ONLEY, Va. - Before February 2023, visitors traveling north and south along U.S. Route 13 in Onley, Va. were welcomed into town and invited to visit the downtown area by signs on the side of the highway.
Now, the downtown invitations, which said "Visit Downtown" have been removed.
The "Visit Downtown" signs were added to the town's welcome signs about six years ago at a cost of roughly $2000.
On Monday, February 6, the Onley Town Council voted to remove the "Visit Downtown" signs.
In a statement to WBOC by Mayor Henry "Ned" Finney, he said the town chose to remove the invitation to "direct visitors to all the town has to offer."
After a fire several decades ago severely damaged the downtown area, followed by relocation of Route 13, only a few businesses remain, with most of the town's economic activity along the Route 13 corridor.
Folks in downtown Onley were not impressed with the decision.
"I just didn't think it was a good idea," said Marvin Giddines, a downtown business owner. "I think the signs benefited the people traveling through town."
"It puzzles me why something as simple as that would be bothered to take down," said downtown neighbor Bruce Bonniwell. "If even one person comes and enjoys, I'd say they were successful."
Councilman Rodney Lang said that among other reasons, the town wants to direct more traffic along the Route 13 corridor, where many of the town's businesses are located.
The change in the welcome signs was well received by some business owners in the Four Corner Plaza, one of Onley's biggest shopping centers along the busy thoroughfare.
"It's very important to us because we need all the help we can get," said Ruben Ruiz, a Four Corners Plaza business owner. "There are a lot of people really counting their pennies now with this inflation and everything that's going on."
The changing signs - a sign of change that highlights the challenges facing America's small towns in a changing economy.