Slow Mass Development: Protecting Our Community’s Future

Growth can be a blessing when it’s done thoughtfully. It can bring new opportunities, strengthen local economies, and expand services. Families want better schools, better jobs, and better infrastructure—and responsible development can help provide all of these things. But when growth is rushed, poorly planned, or driven purely by outside developers seeking quick profits, the consequences are long-lasting and often destructive.

The Problem with Cookie-Cutter Expansion

Right now, developers are pushing for rapid construction—five homes per acre, cookie-cutter neighborhoods, and projects that are stamped out with little regard for how they affect existing communities. This “build fast, sell quick” model threatens green spaces, increases flooding risks, and places a crushing burden on our roads, schools, and hospitals. Residents are left with overcrowded classrooms, traffic jams, and higher taxes to cover infrastructure that should have been planned years earlier. The charm and identity of our county are slowly erased when mass development takes precedence over thoughtful design.

Recent legislation in Raleigh makes this threat worse. House Bill 765 (HB 765), the Local Government Development Regulations Omnibus, would remove many powers local governments currently hold over how and where development happens. Among its changes are restrictions on local zoning authority, mandates for minimum densities, and limits on requiring sidewalks, parking standards, and design rules that reflect local character. Communities across North Carolina are speaking out: HB 765 represents a serious erosion of local control. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

Ray Daly’s Vision for Sustainable Growth

Ray Daly believes in growth that is slow, steady, and sustainable. His vision is to protect open land and natural beauty while ensuring that infrastructure is built first, not as an afterthought. Development should enhance, not overwhelm, our neighborhoods. Every new project should be examined for how it impacts existing residents—not just how it benefits developers’ pocketbooks.

He also opposes HB 765 and Senate Bill 314 (SB 314), both of which would reduce local citizens’ ability to shape the character of their communities. SB 314 aims to eliminate extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) for cities in counties with zoning, stripping cities of oversight beyond their limits and undercutting the ability to manage growth in boundary areas. Ray sees that as another form of state overreach—growth management belongs to the people and local governments. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

Building a Better Future Together

Progress should serve people, not profit. Ray Daly is committed to shaping growth that protects our future, respects our identity, and enhances our daily lives. With thoughtful leadership, we can welcome new opportunities while preserving the community we love for generations to come. That means rejecting statewide mandates (like HB 765) and laws removing local oversight (like SB 314) that threaten to oversimplify growth and ignore local values.

Vote Ray Daly for Senate to ensure development works for the community, not against it.