LEE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Southern Base of the Research Triangle Region

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 10, 2006


BASE REALIGNMENT AND LOCAL GROWTH
TOPICS FOR C100 MEETING THIS MONTH

SANFORD -- Changes in the military will soon bring plenty of challenges -- not to mention thousands more people -- to the entire Sandhills region, and two experts will be in Sanford later this month to explain what to expect.

Col. Al Aycock, garrison commander for Fort Bragg, and Jon Parsons, executive director of Sustainable Sandhills, will give their assessments when the Committee of 100 meets on Feb. 24.

When Congress finalized the Base Realignment and Closure plan in November, the local impact was crystal clear. Thousands of new residents were headed to Fort Bragg and surrounding communities. And they were coming fairly soon.

Combine the new military families with a healthy population growth already projected for the region and you have a major change ahead for the Sandhills.

But one thing wasn't quite as clear: What impact will the large and rapid growth have on the region, including Lee County? A lot may depend on how area communities work together.

"There will be a significant impact on the entire region," says Parsons, whose organization works to foster economic development while preserving natural resources and the quality of life.

"With so many people coming, it will put a strain on our roads, water supply, landfill capacity and just about every portion of our infrastructure," he said. "Take education. All you have to do is look up the road at Wake County to see how hard it can be to provide schools for an expanding population."

Col. Aycock, a highly decorated graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, will open the program by describing what changes are in store for Fort Bragg as a result of base closings and realignments.

He will then join Parsons, a registered Professional Engineer, to describe what impact expansion at Fort Bragg will have and how surrounding areas like Lee County can plan for growth and take advantage of the economic opportunity it provides.  

All Committee of 100 meetings are open to the public; the cost, including lunch, is $10 per person for members, $15 per person for guests. For reservations or information, contact Jane Haber at the Lee County Economic Development Corp., 919-774-8439 or info@lcedc.com.

The Committee of 100 is an organization of business leaders committing time, energy and resources to enhance the economic well-being of Lee County and its citizens. Corporate and individual members assist the Lee County Economic Development Corp. by establishing venture capital projects to expand local industry, helping to promote economic growth and enhancing working relationships among government, business and the community.

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Media Contacts:
Bob Heuts, Director
Jane Haber, Administrative Assistant
919-774-8439   (phone)
919-775-5410   (fax)
info@lcedc.com (e-mail)

LCEDC Media Web:  www.lcedc.com/media/
This release:     www.lcedc.com/media/releases/nr021006.txt
BRAC Web site:    www.defenselink.mil/brac/

NOTE TO EDITORS:
About the speakers

 Col. Al Aycock
  Photo (418K JPG)
   http://www.lcedc.com/media/releases/releasephotos/ColAlAycock.jpg
  Bio (via Fort Bragg Web)
   http://www.bragg.army.mil/Garrison/sites/commander/biography.asp

 Jon Parsons
  Photo (153K JPG)
   http://www.lcedc.com/media/releases/releasephotos/JonParsons.jpg
  Bio (8K text)
   http://www.lcedc.com/media/releases/releasephotos/parsonsbio.txt