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Drew CrawfordDrewforDavidson.com |
At 30, Drew Crawford is the youngest candidate in the field, and in fact a rare candidate in our town from that age group. A
Davidson College graduate who has been active in downtown affairs and owns a small business, he is an advocate of efforts to improve the business climate and make downtown “a more vibrant place.”
Mr. Crawford favors the proposed North Commuter Rail Line, which he believes would benefit downtown. And he’s a supporter of the arts, both as a board member of arts organizations and the owner of a gallery that sells art and crafts. He organized the first Art on the Green festival in 2005, and now it’s an annual event.
He also says he would like to see the town recruit more retail and office businesses to town, to help re-balance the town’s tax-base, but also would favor more residential development.
Asked about the town’s ownership of the MI-Connection cable system, Mr. Crawford said while he thinks the system should be a private company, “if managed properly, it could be an asset for the town.” The town must operate it as a business and make sure it delivers the best service possible, he said. But he also said he would support selling the system “to a competent provider.”
Mr. Crawford said he decided to run “to begin working on issues associated with downtown Davidson.” He said the town’s current efforts to draft a new Comprehensive Plan are a good first step to improving downtown and ensuring the town overall retains its character. But then, he says, “don’t stop. … Let the people who’ve done the planning begin to suggest actions we can take moving forward. Frequently in the past … (with) other studies that we’ve undertaken, they end up on a shelf somewhere.”
Here’s another tidbit about Mr. Crawford: He’s got an intense interest in new ways of doing things. He believes he was the first citizen in Davidson to install home solar energy panels, which are at the home he owns on Watson Street. He’d like to see the town look harder at environmental issues, including energy use and the town’s recycling program.
