High-speed internet is another crucial infrastructure component. Ridley elaborates on the county’s efforts to expand broadband access. “We’ve been working with Carroll EMC and SyncGlobal to provide highspeed internet to 95% of the county,” he says. This initiative addresses a significant barrier to attracting new residents and businesses, particularly those who rely on remote work or hybrid models. “It’s as important as power in the future,” Ridley adds, emphasizing the significance of this project. Transportation infrastructure has also seen significant enhancements. “We paved 155 miles of county roads in the last five years out of the 480 total miles. Our goal is to repave every road within a 20-year cycle,” Ridley reports. Similarly, McDonald highlights the importance of rail infrastructure for industrial development. “We have an industrial site with rail siding, and having rail infrastructure will be important,” he says. “ BALANCING GROWTH WITH COMMUNITY CHARACTER As Haralson County continues to develop its commercial and industrial sectors, residential development remains a crucial aspect of its growth strategy. Ridley discusses the county’s cautious approach to residential construction. “We haven’t had a lot of building or construction going on because we’ve had a moratorium until we got our ordinances the way we wanted them,” he explains. The county is determined to avoid the pitfalls of rapid, uncontrolled growth in other areas. “We think we’ve got the ordinance just right so we can have new subdivisions, but it’s going to be under our control to keep the county’s character the same.” Affordability remains a critical issue, reflecting challenges across the U.S. and Canada. Ridley acknowledges, “Many of our new construction is people moving from the metro area out here. We want to control that growth, but we realize there’s a need for affordable housing, including starter homes.” McDonald adds that investors are already making moves to address the housing demand. “Some investors are starting to rehab a lot of our older 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 09 HARALSON COUNTY, GA
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