Commissioners Support Future Growth

Article and photos by Collins Cooper.

Years ago our area was booming. Windsor had 5 grocery stores and a movie theater. Colerain was a thriving business center. Aulander was thriving too, with its own auto dealership. However we went through a period when local government was hostile to business and did not appreciate the consequences. Government cannot create business opportunities but it can kill them. Our businesses left, slowly, one by one. The result was reduced tax receipts and loss of jobs which has made us one of the poorest areas in the state.




Bertie County is a peninsula with three rivers, the Roanoke, Chowan and Cashie, providing us with unbelievable beauty, recreation and assets. The world is short of of all three and we can use these natural advantages to recreate that boom time again, providing jobs and opportunity to our people. It is not necessary for our area to be poor.

To take advantage of our assets while preserving the natural beauty we do not want to allow new development to be just mobile homes and cheap housing, even though those need to be a part of the mix too. For some time now the county has been working to approve a Planned Unit Development section (called a PUD) for our subdivision ordinance so that developers can set aside some of the land to remain forever natural, while still getting the financial rewards that fuel growth from high end development. This means increasing density on the land left and that needs to be carefully controlled. These kinds of developments, high density, allow for beautiful homes close to open spaces that are very desirable to many people.

Last night our county commissioners approved the PUD that they have been working on so long to help fuel future growth. Over time this will result in jobs and opportunties for out citizens while preserving nature for future generations. A complex problem with no easy solutions. I suspect that is why it took so long to work out the details of the new ordinance.

The motion to approve the PUD amendments to the Sub-Division Ordinance was made by Wallace Perry, seconded by L.C. Hoggard and passed unanimously.

The success of this effort is a positive move that will help us attract new business. It sends a great message. Bertie County welcomes responsible growth.