news-record.com

Finding a silver lining in a recession isn't easy, but the economic slowdown could provide extra time for planning how best to use land in the vicinity of the almost-completed FedEx regional hub at Piedmont Triad International Airport.

A report prepared for the Piedmont Triad Partnership is the latest voice offering suggestions for a broad-based plan that would avoid haphazard development and could bring thousands of new jobs here.

It recommends first hiring an executive to coordinate government efforts encouraging industrial rather than residential growth in the prime area hugging the Guilford-Forsyth line.

That could be a challenge. Although local government agencies accustomed to guarding their turf finally are cooperating, a few rough spots linger.

But the stakes are too high for selfishness to win out. The report correctly notes that willy-nilly growth will hamper the area's limitless potential.

It would be unthinkable to fritter away this once-in-a-century opportunity to maximize the Triad's air and land transportation assets.

Yet to succeed, diverse elements must converge in a seldom-seen spirit of cooperation. PTIA officials, for example, are reviewing the airport's land-use master plan. GTCC also is moving ahead with plans for a campus near the airport, including an aviation school. And despite setbacks, the Heart of the Triad organization is trying to get onto the same page as government planners and airport-area residents who fear being left out.

Balancing effective regulation with fair property rights could prove to be an elusive goal. However, it can be achieved with strong leadership, as the Partnership report suggests.

While an economic slowdown may buy time, moving forward is important because, once land is misused, there's no turning back. A bad precedent could cost thousands of future jobs.