Highlanders see a future linked to natural heritage Comprehensive plan process kicks into high gear
BY JAMES JACENICH STAFF WRITER
MONTEREY What will Highland County look like in 20 years? At least 100 people, representing every aspect of the community, gathered at The Highland Center last Wednesday night to brainstorm their vision of the future.
Led by Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission planner Darryl Crawford, the group did several exercises to stimulate thought on economic development, environment, growth and demographics. “If you can envision the future, you can create a plan to get there,” Crawford told the group.
Later he would say the meeting exceeded his expectations for participation and attendance. “I thought that it all went very well,” Crawford said. “The Highland Center was a great facility for what we were doing; we had a great turnout of diverse interests; and we had excellent input from the citizens in attendance (we counted 100). In fact, response and participation was so good that we had to cut a portion of the workshop and send our questionnaire with them as homework so that we could finish on time. That’s the first time that we have ever had that happen.
The gathering, sponsored by the comprehensive plan review committee, brought old and young together. The youngest was Honor Patrick from McDowell, 10 months. She slept through the event, but her parents, Chris and Katie, residents of Highland County less than 10 years, were participating throughout the session. Among the oldest was retired farmer Jacob Hevener of Hightown, whose family and farm go back generations in the Blue Grass Valley and who has been outspoken on the state of the Highland County farmer and the dangers of excessive taxation and government spending. A contingent of McDowell area residents attended, and the anti-wind farm contingent was present as well.
Crawford asked the audience to explain why Highland County is unique. Opinions ranged from descriptions of a mostly mountainous and remote geography to a land rich in biological diversity to a safe community of friendly, involved and concerned citizens. The population, the participants said, was older with a large supply of early-retired and semi-retired. Some praised the county school system’s low teacher to student ratio, coupled with high student achievement and others touted Highland Medical Center, its foundation a goal of an earlier comprehensive plan. Still others praised the small, family-owned farms and forest industry as unique and valued assets of Highland County.
Participants were asked to pretend they were reporters who had to write a story about Highland County. The assignment was to find out what local people think about Highland County. “What is the greatest strength in Highland County?” Crawford asked. Answers covered the gamut from nature to lack of industry, agriculture to hunting and fishing.
Tourism was listed as one of the greatest opportunities in Highland’s future, together with organic farming, timber, a retirement community, agri-tourism, and the wellness industry. Much was said during the evening about taking what Highland has in terms of forest and farming products and creating local cottage industries to further refine the products before sending to market. Local woodworking shops and a meat-processing plant were brought up as examples of ways to add value to local products.
Other participants thought about Highland County in terms of its being a tourist destination, emphasizing historic preservation, scenic-byways and development of campgrounds. Some thought opportunities exist in providing senior services, such as an assisted living facility.
Several said a lack of cohesive planning was a weakness in Highland County. Without a plan county officials were more likely to make random and inconsistent decisions regarding land-use and development, they said. High property taxes were presented as a weakness, along with low wages and lack of affordable health insurance. The combination, some concluded, leads to a brain drain as the best and brightest of Highland County leave in search of a better living for themselves and their families. A lack of critical care facilities nearby and a lack of access to wellness services were also seen as weaknesses, but were also seen as opportunities. Among the threats facing Highland’s future, some were concerned about an attitude of isolationism in the county, where outside opportunities for local growth, development and change were ignored or turned away. This was in contrast to the value others placed on maintaining tradition and conserving the undeveloped, pristine nature of the county.
Some wondered where the future workforce of Highland would come from to provide the needed services and fill the jobs that exist in the county. As the charts filled with single words and short phrases, the problem appeared related to low pay and little opportunity driving away workers and diminishing the ability of the county to generate needed income to provide for the citizens who remained. In addition, the lack of volunteers to keep the many organizations running was seen as a threat to the future of a county that has prided itself on its volunteerism and self-reliance.
Environmental and infrastructure issues were also considered threats to the future. Growth may be constrained by a lack of usable groundwater. Growth may be threatened, too, by the absence of adequate roads, utilities, workforce and zoning ordinances, and anti-growth taxation.
The group divided into seven subgroups of 8-17 people per group and they were told it was 2025 and they had to write an article about how Highland County achieved success. Each group spent about 45 minutes brainstorming and presented its outline at the end of the session to the other groups.
The first group envisioned a Highland County of family farms, open spaces, home-grown businesses and recreational opportunites. Highland became a national treasure due to its self-sustaining economy and environmental stewardship.
Group 2 envisioned Highland as a prosperous and affordable place in beautiful surroundings. The county would achieve this through agri-tourism, small industry, value-added products, a recreation facility and a supermarket.
