A lot of folks are drawn into small towns for the peaceful, laid-back lifestyles that can be difficult to attain in crowded, noisy cities often afflicted with crime and a decided lack of privacy. Yet many are unable to escape to the desired rural countrysides because the more urban environments possess the bulk of industry and commerce — and therefore jobs.
In sparsely populated Matagorda County, economic and political leaders faced with an oncoming spurt of industrial growth have a firm grasp on the dilemma before them: Deftly managing the inevitable tide of prosperity while holding on to the small-town atmosphere that is so appealing.
With expansion of the South Texas Project nuclear plant coming and another nuclear plant in the planning stages, civic leaders fully understand many new residents and businesses are headed their way. And they are ready.
Construction on two new NRG Energy Co. advanced boiling water reactors at the South Texas Project is scheduled to break ground in 2010 after obtaining its permits, bringing an estimated 1,200 construction workers for the six-year construction phase. Another company, Excelon Energy, also has announced preliminary plans to build its own reactors in the county.
Led by Bay City Mayor Richard Knapik, a special team has laid out a detailed vision for Matagorda County that addresses the issues associated with this sudden infusion of capital and people — new housing, retail outlets and, most importantly, a new college to train the many new workers and prospective workers.
The team — consisting of Knapik, Matagorda County Judge Nate McDonald, Community Development Director D.C. Dunham, Economic Development Coordinator Owen Bludau and Bay City Chamber of Commerce President Mitch Thames — has toiled under the mantra “what is good for Matagorda County is good for everyone.”
“We are very much a team; you don’t find that in criss-crossing government entities a lot,” Dunham recently told The Facts. “Usually people try to protect their own territory, and fight little turf wars, but it has really been a collaborative effort since we started three years ago.”
And that dedication to a comprehensive approach already is paying dividends.
A new housing development is going up in Palacios, with more than 3,000 lots. Palacios never has been more ready to grow, as the city for the first time has adopted a zoning ordinance to keep unordered sprawl from cropping up willy-nilly.
Most impressive about Matagorda County’s smart approach to its growth is the $4 million investment to turn a former Kmart store into the county’s first college, Wharton County Junior College, which will begin offering classes this month. Of course, all the new employees and students will need places to eat and shop, and they will have them in plenty, with new retailers such as a Chili’s Restaurant and a Super Wal-Mart already lined up.
Yet it would be truly lamentable to gain commerce and prosperity at the expense of the area’s traditional charm that has lured so many hunters, fishermen and farmers to stay and visit there. That’s why we are encouraged by the committee’s pains to ensure the continued vitality of the county’s outdoors tourist industry and also to keep its downtown business communities thriving.
Matagorda County is treading smartly into the future, with savvy and vision.
By: Dale Dimitri
thefacts.com