As Glen Alpine looks to attract more businesses and strengthen its downtown, a group of residents, planners, and elected officials recently kicked off a months-long effort to shape the town’s economic development strategy for the next five years.
In April, the board of aldermen approved a memorandum of understanding with the N.C. Department of Commerce, paving the way for a strategic planning process to identify the town’s economic development goals. The effort comes as Glen Alpine has struggled to attract and retain businesses in its downtown. Towns like Taylorsville and Oak Island have completed a similar process.
On June 29, a nine-member working group met with NC Commerce’s Phil Boggan, the project leader, to get an overview of the planning process, receive economic market data, brainstorm economic drivers, and complete an asset mapping exercise.
Executive Director of the Burke River Trail Association Beth Heile attended the meeting as a member of the working group and said the first session was mainly about understanding the Glen Alpine community.
“Everyone went around and talked about what they love about the town, which was all kind of the same: the people, the location, not far from I-40, and not far from the lake, just the small-town character,” Heile said.
STRUGGLING BUSINESS CORRIDOR
Though Glen Alpine is centered along U.S. 70, the town has struggled to keep businesses open in the main commercial strip along Linville Street. Data presented during the meeting showed that people are coming through town, but the challenge is getting them to stay and support local businesses. Last year, about 3,500 people attended the July Fourth parade, and more than 2,000 people attended a Trunk or Treat event.
The town’s population of 1,991 has a median age of 36 years old and a median household income of $69,697, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Boggan added that about 115 people commute into Glen Alpine for work, while about 685 people leave Glen Alpine each day to work elsewhere.
“If we had some more businesses in Glen Alpine, they could stay, and then maybe we would bring in even more people,” Heile said.
People traveling from Lake James also frequently pass through Glen Alpine on their way to major retailers in Morganton. Heile said the goal isn’t to compete with those businesses, but rather to attract locally owned shops where people could stop for a cup of coffee or a sandwich along the way.
Heile said that Boggan gave each working group member a homework assignment: Drive around the town through the eyes of a visitor and evaluate aspects such as the town’s walkability before the next meeting.
Alderman Chad Wykle, who also serves on the working group, said he was impressed by the people participating in the planning process.
The working group also includes town leaders Mayor Kevin Herron, Alderman Reid Scott and Town Administrator Crystal Carswell; Burke County Planning Director Bradley Kirkley; Western Piedmont Council of Governments Community and Economic Development Manager Kyle Case; and residents Anthony Campany and Amanda Hunsucker. Wykle added that Case previously worked in the same position as Boggan.
“Everybody in there absolutely loves Burke County and loves Glen Alpine,” Wykle said.
He added that Glen Alpine has an advantage as a gateway community because of its proximity to outdoor recreation amenities, including a boat launch down along the river, Lake James, Wilson Creek, South Mountains, and the Linville Gorge.
Wykle also pointed out that the town has commercial space available downtown, but the buildings need work. The town also owns another building downtown but hasn’t decided on its future use. Wykle said he believes this process will help generate some ideas.
“I’m personally just really excited about the process and the people that I’ve got the chance to work with,” Wykle said.
The working group will meet again from 3-5 p.m. on July 27 to complete a SWOT analysis, identifying Glen Alpine’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Members will also review responses from the community survey, which Heile said remains open until the meeting.
The public will be invited to participate in the planning process at First Baptist Church on Aug. 31, where community members can share their vision for Glen Alpine’s future and identify priorities for the strategic plan. Boggan also plans to conduct one-on-one interviews with community members.
