This story has something in it for everyone.
The town of #SummerfieldNC lies just north of Greensboro, North Carolina, and has seen a transition from rural farming village to bedroom community to reluctant suburb over the past two decades.
#Summerfield's current town council was voted in on a hardcore #NIMBYism platform. Putting that platform into action, however, has led to some substantial consequences for the town, including... (1/n)
But rather than wait to see how the lawsuit plays out, Couch, a wealthy and well-connected Republican, has been working with NC's right-wing legislature to advance a bill to de-annex his property from Summerfield altogether.
This move would set a dangerous precedent for local governments in NC, where towns are already constitutionally hamstrung by state regulations, most of which are very conservative. (3/n).
But it may also provide a fascinating laboratory for studying the consequences of exclusionary zoning (albeit through the lens of another form of exclusion--these townhomes are meant to cater to wealth beyond Summerfield's wildest dreams). (4/n)
Anyway, things just got a lot more saucy.
#Summerfield's long-time town manager had been working to mitigate some of the worst consequences of the council's NIMBYism, including working with the developer to try and find a non-de-annexation solution.
And that pissed council off royally.
So, a month or so ago, council decided in a closed door session to not renew the town manager's contract when it expires in June. (5/n)
The town manager is a beloved member of the community, and was well-respected by his staff of 8. So when council announced the manager was not having his contract renewed--and thus effectively being fired but without the benefit of severance pay--staff got mad.
So mad, in fact, that yesterday evening, at the close of the town's annual 2-day Founders' Day celebration, all 8 of them tendered their resignation. (6/n).
The local weekly paper, The Northwest Observer, broke the story yesterday on their facebook page last night, and posted the text of the staff's collective resignation letter today.
https://www.nwobserver.com/articles/featured-stories/the-great-resignation/
(7/n).
#Summerfield abuts my own hometown, #OakRidgeNC. Both communities incorporated around the same time, in response to concerns over being annexed by Greensboro. The towns had similar pasts, but took very different approaches to planning, governance, and growth management after incorporating.
As a planner, it's been utterly fascinating to watch the chaos Summerfield's zealous NIMBYism has caused. (8/n)
As the daughter of Oak Ridge's former long-time mayor, I cannot help but bask in a little hometown pride. Oak Ridge isn't perfect, but by george we are NOT Summerfield.
(9/9).
BTW, Oak Ridge is a pretty awesome town. It had a very progressive mayor for a long time. He hired a top-notch staff who did their best to balance rural charm with modern demands. And Oak Ridge is on the #MountainsToSea trail, so you can get there on foot it you want to. It's pretty bad ass.
@DrTCombs I can't believe how out in the open GA is about it's toadying to wealthy people.
@DrTCombs OMG, I didn't expect this kind of sauce at the start of the thread. It's a good time for planners to look for other jobs.
@jumbanho I should have started with a TL;DR: Small town hiring town manager, clerk, 3 parks and rec staff, 2 planners. You should probably not apply.
@DrTCombs
The throw the bums out mentality has led to small towns, that I deal with occasionally, become ungovernable.
@DrTCombs I can only imagine how goofed up Summerfield is going to be without those staffers. I also imagine that the council members will be Learning Some Things in the coming days and months.
@DrTCombs
Can you give any specifics on how this NIMBYism manifested? Like what specific things did they reject or protect?
@mloxton It was generally just a desire to never change, as far as I can tell. A lot of people remembered Summerfield the way it never was -- idyllic and affordable. They wanted to keep it that way in perpetuity, despite external forces that made that impossible.
@mloxton There may have been a project or projects that pushed everyone over the edge, predating the Couch proposal, but I don't know details. My gut says it was just cumulative though.
@DrTCombs
Thanks.
How are the two different towns preparing for climate change?
@mloxton I don't know. I'm not affiliated with either of them anymore.
...a potential lawsuit by the #NAACP over the town's #ExclusionaryZoning code (which requires a minimum 1.5 acre lot size for residential development).
An out-of-town developer, David Couch, has been credited with tipping the NAACP off about #Summerfield. Couch has spent the past few years assembling a ~1000 acre tract of formerly farmland near the historic center of town, on which he has proposed a high-density-but-also-high-end townhome community. (2/n)