In terms of economic development, new projects are sold to communities based on job creation, tax revenue and “progress.” Sometimes, however, we get unforeseen consequences. Jobs do not pay enough, not as many as promised, full-time employees, taxes are abated for years, and “progress” may just be a euphemism for profits in some counties.

Locally, the mission statement of the Pacific County Economic Development Council is to support and promote prosperity in Pacific County’s economic vitality.

Vague enough. How can you be opposed to that?

The organization’s website goes on the say it supports preserving natural resources and optimizing Pacific County’s business environment… efforts to increase community vitality, economic prosperity, environmental quality, and social fairness in Pacific County. Sounds good so far.

Charm … and discovery

When your job is to attract and retain businesses, how long can an area maintain its local charm once it is discovered by the rest of the world? Can the PCEDC advocate “managed” growth by saying “No” to developments that do not match its mission?

I met with Susan Yirku, PCEDC’s executive director about what growth and economic development can do to benefit the residents of Pacific County.

“They get better paying jobs, it increases the tax base that pays for infrastructure, and it creates a better community,” she said.

I probably need to define infrastructure in this context by offering examples: roads, railways, bridges, tunnels, water supply, sewers, electrical grids, and telecommunications (including Internet connectivity and broadband access).

There also are bright spots and opportunities, according to PCEDC. The organization is working on planning and creating networks to take advantage of regional opportunities. They are currently working with a regional university on planning necessary to prepare for projects, and access funding for when projects materialize.

All in all, Yirku is upbeat about the future, including the creation of a foundation to help public-private partnerships create projects. And visitors!

Pull Quote

Turning back to infrastructure, with development comes a host of problems for communities that do not prepare. Traffic congestion is one example but increased demand on municipal services, such as water, sewer, electricity all will be stressed by growth.

Tourism is a critical element of economic activity in the county. Since tourism is seasonal, the tourism bureau is working to attract visitors during the ‘shoulder’ seasons,” she said. (Shoulder seasons are early spring and late summer.) More on that in the next column.

The downside of economic development is daunting. We have all seen the results of clearcutting timber. It is an eyesore to visitors and, while it is an important part of the economy, should be done judiciously.

Turning back to infrastructure, with development comes a host of problems for communities that do not prepare. Traffic congestion is one example but increased demand on municipal services, such as water, sewer, electricity all will be stressed by growth. Growth in population also is a double-edged sword. New families come and pay taxes. But you have to expand or build schools for the children.

Cost of living

Then there is the issue of the cost of living in a resort-like setting.

Beach Life is expensive.

A workforce shortage is a looming problem that needs to be addressed here and nationwide. Many parents push their children to get a college education, which for many, is a sound strategy. College is not the only route to a good life, however, and Pacific County has an aging population where one-in-three people are over 65.

Housing scarcity is a national problem and it’s complex. The PCEDC is conducting a feasibility study to address low-middle income housing. Infill housing is being pursued with Long Beach and Ilwaco, according to several sources on the internet.

In addition to the feasibility of attracting projects to the area, there is the challenge of retaining the businesses that are already here. Yirku refers to them as “microbusinesses” and they comprise 85% of the county. Given that many businesses rely on tourist season to be in the black, expanding tourism would help those businesses thrive.

Another concern facing economic developers is the days and hours local businesses are open. I am not here to tell businesses to be open 12 hours every day, seven days a week. Not my point, however, it is a consideration for anyone thinking about locating here.

What do we want?

Finally, there is the question about whether people in Pacific County want more growth and development. Are people going to welcome more traffic, paying for roads to be built or expanded, or a lot of people from “out of town?” I don’t know.

My impression is that the communities are populated by relatively progressive folks, but I’ve seen communities up in arms over developments. The NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yarders) often are few, loud and get a lot of attention, regardless of what most people want.

So, there’s that.

Overall, I have to return to a phrase I used when my former community wanted to raze an historic structure to put in a parking lot. I told the city:

“Progress is when what you get is better than what you had.”

The parking lot was never built.