Development: Business and housing
The Importance of Balance, Concise Vision and Effective Land Use
As a resort municipality, Harrison has two distinct areas; the business tourist area and the residential area.
Both residential housing and business design need to reflect the aesthetic feel of the village that we want to create. We need designs that are inspired by our location and reflect that in their architecture. Opportunistic developers throwing up cookie cutter designs that do not enhance and compliment the village shouldn’t be the status quo.
We need to ask ourselves what they are bringing to benefit the village in both the immediate and in the long term. It is both the return in the investment and also the return on the investment that we have to look at when development comes for approval. This refers to the concept of: What do they bring us and what are the benefits both short term and long term?
When you bring in good, creative, visionary development it drives itself because of the gains of tourism and residential enjoyment that come with that. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to business, tourism and housing needs. There are many successful examples of tourist communities that have used the combination of nature, man-made aesthetics, and promoting the type of commercial businesses that enrich an area and enhance it. Our tourism needs to be reaching a broader demographic during the shoulder season to create consistent flow of visitors that are contributing to our economy. There also needs to be a set of standards for upkeep of buildings and businesses. All business needs to be putting the best image of Harrison forward.
Our population in Harrison has seen a huge surge over the past decade, almost a 50% increase. We need to make sure that our growth rate is slow and steady with infrastructure requirements taking the lead. You don’t put the cart before the horse.
The types of builds are just as important as the amount of builds. We are a small rural village with limits on public transit. Urban style cookie cutter developments don’t work here. If you build impossible communities, you create a revolving door population. The people try; they move here because they love the area but quickly find those housing forms are unsustainable for their lifestyle. Proper planning for real life is what is needed with our development here in Harrison.
Smart planning, vision and a careful balance is required in order to retain the charm and quiet enjoyment of our village while enhancing the robustness of a vibrant business and tourist area.
Good planning is good for us all.
