Last year, a group of concerned citizens and Kinston leaders brainstormed ideas to get the city going again.
They are now one step closer to their goals through the Lenoir 2020 Project efforts, discussing ideas that are coming to fruition.
During its first meeting of 2013, representatives from Lenoir County agencies stepped forth with input to encourage transforming Kinston into a true work-play-live city — which is essentially a driver of the group’s mission to boost Kinston’s economic growth.
“It’s a group of community leaders that have agreed to put the sweat equity into whatever’s needed to move these projects forward,” said Laura Lee Sylvester,executive director of the Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce, of the 2020 effort.
Topics identified during last year’s Lenoir 2020 meeting as important for the growth of the community were highlighted during the meeting, including the Pride of Kinston’s billboard initiative and the Board of Education’s efforts to exposure middle school children to careers in Lenoir County.
In addition to existing efforts, new ideas were brought to the table from varying Lenoir County agencies.
Kinston can expect to see a mobile learning lab and teachers touring manufacturers in the education arena; a police athletic sports league that children can participate in; an easy-access health portal; and even a strategic design to choose whether trees or bushes would make a visually friendlier downtown.
“People won’t notice if you do a good job,” said Tony Sears, city manager, who discussed a unified development ordinance. “There has to be harmony.”
Dan Sale of Sale Auto Mall said signage, cleanliness, shops and sales will drive people to the area.
“(Kinston) needs to be a friendly atmosphere, like Walt Disneyland,” he said.
The focus areas of education, housing and amenities, public safety, human relations and health care are broken up into subcommittees to help realize Lenoir 2020’s goal.
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.
