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It's actually a bit more complicated than you make it sound. Providence Rd is a STATE maintained road, just like many other of our local roads. We (and our local officials) do not get to build what we want to build just because you and everybody else moved here in such large numbers and now the roads are crowded. Believe me, you think you dislike the road congestion??? Your annoyance is nothing compared to the natives and longtimers here.
loves - I realize that Providence Rd is state-maintained. In NJ, (and I hate having to say "Where I came from we did this & this and this"-It's starting to grate on me when I hear it too!) roads could be state, county or local. It just seems that if the state has control of the road funding, then it should have a greater say and be able to prevent developments that creates traffic nightmares- NJ would be telling the land owners and developers that unless you pony up money for the roads and schools that your chances of building that new development are slim to none! In that respect, NC could imitate NJ. If the natives were dissatisfied with the roads back in the old days, why didn't they wrest control from the state and give the counties and individual municipalities more control over the roads? It reminds me of that old Shirley Jackson story,(which was banned in many southern textbooks for many years) "The Lottery", "Why do we stone someone to death every year? - Because we did it last year the same way".
Lets correct one thing first, this is issue is NOT the transplants fault, it direct goes to each town/county that APPROVED all these new subdivisions. If there were no homes or land available, then people wouldn't have moved here in droves.
Each town did not have the foresight (whether intended or not) 3, 4, 5 years ago to deal w/these issues...they approved all these subdivisions w/o worrying about the future....now the chickens have come home to roost.
Oh, dear . . . are we going to get into another Chicken and Egg debate.
Last edited by brokensky; 01-15-2008 at 11:28 AM..
Reason: misspell
loves - I realize that Providence Rd is state-maintained. In NJ, (and I hate having to say "Where I came from we did this & this and this"-It's starting to grate on me when I hear it too!) roads could be state, county or local. It just seems that if the state has control of the road funding, then it should have a greater say and be able to prevent developments that creates traffic nightmares- NJ would be telling the land owners and developers that unless you pony up money for the roads and schools that your chances of building that new development are slim to none! In that respect, NC could imitate NJ. If the natives were dissatisfied with the roads back in the old days, why didn't they wrest control from the state and give the counties and individual municipalities more control over the roads? It reminds me of that old Shirley Jackson story,(which was banned in many southern textbooks for many years) "The Lottery", "Why do we stone someone to death every year? - Because we did it last year the same way".
Em, I certainly appreciate your efforts to understand how old that "where I come from we did it this way" line The thing is, the natives were NOT dissatisfied with the roads back in the old days. (Up till about 8 years ago taking a ride down Providence Road was a pleasure for its bucolic rural scenery and LACK of other traffic, especially on a weekend - HA! try that ride now.) So there was no need to wrest control from the state don't you see? I'm not so sure it's even possible with state laws the way they are. You can see it as a case of people just doing the same old, same old because it's always been that way - but I don't think it's like that at all. I see it as more of a case of a situation where SOME developement was wanted to increase the tax base of Union county but that inexperienced politicians in over their heads failed to understand how to keep the whole thing from snowballing like it has.
I was not aware that Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" had been banned in the south, as I read it myself in high school in Louisiana. If it was banned in some places I would guess it was because it offended too many peoples sense of small town values - something that would have been just disgusting, no matter how thought provoking the story.
Oh, dear . . . are we going to be into another Chicken and Egg debate.
ani - I hope not! But it just seems that the commissioners never met a new housing development that they didn't love! If they and the state representatives loved roads as much and could convince the state to part with some $$$before they built all the houses, the whole area would be better off.
Oh, dear . . . are we going to get into another Chicken and Egg debate.
I wanted a better life for my family like anyone else. When I made the decision to move to the area, housing availability (amount of inventory available) was a huge factor. If the # of homes available were significantly less, I might not of moved here.
Is is my fault that there was a plethera of choices for me to have a better quality of life?
Its a good conversation piece though....
Last edited by CouponJack; 01-15-2008 at 12:05 PM..
Em, I certainly appreciate your efforts to understand how old that "where I come from we did it this way" line The thing is, the natives were NOT dissatisfied with the roads back in the old days. (Up till about 8 years ago taking a ride down Providence Road was a pleasure for its bucolic rural scenery and LACK of other traffic, especially on a weekend - HA! try that ride now.) So there was no need to wrest control from the state don't you see? I'm not so sure it's even possible with state laws the way they are. You can see it as a case of people just doing the same old, same old because it's always been that way - but I don't think it's like that at all. I see it as more of a case of a situation where SOME developement was wanted to increase the tax base of Union county but that inexperienced politicians in over their heads failed to understand how to keep the whole thing from snowballing like it has.
I was not aware that Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" had been banned in the south, as I read it myself in high school in Louisiana. If it was banned in some places I would guess it was because it offended too many peoples sense of small town values - something that would have been just disgusting, no matter how thought provoking the story.
I'm glad you read the Shirley Jackson story! It may be just the differences in our respective ages. I'm 55! It was meant to offend small-minded values, not necessarily small-town ones. She also wrote stories about raising her own children in a slightly more literary style than Jean Kerr and Erma Bombeck, which are hilarious! Not bad for someone who became the literary godmother of Stephen King! Maybe we need an author like that for the Union County area. A story where the "land" does not want to be developed and while the commissioners and developers are having a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Walmart and the umpteenth "Paradise at Providence", it opens up like a giant mouth and swallows them whole!
ani - I hope not! But it just seems that the commissioners never met a new housing development that they didn't love! If they and the state representatives loved roads as much and could convince the state to part with some $$$before they built all the houses, the whole area would be better off.
I totally understand where you are coming from . . . and it is a very rational, logical place! Just not necessarily applicable to the history here.
