Sitting in a painstakingly boring science class at Lee-Scott Academy in 2014, Stone Ray scrolled through his feed on Facebook until he came across an article about what is now known as Evolve, the six-story apartment complex under construction downtown.
The interested future-planner thought to himself, "Woah, that's awesome."
He said he couldn't believe Auburn had been considered for the project.
At the young age of 17, Stone Ray, junior in architecture, knew he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, entering the world of city and urban planning.
"I've been around the constant theme of growth my whole life," Ray said.
Ray has made somewhat of a name for himself over the last two years, attending and standing to speak at most city planning commission meetings. He's fostered an "obsession" that has led him to meetings with city officials, developers and real estate workers.
City Councilperson Lynda Tremaine met Ray when he was finishing his senior year of high school. Tremaine said Ray has been deligent in attending Ward 5 meetings and went as far to say he was the most active ward 5 resident.
"I have enjoyed getting to know [Ray] and listening to his ideas," Tremaine said. "He's got some very good points and he's got my attention."
Tremaine said he brings the college mind to the table in discussions and though they might not always agree, she respect his opinion.
Ray isn't sure if his professors know what he does with his free time, and he said it doesn't matter if they did. It's less about his major and more about caring in general, Ray said.
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Stone Ray sketches on a map of the city on July 6, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.
“I try not to publicize it or be the star student because there are other students that are much better than me and spend a lot more time on their work,” Ray said.
Along with his city involvement, Ray is a member of Alpha Tau Omega. He said his brothers support his endeavors and are always curious to hear what he has to say.
If he had chosen another college, Ray said he thinks the interest would have still been there, but in a saturated state.
It wasn't until he settled down and met the people of Auburn that he began to love the city and want a role in it's growth. His family, a die-hard group of Alabama fans, didn't understand his fascination with The Plains.
"I'm a fan of the school, and I root for them, but the one thing that made me love Auburn so much was the town," Ray said. "How can you hate this place? It's kind of impossible."
Ray said Auburn is being handed an economy on a silver platter because of the mind-boggling growth. Once developers began to move in, it was like a domino effect.
That's what peaked his interest, Ray said. Changes to city planning were being suggested, but action wasn't being taken at the extent he wanted it to. He wanted Auburn to work toward what is known as New Urbanism: walkable blocks and streets, retail, business and housing in close proximity and tons of public space.
He is a member of the Congress for the New Urbanism, an organization well-known that supports the growth Ray is attempting to impress upon Auburn city planners.
Ray said Auburn has the chance to do it right, but he hopes with the right level of scrutany and thoughful design, Auburn can hit the bull's-eye.
“There are a lot of cities that are into what I say, but they don’t have a fraction of the growth Auburn has,” Ray said. “They couldn’t get it if they begged.”
Auburn is below the radar in the planning field, but on developers' short list, Stone said. Once large developments started to flood in, Auburn citizens "freaked out a little."
Keep Auburn Lovely came to shore, a group of concerned citizens who initially wanted exactly what Ray was trying to encourage the city to stray from.
“Keep Auburn Lovely was a fantastic organization, and I was so proud and delighted to see people care that much about the community,” Ray said. “I think it has not fallen apart but lost some leadership as things happened that didn’t make them happy.”
Ray said the conversation and slight bickering helped the idea of Auburn being a "happening place" for change and growth sink in.
“I don’t do what I do to be special,” Ray said. “I didn’t change any of these buildings but the main accomplishment is that people are talking about it."
What Ray does is far more than attend meetings. Rolled up in the corner of his room, rests a huge map of downtown Auburn laced with Ray's sketches, notes and plans. His Facebook page has now become a platform for conversation, some pleasant and some not so child-friendly.
“I’ve been called many things,” Ray said. “I’ll be honest, I’ve opened the door for some of that. Sometimes things can get argumentative, but I am okay with that because we are talking about it.”
He said many people complain and he is guilty sometimes, but he wishes those that just complained would come to the meetings and express their concerns, making an effort to help where they can.
“I would definitely encourage people to get involved, because whether you know it or not the planning will affect your lifestyle," Ray said.
A post that received massive feedback was his sketch of Auburn in 2050. Ray stressed the point that Auburn is no longer a small town, whether longtime locals will admit it or not.
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This image shows a projected build-out of downtown Auburn by the year 2050. It is facing Southeast near the intersection of Glenn Avenue and College Street. Rendering by Stone Ray.
Ray's perfect Auburn, displayed in his futuristic sketch, is one that changes with those that reside there.
“The perfect Auburn would embrace it’s growth and diversity in a way that ensures it will be more sustainable each year," Ray said. "Not sustainable in that everything is green, but that people’s lifestyle are accommodated for.”
He said he's told walking to the grocery store in Auburn just won't work, but as he sat on his porch and watched three pedestrians walk, grocery bags in hand on their way home with umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun, he thought of how it won't work because the streets aren't set up for it to work.
Instead of walking around the corner to an urban grocery, people who live downtown have to walk a mile and a half to the nearest grocery store on Glenn Avenue. Instead of walking that distance, they drive.
Ray said one of his favorite quotes is, "The best tool a planner can have is his own two feet."
"The last time I saw Auburn planners walking around was never," Ray said.
Although they work hard and make some quality decisions, some problems don't make sense until you see them first hand, Ray said.
"Auburn is headed in good directions and bad directions, both plural," Stone said.
The potential is what keeps Ray interested, he said. If he were to leave after graduation, Ray said he wouldn't be done with Auburn.
“Auburn is not a place to just let go of," Ray said.
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