With the "Scenic Highway 70 Overlay" approved and put into place, everyone is waiting now to see how development unfolds along the US 70 Bypass.
It may take years to see whether all the hard work that went into developing the guidelines and land-use regulations pays off, but I believe it will. Maintaining Clayton's beauty and small-town charm as we grow and develop has been a top goal for years, and we believe the Overlay will help us do that.
It wasn't easy to put together, though. Our Planning Department and Town Council had to find the right balance between protecting our prized "NC Scenic Byway" and the interests of those who want to develop the area, including commercial development. We've seen those contrasting elements balanced successfully other places, and we knew we could do it here. But, it required some tough choices and some last-minute adjustments.
We think we got it right, and the area will be developed in a high-quality way over time, with growth and beauty thriving together. We hope that someday other municipalities will be visiting Clayton to see how we did it, and then taking some of our ideas home with them. Or visitors commenting on the beauty of the Bypass as they stop to shop or eat as they travel through.
But mostly, we hope our children will grow up in a town that's just as beautiful as it is progressive.