Here’s a crucial way today’s Rowan County Board of Commissioners differs from earlier boards: This group believes in knocking down the walls that isolate Rowan from the rest of the region. Rowan commissioners are finally saying “yes” to regional partners.

Case in point: the board’s recent agreement to join the Carolina Thread Trail. Rowan was the last of 15 counties in the region to give the trail system the nod. Dozens of municipalities, including all 10 towns in Rowan, were already on board.

Responding to the Rowan board’s reservations about eminent domain, several years ago the Carolina Thread Trail issued a position statement opposing the forced taking of anyone’s land, which the nonprofit never had the power to do, anyway. The group continued to get the cold shoulder from Rowan, nevertheless, until voters elected a group of commissioners who want to develop a more inviting and vibrant community.

Commission Chairman Greg Edds, eager to improve Rowan’s image, saw the trails as a quality of life issue, one that could help attract and retain business. “As we enter into a new economy, we know with certainty that people can choose who they want to work for and where they want to live,” Edds said.

Vice Chairman Jim Greene and Commissioner Judy Klusman voted with Edds to join the Thread Trail. Voting “no” were commissioners aligned with the old regime, Mike Caskey and Craig Pierce. They expressed concerns about eminent domain and the cost of picking up trash.

Another section of the wall around Rowan came down when commissioners voted unanimously to rejoin the Charlotte Regional Partnership. Rowan withdrew several years ago, citing disapproval of a bonus paid to the top executive. There were also questions about what Rowan got for its $41,000 membership. In the spirit of “expanding our team,” as RowanWorks Director Robert VanGeons puts it, commissioners have agreed to give the Partnership another try, and Edds plans to serve an active role as Rowan’s connection to the Charlotte group. 

Reaching out in another direction, the county now has Triad Commercial Properties looking for a developer to put a spec building on county-owned land. A new road to the Gildan plant opens access to 92 acres that could accommodate four to five industrial sites. If Triad doesn’t find a developer, the county will owe the firm nothing. If Triad does land a spec building, it will be paid by the developer, not Rowan.

These moves — joining the Thread Trail, reconnecting with the Charlotte Regional Partnership and working with Triad Commercial Properties — are symbolic at this point; results are down the road. But after years of going it alone, commissioners are making an effort to plug Rowan into the region’s prosperity. They are taking down figurative walls and building literal relationships. If commissioners succeed, Rowan County could shift from the middle of nowhere to the center of something dynamic.