Growing up

Mayor Mike Rogers:

Mayor Mike Horn:

BY JIM BUICE

For the Clemmons Courier

What makes a community special?

Here’s what Mayor Mike Rogers of Clemmons has to say: “Great schools, a farmers market featuring local vendors, good roads, safe neighborhoods. These are just a few of my favorite things about the Village of Clemmons.”

Of course, there’s much more.

“Clemmons is particularly pro-business, spurring an incredible amount of development recently, including a large redevelopment project, a new connector street, dining and shopping venues, start-up businesses, as well as residential developments,” Rogers added. “Yet, we retain that small-

See Clemmons, page 6

BY JIM BUICE

For

the Clemmons Courier

For Lewisville, it’s all about that small-town feel and everything that goes along with it.

Just look at Mayor Mike Horn’s take: “By working to preserve the characteristics of a small town, our residents have a sense of community where they know their neighbors, participate in our many activities that bring people together and share a pride in where they live.”

It all goes back to when the town was incorporated in 1991.

“From our first community comprehensive plan, our residents established a shared vision and direction for the town,” said Horn, the longtime mayor who moved to Lewisville that year and was elected to his first term as

See Lewisville, page 7

Clemmons from page 5 town feeling that residents crave, creating that sense of Southern charm with modern amenities.

“Clemmons has a hospital, a YMCA, a chamber of commerce, a newspaper and a wide array of long-established churches and religious institutions. The Clemmons Library is one of the busiest branches of the Forsyth County Library system, as well as the newest library offering community gathering places and activities for all ages. Our elite fire department and dedicated community policing help keep us safe. We enjoy this quality of life while having one of the lowest tax rates of all the towns in our region. Our village council and staff is meticulous when allocating and spending taxpayer dollars.”

Certainly, Clemmons has become a coveted destination for those looking for the right place to live since it was incorporated in 1986. The village’s census population was 9,213 in 1990, 15,825 in 2000, 18,627 in 2010 and 21,217 at the 2020 census. Current projections have that number continuing to climb going forward.

Mary Cameron, who has served a total of 27 years on the council, remembers what it was like when she came to Clemmons a couple of years before it became an official town — saying her family liked the location and the feel of the community.

“When I first moved here, you could buy groceries, go to the drug store, eat at one of the two restaurants and that was about it,” said Cameron, who stated she was responding as a resident and not as a council member. “This was, and still is, a great place to live. We enjoy one of the lowest tax rates in the state, are provided with the highest quality services and reside in a prosperous community that has no debt. What’s not to like? Of course, people want to move here.”

Village Manager Mike Gunnell added that although there are a number reasons why Clemmons is a noteworthy place to call home, the common factor is truly the people.

“It is the residents and business own- ers that make a community special,” he said. “They take pride in living and owning businesses here — that makes everyone invested in what is the absolute best for the Village of Clemmons.”

Naturally, there’s always the question of how much growth is too much.

“I wish there was an easy answer,” said Gunnell, who also has served the village as public works director, village engineer, stormwater engineer and assistant manager before taking over as manager early last year. “I think first we need to look at reasons why there is growth in Clemmons. Location is attractive to new businesses that prefer a smaller city atmosphere where employees can live in a less stressful environment.

“Clemmons welcomes smart growth and also looks to appeal to all generations. Older residents with ties to a community tend to stay put, but it takes growth of good schools, retail and services as well as adequate housing to attract younger families. We need to maintain a high quality of living for all generations.”

That includes having people being able to live where they work and have the necessary support such as child care, schools, youth sports and medical care available.

“We’re doing everything we can to keep traffic flowing since we understand I-40, U.S. 158 and Lewisville-Clemmons Road bisect our town,” Gunnell said. “The upcoming sidewalk projects along Harper Road will help increase pedes- trian availability and make it possible to connect the YMCA to Tanglewood via sidewalk.”

Gunnell is hopeful that the NCDOT project involving safety and traffic flow improvements along the busy Lewisville-Clemmons Road corridor will help.

“NCDOT has been studying this for many years — and they have had many of their experts spending countless hours studying the traffic patterns and road design,” he said. “It is important that support is provided to NCDOT to make this project a success and trust the experts in making our roadways as safe and efficient as possible.”

Most agree that traffic that is the biggest concern in Clemmons.

“According to many residents, it is traffic,” Cameron said. “I grew up and lived in New Jersey until I was out of college, so I know what traffic really looks like and am probably the wrong person to answer that. Here I will speak as only one member of the Clemmons Village Council. There is a fine line between allowing property owners to build on their property and putting controls on the use of that property based on the amount of traffic it will produce, but it must and is being done.

“Probably the best example of disbursing traffic is found in Village Point. Instead of businesses being lined up along one road, such as Lewisville-Clemmons Road, businesses and multifamily units are spread out in one location drawing traffic off the main road with multiple entrances and exits allowing shoppers and apartment dwellers to access the area from different locations. In that same area, they can access the hospital, the lake and Morgan Elementary school.”

As for how much growth and development is too much, Cameron said, “That is not for me to determine. When people feel that Clemmons is too crowded, they will stop moving here.”

When asked what was the biggest problem facing Clemmons, Gunnell said that the answer to this question could change every day but the most consistent answer is actually a good problem to have: “Clemmons is attractive. People want to continue living here, new residents want to move here, current businesses are happy here, and new businesses want a place in Clemmons. Why is Clemmons so attractive? We have a governing body that works tirelessly to balance smart growth, tax rate and amenities. We have a staff that is second to none in filling the needs and wants of the community, which leads to another problem we are facing along with many of our counterparts. Recruiting new employees to fill vacancies is a challenge. We have taken some steps to make our benefits more appealing to employees such as adding vacation time, flexible hours in many of our positions, as well as on-the-job training.”

