By Chris Comer

What is Economic Development?  Is it jobs, new business, zoning?  As a matter of fact, it is all of those things.  We talk about how strong Economic Development is in our area, but do we know what that entails?

Economic Development can be described as the progressive growth of any given region or society.  The goal is improvement of both the standard of living as well as the social well-being of the people. It can be manifested in many different areas such as improving road systems, creating new jobs, education and training, and programs to enhance the community, to name a few.

Jobs

Kernersville prides itself on being a wonderful place to live, work, and play.  Our centralized location with easy access to road systems and neighboring cities creates interest for many companies looking to hire skilled workers.  With more jobs than people, Kernersville’s job growth is positive, growing at a .26% rate.  Kernersville ranks high in all areas of development including business, finance, healthcare, and law enforcement.

If you are looking to learn about some of the job opportunities that are available in Kernersville, plan to attend the Triad Job Fair which is held every year at First Christian Church.  Both large and small companies will be in attendance on Monday, February 16 from 10-3pm.

New Business

This community embraces new business and positive growth.  The leadership in Kernersville does a great job of making information available on a national scale, so that entrepreneurs and business owners, both large and small, have all the information they need to make the decision to locate here.  Kernersville is hard at work putting systems in place to attract and maintain successful businesses and increase appeal for more businesses and new people seeking to call our town home.  The Kernersville Medical Center and the soon to be finalized VA Healthcare Center are two fantastic examples of successful planning to create and sustain growth in Kernersville. New business in Kernersville is not only determined by the level of interest shown, but also by the zoning our town has in place to keep our community healthy.

Zoning

Zoning is a land-use planning technique that is implemented by local governments in most developed countries to determine the best use of the land and resources available.  There are a variety of zoning types, some of which focus on regulating building structures and the relation of buildings to the street, others with separating land uses and what can be done with certain areas as well as a combination of both.

The Town of Kernersville utilizes zoning as a growth management tool to accomplish its Kernersville Development Planning Goals.  The town seeks to maintain and enhance Kernersville’s “small town atmosphere”, establish Kernersville as a “unique high quality community within the Triad”, develop a “progressive planning program”, and improve the “natural environment”.  The growth management zoning tool also assists in implementing the Land Use Plan which designates the preferred land uses through-out the community.

As Kernersville continues to grow and thrive, there will be changes along the way to help sustain growth.  To learn more about the current development plan, visit www.toknc.com and search for the Community Development Department.