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Growing,
Growing, Grown
Watauga County in the 1990s
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A
Time of Growth
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The
1990's were the decade when residents of Watauga County
got more.
More
students, more tourists, more residents.
More buildings, more businesses.
More roads, more traffic, more parking headaches.
More Christmas trees.
More jobs, more income.
More of everything, it seemed; and also more of the thought
that perhaps that the ‘more' could turn into too
much.
Growth was coming from all directions, as plans for expanding
routes 321 and 421 were being both expounded and denounced,
and the DOT brought up again the idea for a Boone Bypass along
Highway 105.
The announcement of a projected asphalt plant brought an instant
and successful fight from residents – forming Citizens
Against Pollution – to stop it coming into their Roby
Green Road neighborhood.
That would later translate into a moratorium on certain polluting
industries in Watauga County.
Environmentalists as well as developers made huge inroads
in the area, with a Save Howard's Knob initiative that
brought land-use planning to the fore.
In Boone, the Greenway became a reality and popular recreational
destination.
Some forms of growth were being welcomed by just about one
and all, as Choose & Cut Christmas tree operations integrated
agriculture and tourism in a unique partnership to boost the
local economy.
The Christmas tree industry flourished, keeping mountain farming
alive to complement the seasonal tourism.
Appalachian State showed a new look, with the beginnings of
a nearly billion dollar upgrade of renovations and new buildings,
including the centerpiece Convocation Center.
ASU also grew mightily in students, going from 11,650 in 1990
to over 12,500 in 1999.
Downtown Boone grew into itself, with small, locally owned
businesses filling up just about every available space, completing
a decade of renaissance.
Medical facilities, non-profits, low-impact recreation, entrepreneurs,
mountain biking, resort and second-home construction; name
it and it grew.
Perhaps the best indicator of this decade of change was the
response it generated and how it was handled; representatives
from across the Watauga County spectrum; government, business,
education, services, neighborhoods and communities met in
a year-long effort to get a handle on what was happening and
how to best manage it.
That entity, reporting its findings and recommendations in
the last weeks of the year and the decade, was called the
Watauga County Growth Commission.
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