And maybe I am going to show my ignorance here, but that won't be the first time
(BTW - I am ancient - read The Lottery in the 60s in public school. Story was published in '48. Now maybe it was banned elsewhere in the South- not here in NC that I am aware).
Back to the chances I am going to show my ignorance. It all depends what area we are discussing in re: to housing developments. Meck commish has no authority over other counties and their plans, wh/ we all know . . . but the roads go from Meck to Union . . .
And as far as Union . . . developers were free to do as they wished w/ land outside city limits - just had to meet such things as perk requirements or provide private wells, etc. Zoning in the South overall . . . was non-existent outside city limits, in many areas, until the last few decades. I would add, Virginia has had much more stringent zoning and land use restrictions than NC for many years.
So truly . . . developers have been free to buy land and do what they wanted . . . For nearly 200 years, it has not been the tradition of county commissioners in ANY county to discourage private enterprise outside city limits. Some permits required . . . that's about it.
That is why you can see mobile homes behind houses . . . businesses along rural roads (w/ cows grazing in the back) . . . and churches next to the local Mom n Pop hot dog stand *** mechanics garage *** daycare center, LOL.
What I am saying is . . . county commishes here have not had much authority as to who SOLD or DEVELOPED county property. If they had, they would never have gotten re-elected.
Last edited by brokensky; 01-15-2008 at 11:53 AM..
Reason: misspell, darnit!
I'm glad you read the Shirley Jackson story! It may be just the differences in our respective ages. I'm 55! It was meant to offend small-minded values, not necessarily small-town ones. She also wrote stories about raising her own children in a slightly more literary style than Jean Kerr and Erma Bombeck, which are hilarious! Not bad for someone who became the literary godmother of Stephen King! Maybe we need an author like that for the Union County area. A story where the "land" does not want to be developed and while the commissioners and developers are having a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Walmart and the umpteenth "Paradise at Providence", it opens up like a giant mouth and swallows them whole!
I totally understand where you are coming from . . . and it is a very rational, logical place! Just not necessarily applicable to the history here.
And maybe I am going to show my ignorance here, but that won't be the first time
(BTW - I am ancient - read The Lottery in the 60s in public school. Story was published in '48. Now maybe it was banned elsewhere in the South- not here in NC that I am aware).
Back to the chances I am going to show my ignorance. It all depends what area we are discussing in re: to housing developments. Meck commish has no authority over other counties and their plans, wh/ we all know . . . but the roads go from Meck to Union . . .
And as far as Union . . . developers were free to do as they wished w/ land outside city limits - just had to meet such things as perk requirements or provide private wells, etc. Zoning in the South overall . . . was non-existent outside city limits, in many areas, until the last few decades. I would add, Virginia has had much more stringent zoning and land use restrictions than NC for many years.
So truly . . . developers have been free to buy land and do what they wanted . . . For nearly 200 years, it has not been the tradition of county commissioners in ANY county to discourage private enterprise outside city limits. Some permits required . . . that's about it.
That is why you can see mobile homes behind houses . . . businesses along rural roads (w/ cows grazing in the back) . . . and churches next to the local Mom n Pop hot dog stand *** mechanics garage *** daycare center, LOL.
What I am saying is . . . county commishes here have not had much authority as to who SOLD or DEVELOPED county property. If they had, they would never have gotten re-elected.
Oh boy - wondering if you got negative rep too for your opinions? Someone apparently took offense at mine and dinged me in my rep. And here I thought we were having a very nice conversation
Oh boy - wondering if you got negative rep too for your opinions? Someone apparently took offense at mine and dinged me in my rep. And here I thought we were having a very nice conversation
Yep, I got my first Negative Rep.
Here is what the anonymous person had to say:
"just because people moved, they are not non-local and just because you stay here for long.. you dont have all the rights in the world"
What does that even MEAN? I wonder if a kid got online and is just acting out? That does not even make sense.
What has any of this discussion had to do w/ "rights?" I am baffled.
Last edited by brokensky; 01-15-2008 at 12:16 PM..
Reason: added
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) roads could be state, county or local. It just seems that if the state has control of the road funding, then it should have a greater say and be able to prevent developments that creates traffic nightmares- NJ would be telling the land owners and developers that unless you pony up money for the roads and schools that your chances of building that new development are slim to none! In that respect, NC could imitate NJ. If the natives were dissatisfied with the roads back in the old days, why didn't they wrest control from the state and give the counties and individual municipalities more control over the roads? It reminds me of that old Shirley Jackson story,(which was banned in many southern textbooks for many years) "The Lottery", "Why do we stone someone to death every year? - Because we did it last year the same way". 
The thing is, the natives were NOT dissatisfied with the roads back in the old days. (Up till about 8 years ago taking a ride down Providence Road was a pleasure for its bucolic rural scenery and LACK of other traffic, especially on a weekend - HA! try that ride now.) So there was no need to wrest control from the state don't you see? I'm not so sure it's even possible with state laws the way they are. You can see it as a case of people just doing the same old, same old because it's always been that way - but I don't think it's like that at all. I see it as more of a case of a situation where SOME developement was wanted to increase the tax base of Union county but that inexperienced politicians in over their heads failed to understand how to keep the whole thing from snowballing like it has.
It was meant to offend small-minded values, not necessarily small-town ones. She also wrote stories about raising her own children in a slightly more literary style than Jean Kerr and Erma Bombeck, which are hilarious! Not bad for someone who became the literary godmother of Stephen King! Maybe we need an author like that for the Union County area. A story where the "land" does not want to be developed and while the commissioners and developers are having a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Walmart and the umpteenth "Paradise at Providence", it opens up like a giant mouth and swallows them whole!
Yep, I got unfairly pinged too
