This is to caution against complacency for those who think growth will magically reappear in our local economy. Frequently heard statements like “it’ll all be okay when the economy turns back around” or “we’ll just have to be patient and ride it out,” give the impression it’s a set law of nature that Pickens County will become a high-growth area once again.
The question we pose is why? Why will Pickens necessarily see the booming real estate / construction wave we saw before? How will we see those high land prices again, where some large acreage parcels of unimproved, poorly accessible, mountain land with no utilities still sold for upwards of $15,000 per acre?
The boom cycle COULD happen again. Epic forces (desirable lifestyle, proximity to Atlanta) that created the first rise in real estate here are still in play. It wasn’t like we got lucky the first time. There were solid fundamentals that led people to move to here.
But there’s nothing definite about that boom returning. We shouldn’t assume just because we saw fast-paced growth before, that we’ll automatically see it again.
Several factors signal it may be a long time before we see regional and national developers prowling our woods looking for new development sites. Among those:
• History - Recall that for the majority of Pickens County’s existence, we weren’t an upscale housing community. In fact, Pickens and most of mountain Georgia were working-class Appalachia before the gated communities arrived.
• Property prices aren’t what they used to be - When the first boom started, many developers came because they could buy here on the cheap compared to Cherokee and Cobb counties. That isn’t the case anymore. Prices here have caught up relative to other areas. Empty houses and half-completed developments to our south may represent better values for developers and homebuyers.
• Uncertainty over gas prices and jobs -Prices on motor fuel are back down, but the scare of future horror shows at the pump will influence commuters whenever they look at moving this far outside the metro area. And if the memory of this recession lingers, people will balk at moving any distance from the job market inside the perimeter.
• Inventory surplus - As with all areas in the country that rode high on the boom, an awful lot of homes remain for sale here. Until that inventory is reduced, it’s unlikely we’ll see much building in these parts.
We would like to see our community leaders, elected officials and economic development groups in motion now, laying some groundwork to ensure Pickens is positioned to attract growth when the economic tide turns and a wave of new activity starts rolling this way.
In the past, Jasper and Pickens County governments did little but provide infrastructure, and the growth came. That was largely due to Highway 515. The City of Jasper made sewer lines and water service available as a priority. The county also expanded its water service and is still at work trying to get a sewage operation in place.
But looking ahead from this point, is merely providing basic utilities enough? We’d argue that it isn’t. There are lots of houses for sale and lots of commercial areas looking for tenants. We’d better have things to offer beyond water and sewage.
What’s needed is a fresh way of thinking. There are plenty of places in North Georgia where you can find sewer service near a busy road. What we need is something to make us stand out.
A perfect example might be the airport tech park (something in the works far too long already). But that’s just one example.
And, frankly, it’s hard to identify any other.
We challenge city and county officials to develop some plans––plans that would position Pickens County favorably to take advantage of any new growth opportunities coming for North Georgia. Some unique ideas, a new business park, something recreational or cultural, maybe a new concert venue –– something to make us stand out from the crowd.
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