Yalick Farms---Smart Growth in the Back Mountain? (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre: sales, condos)

[Summering]

Originally Posted by The Commish

I think it's a good use of the land that will definitely appeal to large swaths of the population (such as empty-nesters, first time homeowners, families). Higher density developments have a place in planning, too. I just can't comment definitively here because I don't know the surrounding area too well. I do like the mixed retail/residential parts of the development. It appeals to my sense of wanting to live in a walkable, livable neighborhood that doesn't require a car for absolutely everything. I think it would be great to step outside to a bakery, coffee shop, pizza place, and so on. We'll see what happens, but it has promise.

In a way it is a small, small version of Market Commons in Myrtle Beach.
They have just made a very successful place where the old Air Force base was. It has stores of all kinds, grocery, barnes and nobles, restaurants, clothes, amongst others.......and then homes, townhomes etc.
Across the street is a walking park, a lake, further out a play ground area, and picnic area.......just a great planned community. I understand Greenville, SC has about the same concept. This is a very walkable, livable community.
Yalick Farms is just a tad, small ,concept of this idea.
Actually, I see that they are selling..........even though the Myrtle Beach townhomes are going for about 250 or so..........and the Yalick Farms are higher with so much less
offered. The pending one I saw was at 289.........
I'm with a few others here.........I'd rather have my own lot and my own home space. Townhomes are close living, lots of rules, you can't do things you'd like to. Gosh forbid you got a cranky neighbor...........and your stuck without a fence
I like its location...........I really bet this would have been a great Market Commons type of place.

[skijmpr]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Wait until they build the ROTARY they've been talking about at the five-points intersection in Downtown Dallas; picture Public Square with no traffic lights and with one extra outlet!

Actually roundabouts are quite efficient. They've been using them in the UK and Europe for years, though you don't see very many in the States. Their popularity does seem to be picking up though. The biggest problem is educating people on how to use them. It's really not that difficult: traffic in the roundabout has the right-of-way, everyone else has to yield, and you are supposed to signal when you are planning to exit the roundabout. Higher volume ones will sometimes use lights, but this has to be done carefully else you run the risk of turning them into awful traffic circles (yes, there is a distinction!) like the ones we have down here in D.C.

I've actually done a bit of study on these. Here are some links for your enjoyment:

skijmpr's bookmarks tagged with "roundabouts" on del.icio.us

[skijmpr]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Not much at all, I'm sorry to say. There ARE major family-sustaining employers here, which include the following (off the top of my head):

A few more are Harper Collins (Mid Valley), Lockheed Martin (Archbald), General Dynamics (Eynon), and Protor & Gamble (Mehoopany).

[skijmpr]

Originally Posted by MrKrabs

If that was to happen, the price of the goods sold in stores would be outrageously expensive.

Perhaps then people would buy less useless stuff and focus more on the things they really need. I applaud your search for low prices on things like groceries, but let's be honest, most of the stuff any big box store sells is junk.

Everyone should watch this:

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard

[skijmpr]

Originally Posted by MermanMike

This is a good topic...and we tend to go the go round on it every few months...but I'm glad it comes up because we should all be thinking about it. I agree MrKrabs that Mao Mart is not our only problem. Big Box mania is the larger problem. But the reason we tend to target Mao Mart is because it is literally worse than the others. I have posted lists of exactly why in the past and they are available in a lot of places on the internet if anyone cares to do their own research. Employees and suppliers are abused in ways that seem unacceptable to me. If you'll notice the way they plan their stores, they go in and put a few stores in a given location, wait until the mom and pop industry around a few of the stores dies out, and then closed those stores, forcing the locals to then travel to the one store they left open in the area. They then leave the blight of their large warehouses to rot.

I seem to recall there being a big, ugly, empty, eyesore of a warehouse sitting up on Rt. 6 near the Wegmans...strange, it has that familiar blue facade...

[61scout80]

Originally Posted by SifuPhil

You have to ask yourself, though...WHY is it so much cheaper? Because they can buy in bulk? Sure, and some day if you have some extra time to kill check out the way they run roughshod over their suppliers. They literally have them on their knees begging for treats.

Cheaper? Sure, because China et al pay what - a buck a day to their workers? Cheaper because once again THEY dictate to their suppliers what they'll be paying, not the other way around as it usually is.

please explain in great detail how it is different for me to buy kraft mac and cheese, frosted flakes, peter pan peanut better or a sony camera from walmart as opposed to any other minimum wage paying store who is also trying to make the best deal with their supplier?

Because walmart negotiates a better deal with their supplier? bull. The supplier can easily say "no, the profit margin isn't high enough for me, i'll continue selling to your competitors".

made in china? i buy the same stuff at walmart as i would from local grocers, or other stores. they all sell the same crap, but walmart just makes a better deal with their suppliers and offers me a better price.

when your shopping for a car do you pay sticker or work a deal? i'll always shop for the best deal for me, running my checkbook like any strong successful business.

