IT Population
It was stated at the last Council meeting that the current population estimate now stands at :
22,000 plus a big jump from 16,900 plus estimated just a year and half ago.
The town still has approximately 5,000 homes in the building pipeline which based on the 2.7 per house average will be another 10,000 plus people. The moratorium hasn't necessarily slowed the current building down...just the pipeline building. It would be hard to imagine the amount if there had been no moratorium.
posted by Lee Godwin at
7:57 PM
7 Comments:
Lee
Is it really that hard to imagine? The population would be about what it is today, just the pipeline would be longer. Why do you continue to blame the developer. Housing is market driven and there is obviously something about this area that people like. Your town leaders, with no opposition, were the ones who kept annexing areas and approving large developments years ago. They did this to increase their tax base. But, have you seen any vast improvement in town services? Of course you have garbage pickup and rent a cops but that's about it. You can't get sidewalk built and you're scared of the town center project because a developer just might make a little money. Where was all of the opposition to Walmart or the development at Sun Valley. There was some opposition to Austin Village but only because someone associated with the town stood to make money. To even think that Austin Village had anything to do with the bypass alignment is ludacrous. The town needs to quit worrying about what the population will be and learn to handle the population they have. Contrary to what you think growth is not bad. when you stop growing you start dying. Managing growth is okay, stopping it is a death sentence. One last thing, I know the town is concerned about storm runoff. That's okay too. But I noticed on the town's website that there was free sand and sand bags in case flood. Noah's flood? Come on folks we don't live beside the Mississippi River. Any flooding here is quick. No real time to pack sand bags. I guess that's why it is no longer on the website. But it was there. Lee, contrary to your apocalyptic ramblings the popolation will NOT be 500,000 in a couple of years. But in case it is we will definitely need another Walmart.
Anonymous,
You make a good point on the pipeline being longer. I missed that one. Trouble is on the rest of your comments you apparently have me mistaken for someone else. I am not blaming the developers for the trouble. They have every right to want to build here. Trouble I have is with people elected that allow all the building and without any management. Granted the push to build a tax base was good for a while, trouble is growth does not pay for itself and to continue unabated is disaster waiting to happen. Growth is a good thing, but managed growth is better and let to their own devices a developer will build as long as money is to be made whether at the positive or negative to a community. That is the nature of the beast. Past leaders failed to have the foresight to plan for the future. There needs to be at least a 5 year plan for what the needs of the town will be so we can try to attain them. Trouble is if anyone mentions "tax increase" to get the improvements people start looking for a rope and a tree. Some will say the developers will work with the town but only to a point...if its good for them they will. Your reference to Austin Village and the bypass alignment(Chestnut/Williams Rescue rd?)...not sure why that is ludacris...I understand why people not familiar with the roads would believe it was true...If not it is quite a coincidence... Chestnut road is planned to go all the way to SC and the other end to the Monroe by pass.
Your insults about my so called "apocolyptic ramblings" are unfounded...I don't think I have ever said the population would be 500,000 so I would appreciate it if you get your facts correct. The group that did the land use for the town based their information on a maximum of about 90,000 or so in the next 30 years I believe.
Just so we are correct and you don't have to misquote me the following I believe:
1. Managed growth is good.
2. Town needs to increase or maintain an acceptable level for infrastructure.
3. No need to give the farm to the developers. Set the bar high and ask for everything under the sun. They will counter low and somewhere in the middle should be acceptable.
4. Annexing was not the only way the pipeline grew in the past. Plenty of large 500+ developments have been approved.
5. Powell bill funds should be spent after received by the town for sidewalks and the likes...no need to stockpile money for 10 years before spending.
6. Building of roads is not a function of the town. We should not have to pay for roads when DOT should do it. However, the town has to help the completion of needed roads based on something other than wishes of 3rd party profit making people.
7. Town center project doesn't bother me because someone will make a profit...what botjers me the most is it was approved as a conceptual design with too much residential built into it...especially when it wasn't needed and they are having trouble meeting the original conditions placed upon the project. It was rushed and no viable alternates were ever pushed forward. If it is to be done...it needs to be of the highest quality.period...nothing less.
Iam sure I have more but why bother you won't pay any attention to what I have said anyway. You want to debate stuff in the town thats fine...I welcome it but come with facts and not your mindless dribble and personal attacks. If I don't put the right topics on this blog contact me and let me know what you want to see.
The large developer is actually an asset to community. They employ people, buy volumes of local services and products. Build developments with more amenities, people want. The take care of their
customers better after the sale. Large builders understand corporate responsibility and will work towards resolving issues like roads and schools.
The small builder is more parasitic, always looking for short cuts, padding margins and whining the loudest about property rights, but not caring about anyone elses rights.
Like the Wild West, but instead of gunslingers, we have small home-builders. The town government has to protect the civil population, not just feed one business segment who is feeding off everyone one else.
The potential is there for any developer regardless of size to be a "parasite" on the community. I don't believe its mutually exclusive either way... There are benefits obviously to developers doing what they do, but there has to be limits to what you allow them to do.
