It's a question of How

By Peter Stempel

 An Introduction

 
Most people in Washington County enjoy a lifestyle that is enriched by our beautiful surroundings. This is a beautiful place with a wonderful climate and plenty of opportunity for outdoor recreation.  Additionally, we are all beginning to enjoy the conveniences that growth is bringing to our communities.  The new hospital, for example, has brought more high-quality healthcare services to our county and we all appreciate that.

Yet we still want to hold on to a small town feeling - even in St. George, which is considered one of the fastest growing communities in the nation.  It is still common to begin a conversation with a stranger and find that you know people in common.  Many of us know our public officials and our industry leaders.  We see them at community activities and our children go to school together.  In Washington County it is still possible to communicate directly with our elected officials, our business and church leaders.  This is an important part of our community that we want to preserve.

 
That said, we are also experiencing some of the pains of a growing community.  Traffic complaints are on the tips of everyone's tongues.  There is mounting concern about air quality in Southern Utah.  The mismatch between wages and property values is making home ownership less attainable for a large portion of our hard-working population.  Pastures and farms are making way for housing developments.  Growth is transforming our way of life. 

 
Many people will say that there is nothing you can do to stop growth and that we simply must accept the unfortunate changes as the cost of progress.  Some will say that anyone who objects to negative aspects of growth is opposed to economic prosperity for the next generation. I don't accept that and neither should you.

 
While facing the challenges posed by growth might be difficult, this is something we must do as a community if we are to maintain the quality of life that we all enjoy.  Vision Dixie, a process initiated by the County Commission last year, is an important step in that direction.  Although you have not heard much about Vision Dixie recently, the various committees and consultants are working closely with Envision Utah to transform the public feedback gathered last fall into several "what if" scenarios.  In the not too distant future, those scenarios will be released and the larger community will have the opportunity to examine and critique them.

 
During the time leading up to Vision Dixie releasing those scenarios, we will be running several educational articles addressing the issues of growth.  We hope that these articles will expand the discussion within the community and invite more participation in the process.  While each article will have a specific topic, such as roads - the topic of the next article in the series, one thing you will find is that all of the issues discussed are closely related.  The interconnectedness of the issues is one of the things that make talking about growth so difficult.  You can't touch one of these issues without disturbing another.  We hope these articles will help to untangle the issues, provide some food for thought - perhaps even some food for participation.

 
I agree that growth is not a yes or no question; it will continue somehow.  The question is how it will continue.  That is the question that Vision Dixie is focused on, and it is the question that we have the most control over.  If we weigh in now and participate in a sincere dialog, we have the opportunity to shape the future of southern Utah.

 
Call me an optimist, but I believe that many of us want the same things.  We all need housing that we can afford.  Nobody wants to spend hours sitting in traffic each day. Everyone wants clean air to breathe.  Every family wants to live in a safe neighborhood. Whether a resident grew up here in Washington County or moved here later in life - all of us cherish the beauty of the land that surrounds us each day. 

 
It is possible to "grow better" instead of just growing.  Sadly, there are too many examples of communities across the country that did not engage in a productive dialog and plan, but did "just grow."  Very few of us would want that for Southern Utah.  But to "grow better" we have to acknowledge the consequences of some of our choices.  We must examine the decisions being made now to avoid unintended negative consequences for the future. It is my hope that these articles will help the community to make informed choices as we move forward with growth that will affect our children and grandchildren for many years to come.

 
Peter Stempel is an architect practicing in Virgin, Utah.  He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the United States Green Building Council.