By Bob Bouyea

Economic development can be both a blessing and a curse, especially with unbridled growth.

As we’ve read over the last three issues, the tri-county area has been blessed with economic development that is spurring Lowcountry growth. However, we are feeling the effects, both positive and negative, of this growth.

On the positive side, growth brings jobs, and with jobs comes spending power as people buy homes, cars, clothing—you name it. Growth also increases our property values, which as homeowners puts more equity in our homes. It also increases the tax base in order for governmental bodies to provide adequate services to their citizens.

We, however, are negatively affected by growth with congestion. It takes longer to go the same distance because of increased traffic. Malls and restaurants are more crowded, making dining and shopping less pleasurable. Growth also increases property values (yes, this is also a positive), but that makes it more difficult for people to afford the American dream. Property taxes rise, to pay for increased services such as police and fire. And some municipalities are increasing sales taxes to pay for improvements to roads, water and sewer lines.

So what’s the answer? Some of the counties have decided to put restrictions on builders allowing fewer homes per acre. Dorchester County is proposing one house per eight acres along the Ashley River/Highway 61 corridor.

These types of limitations are too restrictive, say developers. Al Parish, director of the Center for Economic Forecasting at Charles­ton Southern University, says the answer isn’t in restricting the number of homes per acre but in allowing more density to help eliminate sprawl. And many local municipalities are encouraging infill, where infrastructure services are already provided.

However, there are still people who desire to own a little piece of land, even if it is a quarter or a third of an acre—the typical lot size. They don’t want zero-lot lines. So regardless of efforts to infill and allow higher density, there will still be sprawl.

Maybe the answer lies in a combination of ideas. Allow for higher density, as Parish explains, but also plan for future growth by providing water, sewer and roads to handle the projected growth. Trying to catch up after growth has already happened never works: you always will be behind the need.

Tsunami. This is a story of Silicon Valley meets the Lowcountry.

It’s been nearly three months since the tsunami, triggered by magnitude 9 earthquake, hit Southeast Asia and India wiping complete villages off the map and killing more than 183,000 people. And while media attention has waned, dropping coverage of the disaster from the front pages, the need hasn’t disappeared.

The good news is that the people have recognized that and fundraisers continue to raise thousands of dollars for the relief efforts going on through national organizations and local ones including Water Missions International.

Recently WMI received a $50,000 donation from Sun Microsystems Inc., located in Menlo Park, Calif. This donation, the largest corporate gift WMI has received, will help WMI provide five “living water treatment systems.” These systems will purify enough water for 25,000 people each day. To date, WMI has sent 66 water treatment systems to South Asia, supplying 660,000 gallons of drinking water per day. WMI’s goal is 100 units.

Karen Rohde, Sun’s vice president of human resources, says the desire to give was based on reports the company received from its employees in the area and who have traveled to that area. “The greatest needs are water and sanitation.”

Hearing this, the company’s software division came up with the fund-raising idea of holding an auction where employees would bid on items and services, such as having an executive wash your car (a very popular item). But before they let the bidding begin, they needed a tangible goal.

“We believed that if we had a tangible item we could generate more interest,” Rohde says. So the company embarked on finding a reputable organization in which to donate. While extensively researching organizations involved in the relief effort, they came across WMI, which is providing one of the basic needs recognized by Sun.

It would be short-sighted to not mention all the other donations coming in to WMI locally. The South Carolina Federal Credit Union is matching donations to WMI up to $10,000. Donations are being accepted through the end of the month.

Last month, several Charleston restaurants donated 10% of one evening’s sales to WMI. Basil restaurant and Chai’s Lounge and Tapas each raised $10,000, and $11,000 was raised during the Bowen’s Island Benefit for Tsunami Relief.

Lelani Rowland of WMI says she hopes the efforts by these groups and Sun will encourage others to give. “There is less focus on the tsunami now, but there still is a global water crisis,” she says, adding that every eight days the number of people who die from the lack of water equals the number of people killed in the tsunami.

WMI is holding an exhibit at the City Gallery in Charleston through the end of the month to inform people of this global need. See you there.

Bob Bouyea is executive editor of the Business Journal. E-mail him at bbouyea@crbj.com.

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