New Bern, NC's Taberna community and golf course -- 18th hole above -- are well established. Development of the nearby Carolina Colours golf community has slowed considerably with the economy, alienating some local citizens.
I have been watching a small brouhaha evolve on a discussion forum dedicated to New Bern, a growing town at the mid coast area of North Carolina. New Bern is home to two golf communities, Taberna and the newer Carolina Colours.
Taberna, which I visited a few years ago and liked, features an interesting and challenging golf course and nicely landscaped properties. Although houses in Taberna were a little too close to each other for my tastes and the property seemed devoid of trees, its residents love the place. Carolina Colours, a few miles away, opened its 2,700 acres in 2007, just in time for the economy to hit the skids. Sales of lots and construction of homes, not surprisingly, hit the brakes. The golf course has not opened yet.
Although everyone locally seems to think Carolina Colours was a well-designed community, there are complaints about the costs of its infrastructure including utilities. As happens in other communities that encourage development, the city signed up to foot those up-front costs, with the idea that Carolina Colours' new residents would take over the costs. But now, with many lots remaining unsold, those costs are not being reimbursed.
"The electric company (City of New Bern) is not getting projected revenue," wrote one local citizen at the web site City-Data.com, "so the rest of us took a rate hike or two, to pay for the infrastructure."
"It is a very sore point," he added, among some people locally.
You can follow the discussion by clicking here.