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sales a good
economic sign
News on the industrial front wasn’t so good in 2006, but the uptick in the housing market is a sign of good things to come.
A story on today’s The News Reporter business page by Jessica Wayne shows that people who would ordinarily buy homes in one of the coastal communities are now looking hard at Columbus County.
Who are these people?
They are the retired couple from the city who think their 15-acre tract next to the swamp at Lee’s Lake is nothing short of heaven.
They are the couple with small children. The father is a project manager for a large pharmaceutical company in Wilmington but the family wants to live in a small town where they can buy a nice but affordable home in a good neighborhood.
They are working people who have jobs in Myrtle Beach but can’t afford to live there.
These are but snapshots of the people who are moving to Columbus County. The flow is but a trickle now, but the pace will increase.
This will be very positive for the Columbus County economy. Retail will increase and new family-owned service companies will spring up to serve new residents.
So what can be done to move this along? Here are a few suggestions:
•The county, municipalities and chambers of commerce would be wise to pool resources and do a much more aggressive marketing campaign. The Greater Whiteville Chamber of Commerce has a large fundraiser every fall for the specific purpose of raising marketing funds, but $15,000 doesn’t go far. In fiscal 2006-2007, the county, chambers and towns should pool resources and spend $100,000 on marketing. It will be an investment that will be recouped.
•The county needs to tackle zoning. Regulations don’t need to be onerous, but certain areas need protection. Time and time again, real estate agents hear from people who would love to buy land for a horse farm, for example, and build a nice home on the property, but because there’s no protection from potential nearby squalor, they go elsewhere. Fortunately – and this can’t be stated strongly enough – the county has a planning board that is taking action on subdivisions. Planner Stevie Cox and the board are intent on enforcing new subdivision (i.e,. mobile home park) ordinances that will keep standards high. Nothing ruins property values for miles around more than a dilapidated mobile home park. Decreased property values mean higher taxes.
•Work on infrastructure needs to continue. The county, we hope, has learned its lesson about running water lines where there’s no hope of recovering costs, but water is crucial, especially in the areas of the county nearer to the coast where saltwater intrusion is a problem. The county’s efforts to enter into a partnership with the Grand Strand Sewer Authority for the southern part of the county should soon mean the announcement of a major housing subdivision in that area.
•Protection of the county’s natural resources is a must. The solitude and joy these areas bring to the human soul can’t be overstated.
•There is great opportunity for patio home construction and subdivisions. There is very little acceptable rental property available for students and traveling professionals. Retirees don’t want big houses; they want smaller homes close to friends and neighbors in safe areas.
•Attention needs to be given to the little things. For example, the county needs newcomers clubs which could be established in the county’s restored train depots. Dances, bingo, socials and the like would be a great way to assimilate newcomers into the community. And how about litter? Our roadsides look like dumps. This surely gives a negative impression to first-time visitors.
Today’s story about housing sales shouldn’t be taken lightly.
The predictions made five years ago about Columbus County getting growth from coastal counties are coming true.
Let’s not be passive about this. This should truly be a focus of our economic development efforts.