Main Street outlines marketing role and offers technical help as commission drafts comprehensive plan

Main Street representatives told the Onancock Planning Commission they support the town with a formal memorandum of understanding: an annual contribution, grant-match assistance and marketing support aimed at keeping downtown businesses viable.

"Debbie is always so very generous with her time giving us numbers so that we can report whether or not our campaigns are working," the Main Street representative said, describing how the organization helps measure campaign results and coordinate local business outreach. The group also offered architectural rendering assistance and financial-feasibility support to prepare developers for lower-interest loans from the Economic Development Authority.

The presentation included Main Street's brand architecture and selling points: history and culture, walkability, and nature. Commissioners and presenters discussed how those pillars could be reflected in the comprehensive-plan text and recommended that Main Street provide a short program description for the plan's appendices. The commission chair presented a proposed timeline that schedules public-input workshops from mid-October through mid-November, a draft in early 2026, and a separate planning-commission public hearing on the plan in May 2026.