What is – I think – a pretty good editorial regarding the latest First & Main controversy …
council must issue permits consistently and deny them only for a compelling public reason.
Is Council issuing permits consistently, and denying them only for a compelling public reason? To me, it seems not. It seems that Council is going to make it difficult for Fairmount to proceed on every point. Is that what we want our retailers seeing? As our elected officials setting us up for long-term failure, as developers and retailers alike decide to bypass Blacksburg because of changing rules? I know for a fact two developers who have told me personally they'll never build in Blacksburg again … it seems to me we're sending the wrong message.
As our population grows – and it will grow – will we be able to provide the retail, residential and public service infrastructure?
UPDATE Tuesday 7:30am – watch the fireworks tonight at Blacksburg's Town Council meeting.
UPDATE Friday 9:30am – editorial from the Collegiate Times
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I take your point. I guess they should be called boobs at the point the damage they cause becomes impossible to repair.
Sounds like your area hasn’t reached that point yet. Good luck.
I take your point. I guess they should be called boobs at the point the damage they cause becomes impossible to repair.
Sounds like your area hasn’t reached that point yet. Good luck.
Bawld Guy – it DOES sound like a very similar situation. I wouldn’t go so far as to call them boobs … although I probably have at some point. As I was telling my wife last night, I think in many cases it’s an example of elected officials being vocationally ill-equipped for the issues they’re voting on. Thanks for sharing the El Cajon story … I think there’s a lesson to be learned there.
Mike Z and Darla – you’re right, we have not done a good job of keeping talent in the area. Check out StuartMease.com sometime … the City of Roanoke is working to change that, and while they’re making in-roads there’s a long long way to go. A balance between retail and what the CRC has done would be nice, I’d agree.
Bill – come on back, we’ll welcome you with open arms. This is an example of the silent majority being steamrolled by the vocal minority. At every Town Council meeting I’ve been to that’s discussed this development, the opposition has always been far more vocal than the supporters. That has to change – Town Council has to hear just as loudly (or even more so) from those that feel there’s a benefit here, but that hasn’t been the case. I can’t argue with you that it’s money ill-spent … there are a number of viable and sorely needed projects that could use the $147000 legal defense fees we’ve wasted so far.
Bawld Guy – it DOES sound like a very similar situation. I wouldn’t go so far as to call them boobs … although I probably have at some point. As I was telling my wife last night, I think in many cases it’s an example of elected officials being vocationally ill-equipped for the issues they’re voting on. Thanks for sharing the El Cajon story … I think there’s a lesson to be learned there.
Mike Z and Darla – you’re right, we have not done a good job of keeping talent in the area. Check out StuartMease.com sometime … the City of Roanoke is working to change that, and while they’re making in-roads there’s a long long way to go. A balance between retail and what the CRC has done would be nice, I’d agree.
Bill – come on back, we’ll welcome you with open arms. This is an example of the silent majority being steamrolled by the vocal minority. At every Town Council meeting I’ve been to that’s discussed this development, the opposition has always been far more vocal than the supporters. That has to change – Town Council has to hear just as loudly (or even more so) from those that feel there’s a benefit here, but that hasn’t been the case. I can’t argue with you that it’s money ill-spent … there are a number of viable and sorely needed projects that could use the $147000 legal defense fees we’ve wasted so far.
I agree with Mike as far as more professional jobs are concerned; however, all those professionals we would draw still need places to shop and eat!
Minimum wage jobs and affordable retail/food stores are extremely desirable to college students. And, since the census says 29,000 of the 40,000 folks in Blacksburg are college students, maybe it’s about time the ‘burg did something to benefit them as well as the community. In Christiansburg (the next town over) our stores and restaurants are filled with college students from VT, both as consumers and employees. Wouldn’t Blacksburg benefit from keeping that labor pool and those consumer dollars instead of letting them go next door? Or am I missing something here?
I agree with Mike as far as more professional jobs are concerned; however, all those professionals we would draw still need places to shop and eat!
Minimum wage jobs and affordable retail/food stores are extremely desirable to college students. And, since the census says 29,000 of the 40,000 folks in Blacksburg are college students, maybe it’s about time the ‘burg did something to benefit them as well as the community. In Christiansburg (the next town over) our stores and restaurants are filled with college students from VT, both as consumers and employees. Wouldn’t Blacksburg benefit from keeping that labor pool and those consumer dollars instead of letting them go next door? Or am I missing something here?
