of the subdivision, said the idea of raising the speed limit seemed “ridiculous.” “I don’t know of any other roads in the state of Virginia that have a 30 mph speed limit,”he said. “Is this a new classification that has been invented for Ashland?” Lowry also dismissed the idea that a connector to Route 1 would be completed at any time in the near future due to the high cost of land acquisition for the project.
Lowry asked council members to heed the concerns of the residents and retain the current speed limit. “It’s apparent that area demands 25 mph,” Lowry said. “It’s a residential area.” Lowry summed up his comments with a friendly note of caution. “I certainly hope this is a dead idea, because, if it’s not, there is an election coming.” Other residents noted that many drivsee VAUGHAN pg. 15
