Businessmen, farmers, environmentalists and officials throughout the county have been invited to the May 8 forum at Catawba College.

The newly formed Rowan Sustainable Community Development Commission will host the event.

Michael Gallis and Bill McCoy, both of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, will discuss growth and the interstate.

Gallis will take an in-depth look at the interstate in terms of character and form of development, natural heritage and aesthetics.

McCoy will lead a general discussion of the entire group, which will then divide into groups of 10 people each that will focus on the four topics outlined by Gallis.

The forum comes as county officials look closely at rezoning portions of the I-85 corridor north and south of Salisbury to set aside land for industrial development.

In February, McCoy made a presentation to the county commissioners during their retreat at the Pinehurst Resort and Country Club.

McCoy said Rowan has an over-abundance of interstate exchanges, many with undesirable facilities which will hurt future development.

McCoy suggested the county might buy and clear some properties, develop special zoning for interchanges and take other steps to develop the corridor’s potential.

Commissioners and other county officials have said repeatedly the county must increase its tax base to prevent higher tax rates.

At a forum last week, Chairman Newton Cohen said the new $200 million Carolina Power and Light facility under construction near Cleveland will generate enough taxes to send 1,400 children to school.

In contrast, he said, taxes on a new $200,000 home will pay the cost of sending one child to school.

More than two months ago county commissioners put a moratorium on new residential subdivisions in the I-85 North corridor, fearing that apartments and subdivisions would quickly eat up the potential industrial land.

With the town of Spencer, the county is putting in water and sewer lines and constructing a water tank to serve the Aldi Distribution Center now under construction on the east side of I-85.

Spencer Mayor Buddy Gettys told county officials that several developers were looking at residential developments and called on the county to allow Spencer to extend its zoning authority or take action to prevent residential growth.

For several months, county planners have been looking at similar industrial zones along the I-85-U.S. 29 corridor from Salisbury south to N.C. 152.

To allow time for the extensive process, commissioners changed the commercial-industrial-business (CBI) district, removing residential subdivisions as a permitted use.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. on May 8 in the Crystal Lounge in the Robertson College-Community Building at Catawba College.

Dr. John Wear Jr, who heads the environmentalist science program at Catawba, and Bill Wagoner, who heads Wagoner Construction of Salisbury, lead the 16-member commission hosting the event.