Our editorial view: Lake Wylie needs quality growth

Many Lake Wylie residents were alarmed and commented on social media when they learned a large storage facility was coming to a prime location in the community near the front of the chamber of commerce building.

Perhaps it’s time for existing business owners, along with residents, to have a say about the quality of new businesses locating in our fast-growing community. In this case, residents acquainted with the developers of the storage facility have said they do high quality work. The developer presented a sketch of the planned facility the firm has built elsewhere. That sketch was indeed reassuring.

However, residents remember deep disappointment when they were assured Walmart was building a new store in Lake Wylie that would be a new design for other stores to model. It’s nothing above average. Meanwhile, our neighbors in Tega Cay mounted a campaign against Walmart’s plans to place a new store there. As a result, Walmart gave that community a top-of-the-line design.

When Publix announced it would open in Lake Wylie at Landing Station, it demolished the old grocery store structure and built from scratch a beautiful store inside and out, including parking lot upgrades.

This is a marvelous example of a Lake Wylie we like to see.

As to the arrival of new storage facilities, the market is responding to public demand for space to house overburdened garages and attics.

Let’s go forward with appropriate business and community leaders working together to assure a high quality in the booming community surrounding us. Let our county leaders know attracting business includes setting standards high.

This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 11:35 AM with the headline "Our editorial view: Lake Wylie needs quality growth."