Smart Growth, Strong Future: A Vision for Pelham

We’ve come a long way as a city, but we’re not done yet. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, but I’m even more excited about where we’re going. As a City Council member, my job isn’t just to vote on the next agenda item. It’s to make sure every decision moves us closer to the kind of community we all want to live in. That’s why I fully support the new Vision, Mission, and Values adopted by the Council and why I believe smart, intentional growth is key to making that vision a reality.

Pelham’s Vision is clear: to be a welcoming and thriving community that embraces innovation, fosters opportunity, and delivers excellence in every aspect of city life. To get there, we have to grow with purpose… not just add rooftops and retail, but do it in a way that builds long-term value for our residents, businesses, and quality of life.

That means:

• Supporting projects that bring the right mix of housing, jobs, and commercial development

• Making strategic investments in infrastructure, roads, parks, and public safety

• Keeping our city attractive to families, entrepreneurs, and future employers

  

Our Mission calls us to serve with integrity, engage our community, and promote sustainability and quality of life. Smart growth helps us deliver on that promise by balancing economic development with thoughtful planning, preserving what makes Pelham special while preparing for what’s next.

I’ve backed these values with action…by voting to fund tools like Placer.ai to make data-driven growth decisions, by supporting incentives that bring in good jobs, and by pushing for strong partnerships with developers who respect our community. We’ve started laying the foundation with projects like the Tower Homes mixed-use development, the ReAmp master plan, and zoning updates that align with where we want to be ten, twenty, even thirty years from now.

We can’t afford to grow in the wrong direction or let opportunity pass us by. My goal is to make sure Pelham grows on purpose, with leadership that listens, plans, and follows through.

We’ve got a clear vision. We’ve got momentum. Let’s keep building on it together.

--Michael Harris