Design an economic-development strategy. What we need are actual businesses, not more business districts

To the Editor:

I’d like to thank the Knox Town Board for encouraging public feedback on the question of how to best fit commercial development into the town. There was a productive conversation during the Feb. 14 town board meeting where council members discussed strategies to best solicit input from the public on this topic.

The board talked about holding public meetings to ask residents’ thoughts on potential business districts listed in the 1994 comprehensive plan.

These possible sites for commercial zoning include “the area accessed by State Route 156 in the vicinity of the Mountain Woodshop and Highland Farms Restaurant [which the Knox Planning Board recently voted against changing to a business district], the area accessed by State Route 146 in the vicinity of the Town garage and the Township Tavern, the area on Knox Cave Road near Route 7, the area near Thacher Park in the vicinity of Thacher Park Road and Ketcham Road and in the vicinity of the former Cater's Auction Barn on State Route 443.”

At the public meetings, residents can say whether they think these areas would make good commercial business districts or whether they are better off remaining residential/agricultural. It’s important if you live in one of these areas that your opinion be heard during these meetings. If you are not comfortable speaking up, you can send a letter or email to the board instead and your comments will count.  

I personally don’t think we need more business zoning — we have had this since 2014 when the town created its first business district in the hamlet. What we need are actual businesses.

I’ve heard (and agreed with) dozens of folks who have said, “We need more businesses.” I’ve never heard anyone say, “We need more business district zoning.”

In reality, the only effect additional zoning-law amendments will have is to earmark open land for some hypothetical commercial entity to inhabit, or not, depending on the market-driven decisions of that entity. Knox’s first experiment in this — using a zoning scheme to galvanize business in the hamlet — hasn’t resulted in new stores, gas stations, amenities, or businesses of any kind.

You still can’t buy a gallon of milk in the hamlet. The hamlet is, however, a business district that right now has great potential for accommodating new business growth.

Instead of radically altering our land-use policy for a second time in as many years, and possibly eroding our town’s rural character, I’d encourage Knox to design an economic-development strategy that both supports farm businesses and entrepreneurs who reside within the town right now and attracts new businesses that align with other comprehensive-plan goals (namely preserving Knox’s rural character).

Here are things we can do right now without rezoning any of our current agricultural or residential land:

— a) Offer financial incentives for new businesses to operate within the town. These might take the form of tax breaks, loans to micro-entrepreneurs, and/or reduced regulatory burden;

— b) Conduct town visioning workshops and other methods to inform economic-growth goals that reflect town consensus;

— c) Develop an inventory of town resources and assets that an economic-development strategy can leverage (snowmobiling, hunting, agriculture, fishing, geology, timber, etc.);

— d) Similarly, develop an inventory of real-world obstacles that stand in the way of achieving economic development goals (sewer, water, roads, drainage, high-speed internet, population size, etc.). Address these barriers to the extent possible;

— e) Conduct an advertising campaign (social media, radio, television, newspaper) to promote business opportunities in Knox based on identified town resources and assets; and

— f) Collaborate with area chambers of commerce or create a Hilltowns regional chamber of commerce chapter.

These are just a few evidence-based strategies small towns similar to Knox have used to foster economic growth without taking the extreme step of changing town law.

During the Feb. 14 meeting, the supervisor made comments the essence of which were that rural preservation and businesses can be complementary, rather than conflicting, goals. I agree.

To support this notion, I ask that the town board’s public meetings also address preserving the rural character of Knox so that the dual goals of commerce and rural character receive equal footing and can be contemplated in relation to one another.

I believe that these public meetings, if and when they happen, are an opportunity for all residents of the town to shape our town’s future. Please come to the next town board meeting (March 14) to learn more. I look forward to seeing you there.

Travis O’Donnell

Knox

Editor’s note: Travis O’Donnell is a member of the Knox Planning Board.

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