Group 3 would preserve natural resources in Highland, increase tourism through heritage and agri-tourism businesses, and increase the population to around 5,000. Cluster development was advocated focusing on McDowell and U.S. 220N, with protections for agricultural and forested areas.
McDowell grew and reopened a school there. Agriculture throughout the county became more diversified to meet market demands and improve profitability. Group 4 said the “last best place was still here in Highland County.” A land-use based tax was part of the reason for the success of the county, enabling farmers to continue to own and operate farms. A historic district returned to Monterey. A recreation facility, small business development center, wellness center and assisted living facility provided services to residents. The five-member board of supervisors and school board provided better representation for the citizenry. McDowell has a bank, a restaurant, lodging and shopping for visitors and locals to enjoy. Organic produce, adventure and eco-tourism, a timber industry providing materials for local artisans and craftsmen were some of the businesses of 2025.
Opportunities for newcomers will be balanced with opportunities and needs of people who have been here for generations.
Moderate priced housing north of U.S. 250 and west of U.S. 220 was advocated.
The fifth group’s theme was diversification. Services were made available to the elderly, agriculture will be alive and well thanks to appropriate land-use taxation policies, an assisted living facility, family farms were protected.
Group 6’s vision of the future sees a balance between tradition and progress. The pristine beauty of the county is maintained encouraging a thriving eco-tourism industry. Small industries, diversified farming enterprises, and added-value timber businesses will keep Highland economically healthy.
Building on present infrastructure future growth will be based around towns and farming will be maintained as a way of life.
Environmentally, ridgetops will be protected by law.
Fire and rescue services would be upgraded.
Additional taxes on businesses and utilities would increase county coffers.
Recreational opportunities will include an 18-hole golf course.
Businesses would include a meat-processing plant and transportation to market. Small high-end furniture businesses would be active in the county.
Highland 2025 would be known for its natural beauty, great climate, low taxes, low crime, good educational system and abundant activities.
Group 7 envisions a self-sustaining Highland of 2025 successful due to proper planning. Affordable housing would be available to the population. Craftsmen would produce value-added products.
Green open spaces would be abundant. The historical battlefield would be a draw for tourism.
Enhanced internet services would facilitate businesses in their reaching markets outside the county.
Finally, Crawford said, “You are a member of the board of supervisors in the year 2025. What are the short-term and long-term priorities in the county?” Short term was defined as being within the next one to three years, long term 4-20.
Under short term people listed agricultural tax relief, increasing the tax base, no wind turbines, adapt and follow the comprehensive plan, refinance the school bond, protect ridge tops, pursue homestead act legislation, tax non-resident landowners, and approve wind turbines, improve tax base, upgrade rescue squad and fire department, improve roads, improve cell phone and internet services, provide affordable housing, partnership with school to improve services, establish tourism committee.
Under long-term priorities: maintain agriculture, improve road system, locate new industries, develop recreational facilities, develop a trade school, protect the environment, develop partnerships to utilize public lands with the goal of building a facility on it, public day care facility, develop wellness industry, and develop small businesses.
A questionnaire was handed out to be completed by attendees to the meeting, the results of the survey to be included in future deliberations of the comprehensive plan review committee.
The final task was for each attendee to place a sticker next to one item on the short-term and one item on the long-term lists as the most important priorities in the years ahead.
Under short-term priorities the tally of green dots gave an impromptu vote of public support for the major issues facing Highland. Based on the responses of attendees, support for agricultural tax relief and opposition to wind turbines was about even, each receiving about 25 percent of the vote. John Sweet, among others, said, “You can’t ignore the elephant in the room. Until we take care of the wind issue we can’t consider anything else.” However, an equal number of people thought the highest short-term priority was to find some form of relief for local farmers, whether through direct tax relief or the implementation of a Homestead Act allowing non-resident landowners to be taxed differently from resident landowners.
Under long-term priorities agricultural tax relief received 21 stickers and ridgetop protection received 13. Sixteen supported locating new industries and developing small business. Six thought the highest priority of the next 20 years should be environmental concerns.
Looking at the priorities another way, comparing development with conservation, in the short term 31 were in support of development, 29 were for environmental protection. Under long-term priorities development proponents outnumbered environmental protection advocates 54 to 20. About 20 did not vote. Taken together, more than half of those attending thought environment and development were the most important issues facing the community in the next 20 years. The attendees were only allowed one choice in each category, even if they considered more than one priority important.
A tentative conclusion on the future of Highland County could be summarized in the words of attendee Kate Wilke, “It looks a lot like it does today.” The sheets of one line opinions and the results of the questionnaires will be considered by the comprehensive plan committee at a future meeting. Subcommittees will form in late summer or early fall to update the goals and strategies of the comprehensive plan. The public is invited to participate in the subcommittees.
The next meeting of the comprehensive plan committee is Wednesday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Highland County library.
| 
