First of all, let me say that I fully understand and am sympathetic to the arguments opponents of the liquor referendum will employ. Many of them are based on closely-held personal beliefs or personal experiences, and I in no way want to diminish or marginalize those beliefs or experiences. Those who have suffered through or seen loved ones suffer through alcoholism or who have seen the carnage wrought by a drunken driver deserve to have their views heard and considered.
However, as Anson County competes with other counties in the region for its place in the economy, it becomes increasingly clear that the lack of county-wide liquor sales is holding us back economically, and in ways which may not be readily apparent to the average citizen. As we build up to the opening of the Monroe Expressway later this year or early in 2019, AnsonEDP has been fielding a number of inquiries about property in what is becoming known as the Peachland-Marshville Corridor. These inquiries are coming from well-known chain restaurants, retail stores and hotels. A common thread of our discussions with these corporations has been alcohol sales. Major hotel chains will not locate without a chain casual-service restaurant (think Chili's, Applebee's or O'Charley's) within close proximity, and those restaurant chains will not locate where they cannot serve alcohol. Under the current alcohol restrictions, these businesses will choose the Marshville side of the line -- where liquor sales were recently approved by the electorate -- costing Anson County millions of dollars in capital investment and tens of thousands of dollars in property and sales taxes.
The Monroe Expressway is Anson County's opportunity to finally achieve parity with other counties in the Charlotte region. Until now, the major impediment to economic prosperity for the county has been proximity. We were simply too far, in terms of drive-time, from Uptown Charlotte and the Charlotte-Douglas Airport to support the kind of exurban development that places like Denver, Mooresville, Midland-Locust and Rock Hill have enjoyed. None of those places are inherently "better" than Anson County, they are simply easier to get to. Once the Expressway opens, the drive from Peachland to Uptown Charlotte will be very similar to the drive from Denver or Mooresville. That's not to say we want to be Denver or Mooresville. We want to be Anson County, with our own unique cultural touchstones and heritage. I had the opportunity to attend the Peachland Christmas celebration last December and that sort of community event is not something we ever want to lose; it's not about "selling out," it's about attracting people and businesses who want to be part of our communities. The vast majority of those people, though, are going to want to have a cold beer every now and then.
The best analogy I can offer is the Town of Troutman. For those not familiar with it, Troutman is a community of about 2,000 located just north of Mooresville on I-77. It was part of the Stateville Region where I worked from 2007 to 2016. Based on its location, Troutman was primed for growth and development, but, like Anson County, did not allow liquor by the drink within the town limits. In 2009, the Chamber, along with Statesville Regional Development, promoted a referendum which ultimately passed. Within a year, two new restaurants, Pellegrino's and The Sports Pub, opened on Main Street, and a year later Daveste Winery opened just south of town.
Wineries are, of themselves, an interesting discussion. There is a statewide agri-tourism exception which allows them to operate in areas where alcohol sales are not permitted. However, the services they can offer under this exception are quite limited. Anson is currently one of only a handful of North Carolina counties which does not have a working winery. That is likely to change over the next few months and it would be fantastic if we could welcome our new winery with less restrictive laws regarding how they can operate their business and achieve success.
To put it bluntly, the liquor referendum in November is really a referendum on what we want the future of Anson County to look like. We can achieve economic parity with the places we look to as successful in the global economy, or we can can continue down the path of stagnation and accept the declining population, lack of opportunity and tax "death spiral" that go with it.
Wineries are, of themselves, an interesting discussion. There is a statewide agri-tourism exception which allows them to operate in areas where alcohol sales are not permitted. However, the services they can offer under this exception are quite limited. Anson is currently one of only a handful of North Carolina counties which does not have a working winery. That is likely to change over the next few months and it would be fantastic if we could welcome our new winery with less restrictive laws regarding how they can operate their business and achieve success.
To put it bluntly, the liquor referendum in November is really a referendum on what we want the future of Anson County to look like. We can achieve economic parity with the places we look to as successful in the global economy, or we can can continue down the path of stagnation and accept the declining population, lack of opportunity and tax "death spiral" that go with it.
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