Future development comes with both benefits and costs
I once read in a famous book about good government that a city either progressed or declined; it did not have the option of standing still. So it is with the wonderful city of Lexington. I have tried to keep up with the plans our local governments have made for the future development of our city.
In particular, four cases come to mind: the Duracell plant, the depot district, Erlanger and the potentially annexed area around Sapona. Before any of these events come to pass, the community must understand their potential benefits and costs. If we are not careful, debt and stagnation could occur just as easily as wealth and progress. You know the old adage: It is easier to spend money than to make money.
In the case of the Duracell plant, I read that it is a finalist for use as prison space for our "overcrowded" jails. I must call into question this move by the county government. I feel it would be both fiscally and symbolically irresponsible. According to the paper, the current jail is already overcrowded, despite the fact that it should have lasted well into the next decade. The government feels the solution is to purchase an even larger site. I think this is a poor choice. To understand why, one need only ask - why didn't the last expansion last as long as it should have? The answer is in the expression "work expands to fill the time available." The reason the new expansion filled up so fast is because everyone assumed there would be room to spare. More people were put in jail for longer periods of time, because we had the space. Consequently, the space filled up faster than had been anticipated.
This is not the fault of law enforcement. They do what they feel they must to keep us safe. But the answer to the problem is not to expand the jail. It will just fill up like the last one. The local government needs to prioritize and allow the justice system to cope with the current capacity, as they did before the first expansion. Furthermore, the Duracell plant was a symbol of Lexington's industry, and transforming it into a prison would send the wrong message about our area to businesses. Instead, county government should continue to work with Tower Investments, the owners of the site, to find a job-creating industry to place there.
The depot district is another candidate for development. I reviewed the N.C. A&T University Master Plan for the district and found it promising. The plans for green space, an amphitheater, depot and hub showed creativity. However, I feel the plan has a "counting your chickens before they hatch" feel to it. Sure, an amphitheater would be nice, but for the foreseeable future it would never recoup the cost of its construction. Building these structures would require demolishing millions of dollars worth of capital for the sake of a park and some stone steps. Before we spend millions of dollars to destroy millions of dollars, we should take a long pause. Once again, I think the city should focus on finding ways to generate income from these structures.
The one area I do agree with the students is the railroad depot and hub. Any human or industrial traffic that might stop in Lexington is a good thing. The government would do well to explore any coordination that could occur between the hub and the Davidson County Airport. Any area where a railroad stops near an airport could be useful for transporting goods. This could mean jobs, industry and income, which is what the county really needs.
Finally, I would like to consider Erlanger and the potentially annexed area around Sapona. I have connections to both of these places. My grandparents lived in Erlanger when it was a mill town, and I live just outside of Sapona. I think the plans to redevelop Erlanger are well-intentioned and positive overall. However, I do have a few words of caution on the effects of this redevelopment. Once it has been accomplished, the property value of the homes will increase, and this will drive up rent as well as taxes. This could force some of the residents, who will no longer have enough income to pay this money, to lose their homes. City planners call this gentrification. The local government should keep this in mind as they improve the area.
The attempt to annex Sapona is the last subject I would like to address. Many of the arguments have been made - again and again - so I will keep mine short. Though I might gain enormously from living just outside the city limits, I think the city should drop the annexation for the time being. The primary purpose for the annexation seems to be an increase in tax revenue. But increasing tax revenue through property taxes is uncreative and burdensome to the community. Instead, the city government should do everything in its power to be as business friendly as possible. I implore the city council to leave Sapona alone and develop Erlanger. Use all the legal fees you will save as incentives for new businesses to locate in Lexington. If you do this, you'll be the heroes of the hour, and not some of the nasty names you've been called on the pages of this newspaper.
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