I moved back to the area last year, and we bought in Christiansburg because we couldn’t afford Blacksburg. We had hoped that we’d be able to build our savings up so at some point we could afford the higher home costs and higher taxes and move to Blackburg. Now I am not so sure I want my taxes going towards people who waste their time on efforts like this. I cannot believe that the town’s money goes to pay for these idiots to sit around a table and waste time talking about a permit for a speaker at a drive in.
My image of the town I have come to cherish and dream of moving into one day has become more and more tarnished with every story like this that gets published.
I moved back to the area last year, and we bought in Christiansburg because we couldn’t afford Blacksburg. We had hoped that we’d be able to build our savings up so at some point we could afford the higher home costs and higher taxes and move to Blackburg. Now I am not so sure I want my taxes going towards people who waste their time on efforts like this. I cannot believe that the town’s money goes to pay for these idiots to sit around a table and waste time talking about a permit for a speaker at a drive in.
My image of the town I have come to cherish and dream of moving into one day has become more and more tarnished with every story like this that gets published.
I’d like to see more professional businesses instead of more retail. The Corporate Research Center is a great example. If Blacksburg can pull in higher paying jobs rather than minimum wage retailers, everyone benefits including the university, which can provide a wealth of talent across most every industry and the industry can provide co-op and full time jobs in return.
There’s a huge demand for professional jobs in Blacksburg (since people want to live here) but not enough businesses to supply that demand. Instead, the majority move to northern Virginia to find work where the cost of living is much higher.
So, if you’re a retailer who wants to come in, syphon off some money and not benefit the town in any meaningful way, we’re sending the correct message.
I’d like to see more professional businesses instead of more retail. The Corporate Research Center is a great example. If Blacksburg can pull in higher paying jobs rather than minimum wage retailers, everyone benefits including the university, which can provide a wealth of talent across most every industry and the industry can provide co-op and full time jobs in return.
There’s a huge demand for professional jobs in Blacksburg (since people want to live here) but not enough businesses to supply that demand. Instead, the majority move to northern Virginia to find work where the cost of living is much higher.
So, if you’re a retailer who wants to come in, syphon off some money and not benefit the town in any meaningful way, we’re sending the correct message.
Jeremy — This council sounds like the El Cajon boobs who’ve pretty much relegated that city, (inc. city in San Diego county) to that of a forever bedroom community, serving contiguous SD areas who actually understand which way is north on the map
El Cajon began their 30 year march to the Stupid City Hall of Shame by being so arrogant as to tell Costco, Price Club at the time, ‘their’ demands. After the monster discounter stopped laughing long enough to recover speech, they said, ‘we pass’ and built their brand new operation next door in Santee. Oh BTW, they were ALREADY in El Cajon and wanted to build on a new location. So no only did they not get a cool new one, they lost the existing store. That’s talent.
How stoopid can a city be? Well, follow El Cajon’s history since the late ’70’s to the present and you can see for yourself. They’ve run off the who’s who of America’s retailers.
Nobody wants to go there now which is of course surprising to nobody with an IQ requiring three digits. Everyone knows their reputation.
I hope your area isn’t about to board the same train to nowhere.
El Cajon is now known for two things. Over half their population are renters. And when you say you live in El Cajon, some folks roll their eyes. Very few people choose to live there on purpose, with the exception of the perimeter areas of high priced neighborhoods.
Of course, those few neighborhoods have gone big time out of their way to ensure they’re known by a name other than El Cajon. Granite Hills, and Fletcher Hills are two excellent examples.
Jeremy — This council sounds like the El Cajon boobs who’ve pretty much relegated that city, (inc. city in San Diego county) to that of a forever bedroom community, serving contiguous SD areas who actually understand which way is north on the map
El Cajon began their 30 year march to the Stupid City Hall of Shame by being so arrogant as to tell Costco, Price Club at the time, ‘their’ demands. After the monster discounter stopped laughing long enough to recover speech, they said, ‘we pass’ and built their brand new operation next door in Santee. Oh BTW, they were ALREADY in El Cajon and wanted to build on a new location. So no only did they not get a cool new one, they lost the existing store. That’s talent.
How stoopid can a city be? Well, follow El Cajon’s history since the late ’70’s to the present and you can see for yourself. They’ve run off the who’s who of America’s retailers.
Nobody wants to go there now which is of course surprising to nobody with an IQ requiring three digits. Everyone knows their reputation.
I hope your area isn’t about to board the same train to nowhere.
El Cajon is now known for two things. Over half their population are renters. And when you say you live in El Cajon, some folks roll their eyes. Very few people choose to live there on purpose, with the exception of the perimeter areas of high priced neighborhoods.
Of course, those few neighborhoods have gone big time out of their way to ensure they’re known by a name other than El Cajon. Granite Hills, and Fletcher Hills are two excellent examples.