On 7/31/13 5:11 PM, John H wrote:
On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 13:29:14 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:
On 7/31/13 1:21 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:11:46 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:
Actually, Chesapeake Beach is a place people want to move to, as
evidenced by all the nice new townhouses on the waterfront, a high-rise
condo on the waterfront, and single family houses and townhouses a short
distance away. But it isn't a place a *lot* of people move to, and I'm
sure everyone is thankful for that.
We're a couple of miles east of the main N/S route around here, Maryland
Route 4, and virtually all the commercial construction around here is
out there. North and south of the commercial areas there is commercial
construction and residential streets coming off the main route.
The county works pretty hard to maintain our semi-rural,
semi-agricultural environment, which is a big draw for those of us who
live out here.
That is great as long as it lasts but if big money targets your area
it is pretty hard to stop them.
Florida, just about everywhere, is still seeing explosive growth. The
amount of money that gets thrown around can easily taint county
legislatures but if you are in a small incorporated city it can be
devastating. That is why I am fighting city status here in Estero.
I watched what happened in Ft Myers Beach and Bonita.
Big money quickly overwhelmed the citizen control they were promised
when they incorporated. That "lower taxes" thing quickly evaporated as
the reality of providing services arose.
Big money has "targeted" us but the county overlords fear us serfs, so
they turned down Wal-Mart's demand for a permit to build a "Supersized"
Wal-Mart in this part of the county. Wal-Mart spent a lot of money on
baksheesh for the politicos and to "reach" us serfs, several hundred
thousand, I was told.
It's not that we don't have commercial development. We do, but it is
pretty much restricted to areas already commercially developed.
Last year, we were all being lobbied by a PR guy who spreading the
wonderment of building a Home Depot or Lowes on a newly vacant large lot
right on Route 4. It would have created a traffic nightmare, so other
sites were suggested. Nope. The developers wanted that lot or the
highway. They took the highway.
Harry, does the WalMart five miles away from you in Prince Frederick not count as a WalMart? Isn't
there also one in Dunkirk, just up the road a ways?
John (Gun Nut) H.
Wow. You're back, and making an appearance on my new laptop, but fear
not, as soon as I set up the filters, back into the flajim septic tank
you go.
Let's try this in really simple language.
I didn't say we didn't have a Wal-Mart, I said Wal-Mart wanted to build
something much larger. Yes, we have a Wal-Mart a few miles south of
here, in Prince Frederick. It has been there for many years. Wal-Mart
wanted to raze or expand that store from a "regular-sized" operation to
build a "super-sized" or whatever they call it Wal-Mart. The corporation
spent a lot of money trying to convince everyone around here that that
was what we needed. They even had people set up at tables around the
county getting signatures. They mailed out newsletters, they took out
newspaper and radio ads, and much more. But, we, meaning the residents
of this part of the county, and the county commissioners, said "No."
There is a newer Wal-Mart up in Dunkirk, which is about 11 miles north
of here on Route 4. I don't know if that is a "regular" or "super-sized"
Wal-Mart, since I have only seen it from a distance. We don't shop at
that particular shopping center, since there is nothing in there of
interest to us. There's a Giant supermarket and a few more stores,
nothing different from what we have in our immediate location.
Since you are a frequenter of Solomons, have you gone over the river and
"discovered" there are a few new restaurants as you head towards the
naval air station? The Cracker Barrel there is very nice if you like
decent southern comfort food at a very reasonable price. If you are in
the area on a Friday or Saturday and turn right on the main drag once
you cross the bridge and drive and drive, you'll end up at the Amish
Farmers Market. Your grandchildren might enjoy that, it is a treat
visually and of course, the produce and baked goods are high quality.
And now, I'll turn the podium back over to the rec.boats regular insulters.
Have a nice day.