Residents praise Golden Spike festival and raise concerns about parking, deliveries and a proposed hotel renovation

Residents and business owners told the Parksley Town Council Oct. 14 that the Golden Spike Railway Festival drew strong attendance and boosted storefront traffic but also produced logistical problems the council should address before next year.

Donna Phillips, owner of Floral Express, said festival attendees parked at the back doors of her shop on a busy morning and that delivery trucks frequently block the alley behind Dunne Avenue. She said workers had been verbally harassed while loading vans. Police Chief Greer suggested restricting the alley to deliveries only to reduce conflicts; the council later approved a deliveries-only one-way rule for the alley.

Ellen Johnson representing ES Tourism Commission said the commission handed out "50 Days to Explore the Shore" brochures at the festival and praised the event. Marilynn Wohlrab reported mixed attendee feedback about vendor placement and seating; Councilwoman Julie Nash said vendors were assigned to spread foot traffic across the lot and that business owners in storefronts saw increased sales.

Connie Burford, running for Accomack County School Board District 4, introduced herself and described nearly two decades of work with the school system supporting parents of special-education students and teachers. She asked for support and offered to answer questions.

Doreen Simmons outlined plans to renovate the town hotel with offices downstairs and small apartments upstairs and asked about sewer hookups; Councilman Frank Russell responded that the town cannot currently allow new connections because the sewage system is not meeting required performance levels. Mayor Marshall asked Simmons to keep the town and Public Works Director Danny Siegert informed as plans progress.

Warren Phillips of Jaxon's Hardware brought a Freedom of Information request about the town's fuel purchases and criticized a Facebook post he said suggested buying outside town. "You can't operate this town like it's a personal business," he said; Mayor Marshall and Clerk Letitia Greer responded that the town uses a state fuel contract (Mansfield) that saves roughly $0.50 per gallon and that business-hour limitations at Drummond's affect local purchasing choices.

The council noted festival planning takeaways — including porta-potty placement, volunteer recognition and possible picnic seating — and asked the clerk and organizers to provide final receipts and an accounting of income and expenditures for the event.