Lee
Touche' on your diatribe about growth but talk about insults. I was only trying to instill a little humor in my so called "mindless dribble and personal attacks." I never intended to imply that the 500,000 was a figure you quoted. It was just a facetious attempt to exaggerate the "what if" population figures people like to throw around. I apologize for the misrepresentation. I am hurt that I seem to bore you with my comments. I put a lot of thought into this "mindless dribble".So boo hoo to you.
You started this forum, the master of this domain. You choose the topics. You try to be informative. Some of it is. Some of it isn't. It is true that I may not have all the facts but I know alot more about the facts than you may realize. To say any more would tip my hand...so boo hoo to me.
You really shouldn't take yourself or this blog so serious. But to show you I do pay attention to what you say, here is a point by point response to what "you believe".
1. Yes managed growth is good.
2. The town needs to step up and take some responsibility as does the developer.
3. I know what you mean about the "give the farm", but let me make a side note first. It is the farmers and citizens of Ind Trail who are selling their land to the developers at premium prices. This is their retirement, their kids inheritance. They're gettting it while the gettin's good. Its their investment for their family's future. That's one issue about the Chestnut connector project. Nobody wants it but while it sets in limbo it is tying up land that families want (and need) to sell now.
That being said the town should set the bar high and not "give the farm". Great! No more "sea of vinyl". I just haven't seen alot of meeting in the middle from either side. Some, not enough.
4. I agree annexing was not the only way the pipeline grew in the past. It was a different time and different attitude, but no fore thought to the future.
5. The state has never liked the way Ind. Trail spent their Powell bill funds. They even threatened to reduce funding and not take over maintenance of alot of subdivsions streets. There are limits to what you can spend the money on but there is no restriction on the spending the interest. The town doesn't seem want to spend, or when they do, spend the interest wisely. Governments are not in the business to save money. They are in the business to spend money..wisely.
6. I myself wouldn't say a town should never build a road, but they shouldn't build the Chestnut connector. That should be built by the developer as tracts within the path are developed. That is, if it is determined it is needed at all. The town should let the state widen main street as proposed. When those funds get gone, they're gone. The so-called William's Rescue extension started as a proposed rear access to Old Monroe Rd for the school. It grew to the monster it is today for a lot of reasons after a lot of input from a lot of people. The problem was the "people" weren't the citizens just a lot of people on both sides of the fence who thought they knew what was best for the town. Only recently has the citizens gotten the opportunity to get involved.
7. The residential aspect aside the Town center project would be good for the town but you can't ignore the traffic impact. Quality does count because that project will set the image for the town for many years to come.
So, contrary to what you might think, you and I agree on lot of issues. We just think differently about them. Somebody's got to be your "devil's advocate".
I actually appreciate the forum but I wonder sometimes if you appreciate the comments...even if it is mindless dribble.
Publish this comment.
Reject this comment.
Moderate comments for this blog.
Posted by Anonymous to IT Watchdog at 9/30/2006 11:10:52 AM
Anonymous,
I will agree that we probably are similar in beliefs as you stated. I do appreciate your "devils advocate" most of the time...though I don't believe I take myself too seriously, though what we do talk about is very serious. I will apologize for jumping on your remarks with such vigor but I didn't recognize your humor in your post. It was a simple statement about the population in IT. I was more than shocked with your response...those responses have typically been for something with a lot of opinion associated with it. But hey, we all learn from it.
In response to your #3. There are no guarantees in life..or at least very few...land sales is just another example. I realize its their property and all but you have to weigh the good of the public against that of the individual. Sometimes it doesn't go the way you want it to..The Chestnut road project..it can sit there and if done right with the road way designated and put on the thoroughfare map the road can be built in the future without all the hassle of the Monroe bypass...everyone will know where this road will be and you won't be able to develop it beyond that. It is possible to get developers to build Chestnut road...but at what cost. They will want high density and access points to the road for every project...the number of cut ins has to be restricted in order for this road to move traffic properly.
Please if you would like to see other topics get them to me..I'll see what I can do...I suspect there will be a lot to talk about in the future...I have always believed you to be someone working in the town related to someone working there...again I understand the "anonymous" moniker but would rather know my foil as opposed to not. Thanks for the input.
For years I supported the idea of a totally market driven attitude toward development here. I changed and here is why.
The market that we refer to is a market created by low taxes relative to other areas. It is a market created by policies of the school board that refuses to maximize its use of available facilities by shifting students as the need occurs. It is a market created by location of sewage lines that gives preferential treatment to certain areas. And for Indian Trail, it is a market created by a four lane road that you are free to congest as you wish.
It is not a truly free market but a market that is created by government action and inaction. Many of the people who do not want any sort of managed growth understand the many ways that county policies have contributed to their personal wealth, and want it to stay that way.
But, I would be fine with that if the market were allowed to adjust freely. In stead, those who benefit most by the market have been able to influence actions, and inactions, by governments that have stymied such adjustments. A free market would have forced Wal-Mart to add a couple of lanes to at least a mile section of Highway 74, It would stop the building of cul-de-sac developments and force developers to provide through streets to take pressure off the roads we have now. In stead, we give them a license to be responsible for nothing beyond their boundries, yet their influence beyond their boundries is profound.
Enough of the free market arguments. There is no free market relative to development. Government is enabling certain types of development to escape the market pressures that should be there. Planned growth is the only alternative we have.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home