WTVM.com and WTVM News Leader 9, Columbus, GA | "Vision 13" Helps Rural Counties Prepare For Growth

"Vision 13" Helps Rural Counties Prepare For Growth

Preparing to welcome more than 10,000 new people into the area is no easy task. "Vision 13" is a new project aimed at helping rural east Alabama counties deal with the future growth. Many families are moving here thanks to the Kia plant in West Point, the City of Atlanta and the BRAC expansion.

Some counties in Alabama, such as Chambers and Randolph, have held a low population since the mid-20th Century.

"A lot of rural places have been struggling over the last 50 years as we left small farming and our children went off to college and didn't come back," said Larry Lee, Vision 13 project director.

But growth in west Georgia could push more people back into the area.

"People in Smiths Station used to have a lot more peace and quiet than they've got now, but change is inevitable in a lot of places. It's how we manage that change," Lee said.

That's where Vision 13 comes in.  It became a reality thanks to a $19,700 grant from Auburn University's Rural Initiative.

"We administered a program where we selected 48 different projects from all over the state. We gave priorities to those that dealt with leadership development and workforce development," said Dr. Joe Sumners, director of AU's Economic and Community Development Institute.

Many community and local leaders in Alabama's 13th Senate district will be trained on how to prepare for a possible revitalization. The project will help blend life-long residents with new families and industry.

"A lot of times there's different opinions and different viewpoints. Balancing those against the folks who have been there for a long time and the newcomers becomes kind of a delicate act," Lee said.

Lee said the plan is to paint a picture for rural east Alabama counties. He wants to show residents how smaller communities can flourish when change occurs. The year-long Vision 13 project kicked off Thursday night at Southern Union State Community College in Wadley.