Heart of the Triad

Most of the people appointed by six local governments and four Chambers of Commerce to the steering committee for the Heart of the Triad project attended our Wednesday morning meeting to find out exactly what they will be expected to do. Members received a lot of background information about the concept and made several decisions about the committee itself.

Paul Norby, Forsyth County Planning Director, started off with a summary of how we got to this point. At a meeting at Kerner's Folly in April 2004, planners from the six jurisdictions were asked to scope out the current conditions and land uses. PART staff coordinated this effort that resulted in a series of maps depicting governmental jurisdictions, infrastucture currently in place, and land use plans for the area. The planners discovered that this area is "on the edge of everyone's radar screens" with no real plans or coordination, and if things continued in this mode, the area will likely develop with low density residential uses on large lots and some scattered warehouse-type businesses.

Once these preliminary findings were formally presented to the local governments, they agreed to work together in a regional planning effort to identify a plan that would enhance the region but not compete with individual county's and city's efforts within their own jurisdictions. PART was able to access $200,000 in state planning money, and the four Chambers of Commerce became the champions to raise the required $200,000 in matching local funds. This money is being used to fund a study conducted by HDR to examine the market place to see what "fits," develop a land use plan, identify the needed infrastructure (roads, water, sewer, etc.) and recommend a management structure to oversee it - all in the hopes of generating quality economic growth and jobs. The role of this steering committee is to guide and advise this study, be a cheerleader for the project, and present the final recommendations to the six local governments for their possible adoption and implementation.

David Jameson of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce noted that this gathering was "not just a meeting, but a moment in history" where the various jurisdictions were demonstrating "the power of working together." He cited a need for "transformational leadership" with people being willing to do things differently to create this "legacy project."

He then reported on the successful fundraising effort with the $200,000 raised in 30 days by asking six businesses and getting six "yeses," "the easiest sell in [his] career" due to the high support for this project. BB&T, Time-Warner, and Duke Power contributed $50,000 each with Piedmont Natural Gas, Wachovia, and the Piedmont Triad Partnership giving the rest. He requested that at least the top three contributors, and preferably all six, be granted membership on the steering committee. Later in the meeting, committee members voted to add one member each from the top three.

Brent McKinney, PART's executive director, gave an overview of the Triad region's growth and commuting patterns. Our current growth rate is 1.8% but that is expected to increase significantly. One problem identified in the planners' study was that of the road network in this Heart of the Triad - there are plenty of roads "to" the area, but few roads for internal circulation "in" the area.

David Tayor from HDR discussed the study process and timeline. It will be an intense effort with a lot of public input including numerous hearings and a 5.5-day planning charette. He noted that guiding principles would be "place making," complementary not competitive, and maximize investment. Information and progress will be posted on the PART website.

Brent McKinney then outlined the expectation for the committee - to provide general oversight of the planning process. It was noted that the committee has no bylaws, no money, and no power to do anything. A plan will be recommended to the six local governments, and it will have to be acceptable to ALL of them in order for the project to move forward. A technical committee composed of planners and transportation professionals will advise on technical aspects of the study.

After all that education and "getting up to speed," it was finally time to make some decisions about the committee itself. It was agreed to add three members representing the top contributors in the fundraising effort, a member from the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority, a member of the Forsyth County Utilities Commission, and a member from the High Point Furniture Market Authority. A request from a resident of the nearby area to have at least two residents on this committee was rejected by committee members, with the reasoning being that the elected officials serving on this committee already represent those interests.

Due to my position as chairman of the PART Board of Trustees, I had been serving as the "default" presider at Heart of the Triad meetings up to this point. It was decided to appoint co-chairs, one from Forsyth and one from Guilford. Former Greensboro City Councilmember Robbie Perkins and Kernersville Chamber of Commerce representative Arnold King were elected to those positions. There was quite a bit of discussion about both men being in the real estate development business, but both assured the group they had no holdings in the area or conflicts of interest. Since the final decision-making power rests with the local governments, not this committee, members decided this should not be a problem and it would be a plus to have persons who are so familiar with land development process chairing the effort.

The committee will start out meeting monthly and will meet more often if and when the need arises. It is going to be an intense process that could eventually shape the future of this 7500 acres of land in the Heart of the Triad.