[The Commish]

Originally Posted by MrKrabs

Why do people rail against Wal-Mart but not against other big box chain stores? Its not as if Target, K-Mart, JC Penney's, Sears, Price Chopper, etc, are handing out great wages and benefits either.

No other store has Wal-mart's (1) power (as in its ability to squeeze suppliers, destroy small businesses, etc); (2) as bad employment practices (and this is with hillary clinton on the board for a good amount of time)

Originally Posted by MrKrabs

Does anyone honestly expect stores to start paying wages that would support a family? If that was to happen, the price of the goods sold in stores would be outrageously expensive. Store jobs in Wal-Mart and other chain stores and grocery stores are not career jobs or intended to support families as a primary income....they're mainly part-time jobs for teenagers, college students, and second incomes for families. I don't know why anyone expects anything more. I worked for a division of Wal-Mart when I was in college, and it pretty much a positive experience, but it wasn't a career, it was a part-time (and sometimes full-time in the summers, etc) job that helped me earn some money while I was in school.

The Walton family has made tens of billions each on the backs of these workers. They can afford to pay its workers, many of whom for whatever reason lack the capacity or the skills to earn a decent wage elsewhere, a living wage.

Originally Posted by MrKrabs

Actually, Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart as a locally owned store in Bentonville, AR. Apparently there's a lot of jealousy out there that Mr. Walton was able to grow his one store into such a succesful enterprise. That's what's great about this country....anyone here can do the same thing (with a lot of hard work, that is)...so why not get off your duffs and try to do the same thing instead of being envious and bitching about someone else's success?

So people hate Wal-mart because Sam Walton makes them jealous?

Keep thrilling us with such insight.

Originally Posted by MrKrabs

Personally, I like Wal-Mart....its much cheaper than anywhere else and I can get our groceries and just about all other household items in one stop. Its a great place to have for someone like myself, who is supporting a family on one income, so I don't have to send my kids to daycare like the rest of the lemmings out there who put their careers and their material possessions ahead of their families.

So you just follow different lemmings off the cheap-prices cliff.

*shrugs*

[SifuPhil]

Originally Posted by 61scout80

please explain in great detail how it is different for me to buy kraft mac and cheese, frosted flakes, peter pan peanut better or a sony camera from walmart as opposed to any other minimum wage paying store who is also trying to make the best deal with their supplier?

The last part of your paragraph is, I think, the key here - "making the best deal with their supplier"...

Because walmart negotiates a better deal with their supplier? bull. The supplier can easily say "no, the profit margin isn't high enough for me, i'll continue selling to your competitors".

Actually, no they can't. Some of these suppliers have one customer - Wal-Mart. In fact (sorry I can't supply the reference right this minute) one of the sites about WM - walmartsucks.com, perhaps - illustrated how Wal-Mart literally captures these suppliers with lures of big volume, then when they lock them in they give 'em the old grind.

And...what competitors does WM have, if what you say about their prices is true? They're the 900-pound gorilla of retail.

made in china? i buy the same stuff at walmart as i would from local grocers, or other stores. they all sell the same crap, but walmart just makes a better deal with their suppliers and offers me a better price.

My reply is basically the same as above. Add in, that I can find a LOT of things at other, smaller retailers that Wal-Mart doesn't carry - yet another reason for me to not shop there.

when your shopping for a car do you pay sticker or work a deal? i'll always shop for the best deal for me, running my checkbook like any strong successful business.

I buy used, so I don't have to pay for the depreciation. Sorry.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by The Commish

So you just follow different lemmings off the cheap-prices cliff.

*shrugs*

Maybe when you grow up and move out of mom's basement, you'll know what its like to support a family and stay within a budget in a world where everything is getting more expensive. Its not an option for most people, supporting families, in the real world to shop at places where the prices are higher. I have a decent job and make more than the median income around here, but when you have a family to support, money doesn't go very far. As another poster pointed out to someone, when you buy a car, do you negotiate the lowest price? Or would you rather pay someone more for the exact same thing? Anyone who says the latter is an idiot.

Sorry, I can't afford any political activism when it comes to my wallet. I'm going where I can spend the least money on comparable items. Wal-Mart is where I can do that, so I go there.

[Michelle18612]

I have had the opportunity to view the townhomes. They are builder grade construction with come pretty upgraded cosmetics such as maple cabinets and granite countertops.
When I see Yalick Farms and Sable Ridge development, I feel like I am in a New Jersey development outside the NYC where land is scarce. The builders are trying to cram housing so they can get a bigger bang for their buck. Yes, the Back Mountain is overpriced but you can still get a good deal if you are handy and can do some upgrading/remodeling yourself. I feel it worth the price to live here because of strong community support, low crime, excellent schools and beautiful mountain scenery's.