Date: Sun, 6 Jul 2014 11:10:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: Brad Page
Subject: This week, next week
Friends,
We of the Chatlist, readers and writers, can easily fall into the trap that our 4,000+ numbers matter in some special way. I’d guess we’re closer to the high side of the $55,000 median income for this county. As a man who lives on Social Security that’s a fine bit of money. But that number means only that people around that income are most numerous in a county population of about 65,000. Go up in income and the numbers fall off, go down in income and the number of people fall off. Like a bell curve where the $55,000 is on top of the bell.
That said, a bit of history. When I was invited here in 2005 by the NC Zen Center Abbott, Sandy Stewart, this county was no more than the destination for occasional retreats of 4-7 days. Driving from Charlotte I often took Hwy. 64 because it was a right pretty drive. In the years since I’ve seen there isn’t much about this county that isn’t parkland and just plumb gorgeous. I’ll also say in 2005 many of the amenities, such as a local lumber yard or fully stocked hardware store were hard to come by . It was hard to do business here then as it is now.
So, let’s see who Chatham County matters to. I don’t know, I’m asking. I can tell you this, coming from Charlotte. The Chatham County you and I know is not going to matter to those folks moving in with Chatham Park. What most likely matters to them is what you see on 64 over in Apex. They’ll bring the core values of the consumer (I’m not exempt either). They’ll want their Kohl’s, their hobby shops, their endless Subways, McDonalds, Starbucks and they’ll want the center of Pittsboro to move out to the intersection of Hwy. 64 and 64 Business or what we call East right now. The businesses that think they’ll thrive had better put wheels under the building and move out to the new city center because the area a few blocks out from the courthouse will become a virtual ghost town, business-wise.
If there’s a benefit here to either the 4000+ writers and readers of the Chatlist or the other 61,000 people who live in this county I see none. None. Nothing.
Brad Page