STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
From its first days as a community where rugged pioneers loaded Nissen wagons with provisions preparing to cross the Shallow Ford as they embarked on a great adventure westward, Lewisville has embodied, in its very essence, a sense of community, a spirit of independence and a determination to guide its own future.
It was from this foundation of community spirit and involvement that residents, in 1991, took steps to incorporate the town.The goal was not to keep Lewisville from being annexed by another municipality, but rather it was so our residents could guide our future, manage our growth and preserve our unique character that was being threatened by unplanned, often irresponsible development.
In developing our Town Charter, our founding residents held three principles as the foundation for our community.
First was the unwavering belief that governing begins with our residents, not dictated to them from elected officials. That’s why today Lewisville has a number of committees and boards that are specifically created to develop and review policy recommendations for the elected Council to consider. In those instances when issues come before the Council for consideration independent of the committee/board process, the Council will generally refer them to a committee or board for review or recommendation prior to taking any action. Participation on committees and boards is open to all residents and, like during our earliest days as a community, it is volunteers who share a genuine concern for our town, who are helping to chart our community’s future. Lewisville is truly unique in this respect.
The second principle is the almost sacred commitment to retain and preserve as much of Lewisville’s small town character and charm as possible. Our community has some of the most demanding requirements for development of any community in North Carolina. We are very specific about what types of development we will allow and how we will allow that development to occur. One of the very first tasks we tackled as a community was to develop our Comprehensive Plan setting the vision for our future. Guided by community volunteers the plan serves as our blueprint for growth and is revised every five years with significant community engagement.
From this plan we have developed a number of innovative tools to manage growth including our Lewisville Downtown Overlay, Vienna Business District and our Rural Overlay. Each is crafted to allow growth yet preserve the natural character and “essence” of our community.
The third principle our founders had in mind was a limited government – one that was empowered only to manage the essential services desired by our residents. Land planning, road and facility maintenance, public safety, solid waste collection, recycling and parks & recreational activities for our citizens are among those services that our residents deem appropriate to be provided by the town. Others may be added in the future, but only after they receive a critical review and recommendation by our citizen committees and boards.
This document, “The Town of Lewisville Comprehensive Plan” embodies the principles on which our town was chartered and it serves as a guide to help those who choose to lead our community, stay on a path charted by its people. It represents the hopes of our residents, the aspirations of our community and the vision of a town as it strives to be the type of place all of us are proud to call our home.
Adopted 2010