Recruiters of industry, for example, will say that one of the attractions for prospective companies is our quality of life. If you ask board members or law enforcement officials about the guiding force behind their philosophies, they’ll say it’s preserving all the great things we have going here.
But when you get right down to the heart of the matter, what do people really mean when they refer to our quality of life?
Of course, there are the obvious things such as a clean environment, decent schools, a relatively low cost of living and being part of a safe community overall, one that rarely experiences the kinds of horrific crimes that occur elsewhere. Something frequently cited is how people can be comfortable walking on the streets of Mount Airy at night, which you can’t do in most places.
All of this is true, but I would offer something else that can be considered just as important in a discussion about quality-of-life issues: simply leaving people alone and allowing them to live in peace. While that might sound easy, it can be quite elusive — just ask those who live in the Hollyview Forest neighborhood.
I am proud to say that my entire existence has been spent residing in small Southern towns, where a live-and-let-live attitude and respect for one’s neighbors usually prevails. Some might prefer to be stuck in the rat race of a big city where you have to battle for parking spaces and deal constantly with uptight, cutthroat people — but not me.
For years, citizens in the greater Mount Airy area didn’t have to worry about unreasonable or traumatic intrusions by local government. Large-scale annexations, for example, were something you only heard about in large cities, typically involving some metropolis flexing its muscles through urban sprawl.
Then a terrible thing happened. Manufacturers began closing local plants and shipping production overseas, not only lessening Mount Airy’s property tax base but depriving the city of major water and sewer customers.
That led to municipal officials seeking out new taxpayers and utility users, because after all, we couldn’t very well expect them to cut operations or personnel as private businesses do, could we? Certain city leaders seemed bound and determined to maintain their personnel infrastructure, to keep on keeping on, even as the economic world around them crumbled.
So, after resisting major annexations for decades, Mount Airy began flexing its own muscles several years ago — to the detriment of citizens who’ve been impacted as a result. Their treatment shows how bureaucratic entities can reach a point where they forget about their main purpose — which is to serve the public — and instead become preoccupied with maintaining their own existence.
One neighborhood affected by annexation was Hollyview Forest, which anyone can argue enjoyed a pretty good “quality of life” before it was forced into the city limits and had utility lines installed. It was a place filled with picturesque, tree-lined streets of beautiful homes and well-manicured lawns, enhanced by wood fencing and guardrails that promoted a rustic, yet elegant appearance.
Ride through the area, now, however, and you will see the houses still there, but that a “tremendous amount of trees” are gone, as one resident described. The once-immaculate lawns are marred by sunken-in places and attractive timber guardrails that once served a safety purpose have been removed. Pavement dug up as part of the line installation has been left in a rough shape not unlike the wagon trails of old.
Much of the blame is being laid at the company that installed sewer lines as part of the annexation process. From my understanding, it basically grabbed the money and ran without making sure the neighborhood was left in the same shape it was before construction crews invaded.
But regardless of who is at fault, it definitely can be said they weren’t too interested in enhancing that quality of life which is always being bragged about — except for perhaps themselves! I certainly didn’t hear of anyone in Hollyview Forest screaming and kicking to be annexed by the city.
I truly hope the scars of annexation can be healed in that neighborhood and elsewhere eventually, yet no one should be fooled into thinking this will happen overnight. Some hard feelings have been left behind, which won’t go away easily.
If nothing else, this situation illustrates that while “quality of life” can mean doing supposedly great things and bringing about change, it also should be defined as simply doing nothing.
Given that local governmental officials have clearly demonstrated they aren’t always inclined to leave people alone, they should at least possess the ability to know when to leave well enough alone.
Tom Joyce is a staff reporter for The Mount Airy News. He can be reached at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or 719-1924.
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