Some First Impressions visitors to Brookhaven in recent monthshave come back with positive reports of their views of the city,calling it a clean, progressive town with friendly, hospitableresidents.

“First Impressions was an extremely worthwhile undertaking,”said Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce Executive VicePresident Cliff Brumfield. “While it reinforced many positives thatwe already knew about the community, of greater importance, itpointed out some items that we should be focusing on to better thecommunity.”

The First Impressions program is one designed to capture thethoughts and feelings of visitors as they observe thecharacteristics of a community for the first time.

A team of individuals is put together from different towns andbackgrounds, and those people visit the city in order to documenttheir ideas of both assets and challenges within a community. TheFirst Impressions program is operated through the Mississippi StateCommunity Action Team and the Mississippi State UniversityExtension Service.

The team that visited Brookhaven put together a 50-page documenthighlighting the positives and negatives of the town, and suggestedways residents and government can work to better it as a city.

Brumfield said the project could not have come at a better time,since city officials are currently working to put together along-range plan for Brookhaven.

“This project was done in a very timely manner considering thecity’s tremendous undertaking in long-range planning,” he said.”The results of these two efforts will help us to move ourcommunity forward in a way that will benefit not only the residentsand local businesses, but also will prepare our area forgenerations to come.”

The study pointed out positive leadership, starting with MayorBob Massengill and the strides the community has taken during histenure in economic development. Brumfield said it is important forcity leaders, as well as community members, to continue to work tobetter the city in spite of the fact that it is already headed inthe right direction.

“Brookhaven has always been a very unique and progressivecommunity, but we can never take for granted our currentsituation,” said Brumfield. “There will always be room forimprovement, and the chamber of commerce will be utilizing thisreport to shape some of our focus areas for activities over thenext few years as well.”

The study pointed to many strong points of the community,starting with the entrance into town on Brookway Boulevard. Itcomplements the sesquicentennial banners and the new sign onHampton Avenue, saying they are a professional and friendly-lookingaddition to what is a clean and inviting entrance into town. Whilepointing out that developers need to work to reduce sprawl, membersof the First Impressions team were complimentary of Brookhaven’svariety and wide range of retail businesses.

“If Brookhaven is short on anything, it is probably in the areaof restaurants,” the study reads. “Other than fast food and theCracker Barrel, there aren’t any chain restaurants to pull peopleoff the highway or that give locals many options.”

A possible cause for this, the study points out, is the factthat liquor is not sold in Lincoln County, which discourages theinflux of some restaurants.

“One reason mentioned for this is that Lincoln County is a ‘drycounty,'” the study said. “This may only be a perception, but itcould certainly be a factor.”

The study was primarily positive about the availability ofhealth care, citing King’s Daughters Medical Center as “impressive,somewhat unexpected for a city of this size.” Study authors did,however, point out the fact that there is a gaping hole in the careavailable to the elderly.

“We understand that there are no assisted living facilities inBrookhaven,” the document read. “What is available is eitherindependent or nursing. We perceive this as a need in Brookhavenand an opportunity for a developer.”

Another issue addressed by the visitors was the need for moresidewalks and green space around major thoroughfares. Not only isit more pleasing to the eyes, they said, but it’s also safer forpedestrians and other residents.

“One team member reported, ‘I actually saw an elderly womanriding a motorized wheelchair on the median of the highway,'” thestudy read. “This was extremely disturbing and should shed somelight on the importance of these sidewalk connections.”

Meanwhile, the downtown business district was deemed vibrant andattractive, with visitors complimenting the Military History Museumlocated in the old Depot, as well as the Lincoln County PublicLibrary and upstairs apartments as standout positives in thedowntown area.

One downfall of the area, however, is the variety and number oftelephone poles and visible wires. The study suggested trying toalter the infrastructure so as to bury some of the wires and cleanup the overhead clutter of the downtown area.

But the attitude of the people they encountered and thehospitality they received was something the visitors had nothingbut praise for.

“I did not really enter any of the businesses, but I did passmany people on the street and everyone spoke to me and was veryfriendly,” one team member is quoted as saying. “With my businessattire and camera, I was obviously a visitor, and everyone stillmade an effort to speak to me. That made me feel very welcome.”

And the assessors stopped and talked to locals as well, gettingtheir takes on Brookhaven as it is known from an insider’sperspective. Overall, feedback was proud and positive, with theonly drawbacks being normal growing pains and hope for additionalgrowth.

“Some people have resented some of the changes that have comewith growth,” the document said. “Others would like a wider varietyof entertainment options, including a better cinema, variousrestaurants and recreational opportunities in the form of moreathletic tournaments.”

Finally, the study urged that Brookhaven’s unique personalitynot be lost in the growth.

“… Some changes should be made to control future developmentso that the overall vision of Brookhaven is maintained andenhanced. Please do not become another ‘Anytown, USA,'” thedocument urged. “You have something unique – build on it.”

Brumfield said the complete findings of the First Impressionsgroup would be available to the public on Oct. 30 at 7:30 at thechamber of commerce’s quarterly banquet. The location has yet to bedetermined.

Brumfield said it is his hope that the chamber can work with thecity and county governments to achieve some of the suggestions putforth by the study, especially those that are already underway.

“I’d like to see the chamber, the city and the county considerthese common points in the plan that we can all work on,” he said.”I’d like to see us come up with items we can keep on the frontburner for moving our area forward.”