By STEVEN JUPITER
As town manager, Dave Atherton spent 8 years ensuring the smooth operation of Brandon and Forestdale at a professional level that earned the town admiration from near and far. On the cusp of his announced departure from his position, The Reporter would like to thank him for his service and highlight some of his accomplishments.
Brandon has roughly 4,000 residents spread out over an area only slightly smaller than the city of San Francisco. The landscape within that area varies wildly, from dense “urban” development in downtown Brandon, to suburban-style subdivisions, individual homesteads, farms, ranches, woods, and industrial zones throughout the rest. And Mr. Atherton, as town manager, was responsible for it all.
We were extremely fortunate to have him at the helm. We’ve been able to live our lives with the confidence that the roads would be in good repair, the sidewalks plowed, the sewer and water systems functional, the parks and public buildings maintained…all the things that allow us to focus on our families, our homes, our jobs, our pastimes, and our businesses. When issues arose to interrupt those smooth operations—and something always did arise—Mr. Atherton was quick to respond and set things right.
We would owe Mr. Atherton our thanks even if all that were the full extent of it. However, his service to Brandon encompassed projects above and beyond what any other town manager in decades ever had to contend with. And he pulled them off so well that anyone visiting Brandon today would have no idea of the complex efforts undertaken to make Brandon look so good.
Mr. Atherton became town manager in 2015, a time when Brandon was still grappling with the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Irene in 2011. Repairing the damage was a yearslong process. It included not only the restoration of roads, but also the implementation of water management measures designed to prevent flooding, projects that Mr. Atherton saw to completion. No one who didn’t know Brandon before 2011 would look at our downtown now and suspect the kind of impact the hurricane had on us.
Just a few years later, the Segment 6 project, which massively reconfigured downtown Brandon again, was one of the largest endeavors of its kind in Vermont history. For two years, the Route 7 corridor through town was overhauled completely: new pavement, sidewalks, curbing, streetlamps, traffic lights, water and sewer lines, electrical lines, and even traffic patterns. While it was easy to grumble about the inconveniences of it all at the time, we now have a charming, modernized downtown that earns praise from everyone who visits.
Without Mr. Atherton’s guidance, none of it would’ve been possible. The project had stalled for decades. With a terrific selectboard on his side, Mr. Atherton was able to initiate, execute, and complete an undertaking that had stymied so many before him.
Very much on the heels of that huge project, Mr. Atherton oversaw the renovation of Park Street, one of Brandon’s most traveled roads, directing traffic out of downtown to Forestdale, the Brandon Gap, and all points east. The street was regraded and repaved. New water and sewer lines were installed, replacing many pipes that had been in service since the 1800s. A novel water-runoff system with collection areas full of water-loving plants was added. The construction was another temporary inconvenience that resulted in a better village for everyone.
Mr. Atherton has announced that he’s become Pittsford town manager, a position which recently became vacant. It’s a move that makes a great deal of sense: Pittsford has a slew of major infrastructure projects in the pipeline for which Mr. Atherton’s skill and experience will be invaluable. We hope he will be able to do for our neighbor what he was able to do for us.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Brandon today is in vastly better shape than it was in 2015, when Mr. Atherton first took his post. We’re sorry to see him go. Everywhere we look in Brandon, we see evidence of his success here. Thank you, Mr. Atherton.
