NCLM Volume 70, Issue 4, 2020

NCLM.ORG 19 Partnerships & Placemaking in Western Carolina Photo Credit: Ben Brown. Photo Credit: Ben Brown. The municipalities’ roles blend in as well, though some individual responsibilities do emerge. First, the towns, especially county chair Sylva, facilitates those partnerships and serves as their main hub. It is through Sylva that associations like Main Street con- tribute to the process; it’s where county- focused leaders like Breedlove and Spiro are based. And second, the towns, as the builders of infrastructure, take on a signifi- cant part in solving logistical problems. The Town of Webster serves as a prime exam- ple. Mayor Tracy Rodes discusses the Fly Fishing Trail and the tremendous amount of attention it has brought to the streams. Visitors, economic development, and town pride are all increasing. Parking availability, however, has diminished. “We have done such a good job of getting the word out, that when everyone comes, you realize you have infrastructure needs,” Rodes said. With space limited and future road construction already scheduled to restrict needed routes, there is no easy solution. Still, being in the town and understanding the community, she doesn’t just pinpoint the problem, she con- textualizes it. Then, she sends it back into the partnership apparatus where a variety of support and funding sources will begin tack- ling the problem quickly and efficiently, as they have in the past. “The need is identified and shared.” It’s an arrangement that works, and the benefits speak for themselves, Mayor Sossamon says, keeping the low points of Sylva’s history front of mind. Just a few decades ago, downtown closed at 5 p.m. Those were times defined by silos—an arrangement that, considering the envi- ronment and assets at play, don’t make much sense. Still, that was the status quo. And though she doesn’t point to a specific moment in which that situation changed, she can look back, compare, and see the clarity in their current approach. “After all,” she said, “we’re in the mountains. Visitors don’t care about town and county lines.” This article was written by the North Carolina League of Municipalities in partnership with Hometown Strong and UNC’s Homegrown Tools. For a full case study on Sylva and Jackson County’s tourism strategy, visit our Case Studies section at HereWeGrowNC.org. Themain strip of Sylva is less than four squaremiles, and yet one trip to the area only scratches the surface. The Ale Trail takes multiple visits. The fishing trail takes multiple visits. Every trip to Sylva can be different.