Rogers points to another area that makes Clemmons desirable.

“On any given weekend, you will find a long list of family-friendly events ranging from live music, triathlons, outdoor movies, or simply enjoying a leisurely walk around Village Point Greenway or fishing the Village Point Lake.” he said. “Residents and surrounding neighbors also attend many of our annual events, including a holiday tree-lighting ceremony, a Monster Dash and Goblin Hop around the greenway for kids dressed in costumes to interact with local businesses and organizations, and our annual Harvest Fest. This is just a small sample of such events.”

Rogers concluded with this: “Clemmons is a community that is small enough to know your neighbors, but large enough to find what you need in the village.”

Lewisville

from page 5 a council member two years later. “Everything we have done, every investment we have made in our community, has been consistent and intentional to realize that vision.”

That includes a pedestrian-friendly environment in the downtown area, including establishing Shallowford Square, with sidewalks and street lights, and the eventual expansion of parks and meeting places along with events and activities to connect the community.

Over the years, Lewisville has grown at a steady pace. The town’s census population was 8,826 in 2000, 12,639 in 2010 and 13,381 in 2020. And the rooftops are continuing to be added.

Ken Sadler, who was part of the charter council and has served multiple terms on the board, agreed with Horn that everything has gone according to plan.

“The evolution of the town has been much in line with what we had wanted to occur,” Sadler said. “That was part of why we wanted to have a planning process in place so that we could at least control what we could control. I think the focus of having citizen involvement in all of our committees has been instrumental in helping us move the town in the direction that the citizens want it to move.”

Sadler said that Lewisville’s effort to form its own government included a mindful eye to the larger neighbors to the south and east — and warding off any possibilities of annexation.

“We wanted to control our own destiny, and the best way to do that as a community was to be in control,” he said. “If we were part of Clemmons or part of Winston-Salem, our ability to do that would have been lost.

“My position has always been that you have to balance growth against the rights of people who own property, and that’s what we’ve tried to do — looking at ways to get beneficial results for both those who want to develop and also the citizens of the town.”

Planner Stacy Tolbert, who added the title of assistant town manager last year, said she relies on the past and current comprehensive plans that have been adopted to help keep things on the right track.

“Over the years, Lewisville’s planning boards and town councils have been very supportive of keeping our comprehensive plans updated,” she said. “These plans are important because they create a vision of our residents’ wants and needs in order to be proactive and guide growth, and I encourage residents to attend public involvement meetings. Historically, the plans show a similar vision for Lewisville’s future — maintain the town’s character, focus small businesses and higher densities in the downtown area, preserve the rural and vulnerable areas of town, help Lewisville become more walkable, etc.”

Tolbert said that the most pressing issue facing the town, from a planning perspective, is development and change overall.

“I say this because Lewisville is such a special place and many people want to live here,” she said. “Lewisville is growing, and we have to be able to balance that growth to meet the needs of all residents from young families to seniors. While we grow and new opportunities arise, it is so important to protect our greatest assets including the character, scenic views and our physical environment to name a few.”

Horn pointed to several items worth noting regarding challenges facing the town.

• Managing our growth consistent with our comprehensive plan.

• Putting in place the infrastructure to handle our growing population.

• Retaining our experienced and dedicated town staff.

• Seeking out the next generation of residents to become involved in the leadership of our community.

• Managing our budget to continue to provide our residents with the services they expect.

“Over the years Lewisville, which was once predominately a rural agricultural community, has today become more urban,” Horn said. “The wants and needs of our residents have also evolved. However, I think the roots of a community are somewhat different than its visual appearance. I think our roots are the values we share. How we treat one another. How we connect as a community. How we embrace our history and share a pride of place.

“I don’t think people move to Lewisville because they perceive the community as rural but rather how we have attempted to preserve our small-town character and values that make us the most desirable place in our county in which to live and raise a family.”

James Ayers, the still relatively new town manager, can offer a unique perspective as someone who was looking at Lewisville last year as a job opportunity but also a place to live.

“Before I started as town manager, I visited Lewisville multiple times, and each time I was struck by how friendly and welcoming the residents were to me,” Ayers said. “It was great to see how the community came together in different ways such as attending concerts, planting flowers and picking up litter, or simply gathering for coffee.

“I also observed the investment in community assets ranging from Shallowford Square to Jack Warren Park to the Mary Alice Warren Community Center, plus the town has excellent schools, library, shops, restaurants and more. From the outside looking in, Lewisville appeared to be the perfect hometown, so I became a resident as soon as a suitable place became available.”

Ayers realizes many others also desire to live in Lewisville, and he realizes the importance of growing in a measured way while embracing the many pastoral views and protecting the natural environment and rural heritage.

“Lewisville may have incorporated as a municipality just a few decades ago, but its rich history and culture go back hundreds of years, and it is worth preserving for future generations,” Ayers said. “The growth rate in Lewisville is lower than surrounding cities, and this intentionally measured pace should allow us to achieve balance between growth and preservation while allowing municipal services to keep up with community needs.”

“I can see connections in the literal sense as the town continues to build sidewalks and pathways throughout the community, plus there are the human connections as we present special events like concerts and movie nights that bring neighbors together. If we do our job right, Lewisville will continue to be that friendly and welcoming hometown that is the preferred destination for current and future residents alike.”