Who is Hayes Wilkinson?
My name is Hayes Wilkinson, and I'm running for Red Bank City Commissioner in 2022.
As a parent and proud homeowner in Red Bank, I see our city on the brink of a breakthrough. There’s so much potential to grow our city into a place to truly live rather than simply reside. As the city currently exists, there is a strong dependency on using a car for even the shortest trips. Crossing busy streets like Morrison Springs and Dayton Blvd can be dangerous, but it does not have to be that way. All it takes is the right leadership advocating for a smart multimodal design. The value of being able to walk your family safely to the park or store cannot be overstated.
Walkability fosters a sense of community. In turn, a sense of community is a draw for people to want to live and contribute back to that same community. From an economic perspective, studies show that cyclists and pedestrians patronize more local businesses and spend more money in town than drivers who speed through on their way to somewhere else. Communities thrive when the door is opened for food, local business, and the arts. It’s time to rethink our priorities as a city. I want my son to love growing up here, be safe, and feel like he’s part of the community.
With its close proximity to downtown Chattanooga, I feel that Red Bank is primed for a boom in economic development. The next steps we take as a city can guide our future to one of prosperity, so we need to make smart decisions to guide the growth. All along Dayton Boulevard, I see vacant buildings that could easily be the next great restaurant or a creative small business. With the right direction and encouragement, there's no reason that we can't reignite the "Main Street" feel and appeal of Dayton Boulevard.
I’m a passionate cyclist, runner, rock climber, and outdoor enthusiast. I firmly believe the focus on access to cycling & walking in places like Stringers Ridge and the new Walden Ridge Park are going to continue growing as a major draw for residents and visitors alike. Envisioning a walkable and bikeable future for Red Bank will require a modernized take on city planning. For a start, basic, inexpensive infrastructure like bike lanes and designing roads to encourage lower speeds can make more cyclists feel safe commuting to work, restaurants, and local parks.
As a fourth generation Eagle Scout, I've known good leadership is more than one person making a decision for many. Good leadership takes listening to the group and harmonizing ideas to create a workable plan. It also takes patience and tenacity to work through big issues and long term plans. In this time of political divisiveness and partisanship, transparency and readily available information for the citizens of Red Bank is our path back to sanity. Local solutions do not require national politics. We’re a small community and if we focus on working together with our neighbors, we can put partisanship behind us and improve our town for the benefit of everyone.
As a parent and proud homeowner in Red Bank, I see our city on the brink of a breakthrough. There’s so much potential to grow our city into a place to truly live rather than simply reside. As the city currently exists, there is a strong dependency on using a car for even the shortest trips. Crossing busy streets like Morrison Springs and Dayton Blvd can be dangerous, but it does not have to be that way. All it takes is the right leadership advocating for a smart multimodal design. The value of being able to walk your family safely to the park or store cannot be overstated.
Walkability fosters a sense of community. In turn, a sense of community is a draw for people to want to live and contribute back to that same community. From an economic perspective, studies show that cyclists and pedestrians patronize more local businesses and spend more money in town than drivers who speed through on their way to somewhere else. Communities thrive when the door is opened for food, local business, and the arts. It’s time to rethink our priorities as a city. I want my son to love growing up here, be safe, and feel like he’s part of the community.
With its close proximity to downtown Chattanooga, I feel that Red Bank is primed for a boom in economic development. The next steps we take as a city can guide our future to one of prosperity, so we need to make smart decisions to guide the growth. All along Dayton Boulevard, I see vacant buildings that could easily be the next great restaurant or a creative small business. With the right direction and encouragement, there's no reason that we can't reignite the "Main Street" feel and appeal of Dayton Boulevard.
I’m a passionate cyclist, runner, rock climber, and outdoor enthusiast. I firmly believe the focus on access to cycling & walking in places like Stringers Ridge and the new Walden Ridge Park are going to continue growing as a major draw for residents and visitors alike. Envisioning a walkable and bikeable future for Red Bank will require a modernized take on city planning. For a start, basic, inexpensive infrastructure like bike lanes and designing roads to encourage lower speeds can make more cyclists feel safe commuting to work, restaurants, and local parks.
As a fourth generation Eagle Scout, I've known good leadership is more than one person making a decision for many. Good leadership takes listening to the group and harmonizing ideas to create a workable plan. It also takes patience and tenacity to work through big issues and long term plans. In this time of political divisiveness and partisanship, transparency and readily available information for the citizens of Red Bank is our path back to sanity. Local solutions do not require national politics. We’re a small community and if we focus on working together with our neighbors, we can put partisanship behind us and improve our town for the benefit of everyone.
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