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A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE THRIVES ONE GASTON 2040CONTENTS TABLE OF 3 INTRODUCTION 2 A CALL TO ACTION 11 ONE GASTON CARES 22 ONE GASTON CONNECTS 29 ONE GASTON GROWS 38 ONE GASTON WORKS 47 ONE GASTON SHINES 53 ONE GASON VISION IMPLEMENTATION 56 APPENDIX: A & B 65 SPONSORS 4 ONE GASTON VISION STATEMENTThe Gaston Vision 2040 Team is delighted to present this Vision back to the community that created it. When we began, we invited people who care about Gaston County to “create an image of our community’s future” and to “describe a place where we can agree we want to journey together." We asked you where you want Gaston County to go and what you want it to be, you responded, and we listened. We hope that this Vision will be a springboard from which our community - businesses and non-profit organizations and local governments and ALL of us - working together, will create the County we aspire to be in 2040. We will need rich dialogue, critical decision-making, innovation, and resourcefulness. We will need to come together in new ways and find ways to measure our progress toward the future we all want. This Vision is a framework for collaboration - and it marks the beginning of the journey. We are grateful for the support we have received from all sectors of Gaston County. Please refer to our Supporters page in this document for acknowledgement of those who have provided funding. Additionally, we have been the beneficiaries of the time and attention of the leaders and employees of many organizations across the County who have added value to this process. Primarily, though, we are grateful to all of you who took the time to attend an engagement meeting, hear and respond to a presentation, or complete a survey. Because of what we heard from you, we can present this Vision with confidence as a call to action for the journey we want to take together. A CALL TO ACTION THE GASTON VISION 2040 TEAM WITH GRATITUDE, HOPE, AND READINESS,THE TEAM Deborah Ally, Owner and Publisher, Gaston Lifestyles Magazine Donyel Barber, Community Centered Health Director, Kintegra Health Brandon Bellamy, Founder, The Velocity Companies and Owner, Gastonia Honey Hunters Matt Blackwell, Assistant Director of Budget & Strategy, Gaston County W. Jeffrey Booker, Ph.D., Superintendent of Schools, Gaston County Schools Nancy Brogdon, Assistant Chief, City of Gastonia Police Department Stephen Crane, Executive Director/CEO, Our Neighbors, Inc David Day, Main Street and Economic Development Director, City of Cherryville Kim Eagle, Ph.D., County Manager, Gaston County David Fogarty, Gaston County Extension Director, NC State Cooperative Extension Dr. Rodney B. Freeman, Pastor, Mt. Zion Restoration Church Juan G. Garcia, Senior Transportation Planner and Data Analyst, Gaston County Thomas Gillespie, M.Div., Moderator, Gaston County Missionary Baptist Association Vincent Ginski, Vice President of Talent & Strategic Initiatives, Gaston Business Association Ray Hardee, Founding Lead Pastor and Cultural Architect, The Pointe Church Carl A. Harris, Sr., Owner, CAHarris, Inc. Kelvin C. Harris, MD, Founder, CaroMont Women’s Health – Summit Leslie Lee, Executive Director, Gaston Together Steven Long, President/Owner, GSM Services Pat Mumford, President & Chief Executive Officer, Gaston Business Association Del Murphy, Vice President Strategy & Business Development, CaroMont Health Sharon Padgett, Chief Executive Director, Gaston County Family YMCA Gina Shell, Special Projects Manager, Gaston County Ernest Sumner, II, General Manager, A.B. Carter, Inc. Natalie Tindol, President, Tindol Ford Lincoln Mercury Subaru Dr. Valerie Holmes Waddell David Williams, Community Affairs & Development Administrator, Gaston County Diana Willman, Latin-x Outreach Coordinator, Gaston County Health Department 03Why create a vision now? Gaston County is part of a powerhouse economic region, and people are attracted to the County’s quality of life, small-town character, and natural beauty. Our population is growing, our diversity is increasing, economic development is affecting our housing trends and changing our local character, and issues of equity and inclusion are natural outgrowths of change. As we emerge from the pandemic, it is critical that we can answer the question, “What is our place in the Charlotte region?” The hopes and intentions of the county’s residents for 2040 can be summed up by this Vision Statement: One Gaston: A place where everyone thrives. This simple statement packs a lot of meaning. “One Gaston” means that the County will work together as a community, and that divisions that exist across different geographies, different races and ethnicities, and different neighborhoods will be less important than the commonalities when it comes to the wellbeing of the community. It means that the community will find ways to collaborate and coordinate efforts so that there is less risk of any part of the community being left behind or having fewer opportunities than others. “A place where everyone thrives” means every person will have the ability to meet their needs and enjoy healthy lives. Everyone will have access to services and resources. Not only individuals, but also businesses, neighborhoods, organizations, and local governments will be energized by their vibrant community. 