Even those most enthusiastic about attracting jobs and population to Orange County must feel attached to the beauties of the County as it is, the sense of spaciousness, of nature close at hand, of small and close community. The genuinely rural is nowhere as close in time to Manhattan as it is in Orange County. Truly, there is much to protect.
But even those most ardent to keep Orange County as it is by keeping population from rising must recognize that an increase in population can bring benefits. For example, there is no hospital in the whole County capable of the full panoply of medical service which science could provide. There is no opportunity for continuing education at the college graduate level that many professionals and business people need in a fast-moving age and that would help to keep talented young people at home after college. There is meager choice of jobs that suit everyone in the family within easy range of most homes. And for employers, there is a scanty pool of skills to draw on. Beyond the basic necessities, there is little choice of goods to buy, of specialized entertainment--including the arts--to enjoy.
By agreeing on a basic pattern now, Orange County can blend the best of both worlds for the future, gain the advantages of more people close at hand—the urban advantages—while keeping the values of the rural and small town.