Well, perhaps we don't have to narrow it down with such extreme labels, but there has been some interesting debate over the subject over at hburgnews.com, all of which began with the issue of funding disappearing for the expansion of Port Republic Road.

Here are some of my thoughts, though I would love to hear other perspectives on the subject:

WHY GROWTH OCCURS:
Desirable area -> people want to live here -> they need a place to live -> many want to buy -> more homes are needed -> land is rezoned -> lots are developed -> houses are built.

While growth stems from a positive situation (an area being desirable), it is also true that:

• growth has some negative consequences
• growth does not have a net positive impact on all involved

But what is the alternative? To halt growth?
To do so, a locality would need to either:

• stop rezoning land, and/or
• stop issuing building permits

Taking either of these steps would (in my opinion) have some rather negative consequences:

• housing costs increase (since supply is limited), making it harder for existing residents to afford housing in their own community
• economy stays stagnant, or shrinks, as a result of higher housing prices and a locality's desire to limit growth --- employers won't move here (or stay here) if their employees (or potential employees) can't find housing they can afford --- thus, existing residents would then have fewer job opportunities without moving out of the area

Thus, I would submit that:

• Harrisonburg and Rockingham County will not continue to be desirable places to live UNLESS growth occurs.
• Said growth needs to be well-planned to preserve the character and history of this area.