04 ONE GASTON 2040 One Gaston 2040 Vision 05 There are a set of traits or characteristics that Gaston County residents aspire to see in the county from now to 2040. These traits provide more context and clarity to the vision. They are: Sense of Belonging People will feel welcomed and valued in Gaston County, long-term residents, newcomers, commuters, and visitors alike. Collaborative Spirit Collaboration will be a byword for success in Gaston County, as people and organizations join forces to address community challenges and leverage the benefits of growth. Unique Locales Gaston County has it all: mountains, lakes, trails, parks, farmland, charming downtown districts. These locales will continue to lend character and vibrance to the County. Quality Growth Robust economic growth will be a part of Gaston County’s future, bringing investment, jobs, and opportunity, without destroying the things that residents value. Inclusive Opportunity No one will feel excluded from or overlooked by the community. Everyone will see people who look like them in positions of leadership in the community. DEFINING TRAITSRobust, inclusive, multi-channel community engagement. Across 70 virtual, in-person, and on-line survey opportunities, over 1700 people have made their views known. An invitation to discuss difficult topics. Discussions were open and candid. Acknowledging our differences and seeking areas of consensus toward common goals. Though differences arise as a result of our geography, population diversity, time of life, and personal interests, the defining qualities we seek for our community can be the same. “Baking in” an implementation plan that brings stakeholders together. After calling the community together to create this shared vision, we will not let it sit on the shelf. Instead, we will move directly into implementation, call on our organizations and residents to set specific goals, and collaborate to make progress toward the vision. A way to measure progress. An online data dashboard will be created and maintained, a resource for residents, visitors, prospective businesses, and researchers who are looking for detailed information about Gaston County. Powered by public/private collaboration and support. Every local government in the county committed resources to the effort. Twenty-two individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations provided monetary contributions. Going forward, implementation of the Vision will also be a public/private endeavor. One Gaston 2040 was an ambitious process designed to identify a Vision for what Gaston County, a fast-growing community in the Charlotte region, can achieve between now and 2040. The process began in Spring 2022 with a goal of engaging county residents, businesses, and organizations in dialogue about their desires for the future of Gaston County and to use the results of that discussion, along with an examination of data and trends, to create a vision for what Gaston County can achieve between today and 2040. The visioning process was informed by a set of guiding principles that influenced how the process was conducted and structured how the vision framework was developed. These principles were: Dozens of existing reports, plans, and strategies were reviewed and high-level quantitative research was conducted comparing Gaston County trends to those in North Carolina, the United States, and peer communities including Spartanburg County, SC; Sumner County, TN; and Union County, NC. The list of referenced materials for the One Gaston 2040 process is contained in Appendix A of this report. 06 The Process of Creating the Vision 07 Over 1,700 Gaston County stakeholders contributed their ideas and perspectives to the One Gaston 2040 process. The principal takeaways from all these interactions, coupled with findings from a high-level quantitative analysis of Gaston County trends compared to peer counties, North Carolina, and the U.S., led to a set of key themes summarizing Gaston County’s strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities. Summarized below, these research themes and their underlying components formed the basis of the One Gaston 2040 Vision. Proximity to Charlotte and Charlotte Douglas International Airport Natural environments and amenities Historic downtowns and unique destinations Community spirit and pride Confidence in public schools and higher education institutions Production employment and strong skills base Historical divides between different parts of the county (urban/suburban/rural/etc.) Evolving relations among racial and ethnic groups Lower levels of educational attainment Pockets of poverty, crime, and disinvestment Gaston County has a competitive array of core assets and amenities that position it for future growth, including: Persistent legacy challenges must still be overcome. They include: WHAT DID THE COMMUNITY TELL US?Next >