Greenville & Mauldin Merger?

[btoy]

I do not have alot of time to outline the article, maybe later today. But in the August 15-28, 2007 issue of The Beat, Jim Hennigan, in his Wussing the Twitts column entitled "The Blob of Progress" writes about the futility of fighting infill development and how areas such as Pelham Rd. should not be the front for fighting development but an area that should be embraced for development.

Also, he goes on to tought the benefits of living with in the city and promotes annexation and a Greenville-Mauldin Merger.

What do you all think?

[linkerjpatrick]

I do not have alot of time to outline the article, maybe later today. But in the August 15-28, 2007 issue of The Beat, Jim Hennigan, in his Wussing the Twitts column entitled "The Blob of Progress" writes about the futility of fighting infill development and how areas such as Pelham Rd. should not be the front for fighting development but an area that should be embraced for development.

Also, he goes on to tought the benefits of living with in the city and promotes annexation and a Greenville-Mauldin Merger.

What do you all think?

[gs3]

What would be the benefits to Greenville of a merger with a burb?

I can't see any benefits. More sprawl to use more city services. Mauldin is mostly residential, their commercial / retail developments are small as compared to Simpsonville or the Eastside / Greer, so the increase in tax revenue for Greenville would seem to be minimal. ?????

[erm1981]

I dont really know about a Greenville/Mauldin merger. I woudlnt mind seeing the city limits of greenville going on down to where about highway 14/woodruff road intersection is at. Then back around to where the charter communications headquarters is beside 385. There is a lot of offices and nice residential in that space that the city could benefit from. If this was Charlotte it would already be in the city but its not so ill keep dreaming.

[Galley]

Mauldin wants to merge with Greenville so it would have a real downtown!

[Spartan]

It wouldn't mean much except a population boost, a density decrease, and a higher income and expenses from taxes. Of course, the plus would mean no more annexation worries. I'd have to think about that one some more.

[GSP Tiger]

Mauldin will only grow so much. Greenville will continue to outgrow everyone else. Absorbing into the larger city will allow to manage costs better, consolidate and improve services, and allow the community to thrive.

[crescentmoon]

Mauldin and Greenville are already adjacent, right?

[gs3]

Mauldin and Greenville are already adjacent, right?

[Greenville]

This is an interesting thought. Aside from the population increase for the city of Greenville what would it accomplish? I do not know much about the composition of Mauldin, but it's important to consider whether it would drain resources or allow for more efficient use of resources. Does Mauldin offer much in the way of positive tax revenues for the city, or would the services required by Mauldin mean higher costs for the city? How many people currently live in Mauldin? How many square miles is it? I imagine it having a much lower population density than Greenville, but as I said before I am not too familiar with it.

[linkerjpatrick]

I imagine it having a much lower population density than Greenville, but as I said before I am not too familiar with it.

[Greenville]

I think before we talk about a Mauldin merger we should look at stop called the area around Pelham, Haywood, E. North Street, etc. as the "eastside" as if it were another town. Call it Taylors, Greer or Greenville but not this eastsideness.

[crescentmoon]

If a boost in population is what Greenville is looking for, then Mauldin would be a good direction to focus on ... that is, IF Mauldin was indeed interested.

With a population estimated to be around 20,000, that would be quite a boost! The positive would be more than just in the numbers. Mauldin has the highest per capita income of any city in the upstate due to a make-up of working professionals and their families. While Mauldin doesn't offer much in regards to an industrial or business tax base, it does offer the opportunity for expansion since, unlike Greenville, it is adjacent to territory ripe for expansion.

Also, a large portion of Mauldin's current population already consider themselves as "Greenville." It wouldn't surprise me if an election in Mauldin didn't swing in Greenville's favor. I'm not so sure that Mauldin's current city council would be as amenable.

[linkerjpatrick]

I am confused. Could you try that one again?

[linkerjpatrick]

If a boost in population is what Greenville is looking for, then Mauldin would be a good direction to focus on ... that is, IF Mauldin was indeed interested.

With a population estimated to be around 20,000, that would be quite a boost! The positive would be more than just in the numbers. Mauldin has the highest per capita income of any city in the upstate due to a make-up of working professionals and their families. While Mauldin doesn't offer much in regards to an industrial or business tax base, it does offer the opportunity for expansion since, unlike Greenville, it is adjacent to territory ripe for expansion.

Also, a large portion of Mauldin's current population already consider themselves as "Greenville." It wouldn't surprise me if an election in Mauldin didn't swing in Greenville's favor. I'm not so sure that Mauldin's current city council would be as amenable.

[vwsam]

You never hear people proudly proclaiming their north, west or southsideness.

[linkerjpatrick]

I'm proudly living in the north side (TR).

[Chickenwing]

I live on the eastside, but I tell people that I am from Taylors.

[whitehourseview]

Ok, I changed one of the words. A typo, sorry. One of those things where my mind races ahead of my fingers. Historically the area known as the eastside has been settled by newcomers to the area as opposed to residents who have lived here longer. Quite a few people who live in the area in question will say the come from the "eastside" with an uppity sense of pride and it can be quite devisive among the other "Greenvillians". You never hear people proudly proclaiming their north, west or southsideness. It's like the Jefferson's theme song all over again.

At least places like Taylors, Berea, etc. have their own fire departments. Even though I don't live their it kind of bothers me that Taylors get so little respect and the "old town" section of Taylors has basically fallen by the wayside of Wade Hampton Blvd.

[linkerjpatrick]

Lots of that comes from people who first lived on the Eastside had moved up, or at least out of the mill villages and into regular subdivisions, which for many offered a lot more freedom in land and home types and such than a mill village. Before the mill village system ended, most of the East Side was farm land. Then once lots of baby boom kids got white collar jobs or higher paying blue collar jobs out of the textile mills, the East side became a hot property something to move towards and away from the Textile Crescent part of town.

[Spartan]

I doubt that the Eastside stigma and name will ever change. Its entrenched in Greenville just like Taylors is.

[whitehourseview]

That's fine I just wished the nebulous eastside had a more solid identity. For all practical purpose the golden strip of Mauldin, Simpsonville and Fountain Inn has the same thing going for it but I've never heard it called, "the southside".

[Greenville]

I doubt that the Eastside stigma and name will ever change. Its entrenched in Greenville just like Taylors is.

[crescentmoon]

That's fine I just wished the nebulous eastside had a more solid identity. For all practical purpose the golden strip of Mauldin, Simpsonville and Fountain Inn has the same thing going for it but I've never heard it called, "the southside".

[linkerjpatrick]

I guess the point I was trying to make was the Mauldin or any of the golden strip towns seem to be standing pretty well on their own wheras the nebulous "eastside" and Taylors (especially the "inner city" of Taylors) stands a better chance of being "Greenvilleized" as Greer is heading west. Heck some parts of Taylors and the "eastside" are being absorbed by Greer moving west.

I wasn't personally slamming the "eastside". If I was slamming it I'd say let them go instead of being more unified with Greenville proper. The only thing I don't like about the eastside is the traffic. Anything taken as a "slam" was referring to the older more native Greenvillians .

Maybe the heat is just getting to me and I miss the old days of the water slide on Wade Hampton.