Rural by design

Milt Hays, Jr. Contributor These days, it is hard not to notice that Suwannee County is growing and changing right before our eyes. Whether it is new housing starts or new businesses coming in, many people have the uncomfortable feeling that the traditional character of our community is being threatened by all of this growth, and the statistics are daunting. The county’s building department is now looking at upwards of 300 permit applications per month (1), and new manufactured housing units seem to be popping up like mushrooms after a hard rain. As a case in point, a recently approved 150-unit RV facility near Dowling Park not only occasioned vocal opposition from the nearby communit