Coming Soon to Madison...Food & Flicks (Huntsville, Harvest: real estate, 2014)

[bmrisko]

Originally Posted by Maya Blue

Of course the Whitworth Farms people are furious because they bought $400k houses and Mike Friday is only trying to line his pockets, etc, etc. While I'm not a fan of McD's and it going in there, what did people expect living along a major thorough fare in a booming area of the city?

If the home owners there were so concerned, they should have pooled their money together and bought the land themselves so they can control it. That land is zoned b-2 commercial. It's going to be developed somehow. If you want to dictate what goes there, buy it.

Exactly...it always humors me when people buy houses that back up to commercially zoned plots and then make a big stink when a restaurant or business decided to build there. What did they think was going to happen? Those trees and farmland aren't going to be around forever if it is zoned commercial...

I don't eat McDonald's, but the added tax revenue should help the city and maybe it will even create some jobs that local neighborhood kids can take advantage of.

[BMW Dave]

Originally Posted by LCTMadison

I can remember when ALL businesses were closed on Sunday, I can also remember when some decided to open on Sunday. It was "scandalous" for a while.

Oh Leslie, you are NOT that old!

Originally Posted by Maya Blue

If the home owners there were so concerned, they should have pooled their money together and bought the land themselves so they can control it. That land is zoned b-2 commercial. It's going to be developed somehow. If you want to dictate what goes there, buy it.

That is an interesting idea, I wonder how much McD's paid for it?

Originally Posted by bmrisko

I don't eat McDonald's, but the added tax revenue should help the city and maybe it will even create some jobs that local neighborhood kids can take advantage of.

Silver lining. I know if I was a kid, having a McDs in walking distance would be cool. I remember how exciting it was that BK opened on Hughes Rd. I was maybe 10 and a short bike ride or a long walk away...

[LCTMadison]

Originally Posted by Maya Blue

Of course the Whitworth Farms people are furious because they bought $400k houses and Mike Friday is only trying to line his pockets, etc, etc. While I'm not a fan of McD's and it going in there, what did people expect living along a major thorough fare in a booming area of the city?

If the home owners there were so concerned, they should have pooled their money together and bought the land themselves so they can control it. That land is zoned b-2 commercial. It's going to be developed somehow. If you want to dictate what goes there, buy it.

Not that cut and dry, Maya Blue. There is A LOT going on in there right now and in all honesty the McDonalds pales in comparison to other issues they have.

Whitworth Farms initially was NEVER to be a $400k neighborhood and it still is not, he started building the Foxfield plans for less when he opened Foxfield, and I thought people were crazy building those expensive houses in there and now they are paying for it.

[Maya Blue]

Originally Posted by LCTMadison

Not that cut and dry, Maya Blue. There is A LOT going on in there right now and in all honesty the McDonalds pales in comparison to other issues they have.

Whitworth Farms initially was NEVER to be a $400k neighborhood and it still is not, he started building the Foxfield plans for less when he opened Foxfield, and I thought people were crazy building those expensive houses in there and now they are paying for it.

Oh, I agree with you. I didn't mean for it to sound cut and dry. I just happened to hear some people complain that because they spent $400k on a home, that this was outrageous.

[r x f]

Originally Posted by bmrisko

Exactly...it always humors me when people buy houses that back up to commercially zoned plots and then make a big stink when a restaurant or business decided to build there. What did they think was going to happen? Those trees and farmland aren't going to be around forever if it is zoned commercial...

I think a lot of it is ignorance. At my previous house, I got an invite from my city councilman to attend a neighborhood meeting regarding a proposed apartment complex that would adjoin to the subdivision. From the on people's faces at the meeting, the vast majority had no idea that land was zoned R2A (low density apartments). Another adjoining lot was zoned C1 and has since had a gas station go up.

I'm betting the vast majority of those in Whitworth Farms had no clue that strip of land was zoned non-residential. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think it was a buffer strip owned by the subdivision. IMO, their buyer's agent should have notified them that their property butted up to a B2 zone. I'm betting no agent did so.

[catfishin2000]

A few years ago a subdivision sprung up next door to the Harvest Drag Track, then the property owners complained and caused the Drag Track to change everything they did. Noise, times, everything. What did they think when they built there?

25 years ago a subdivision in Monrovia sprung up in the middle of a cotton field, then filed a lawsuit when the crop dusters came over.

A few years ago on opening day of Dove season a Sherrif showed up on us because some city person turned country liver had complained about the shooting. He (the cop) was amused, didn't tell us to stop. Just had to show up because of the call.

When the city moves out to the country there are growing pains on both sides.

[Maya Blue]

Originally Posted by r x f

I think a lot of it is ignorance. At my previous house, I got an invite from my city councilman to attend a neighborhood meeting regarding a proposed apartment complex that would adjoin to the subdivision. From the on people's faces at the meeting, the vast majority had no idea that land was zoned R2A (low density apartments). Another adjoining lot was zoned C1 and has since had a gas station go up.

I'm betting the vast majority of those in Whitworth Farms had no clue that strip of land was zoned non-residential. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think it was a buffer strip owned by the subdivision. IMO, their buyer's agent should have notified them that their property butted up to a B2 zone. I'm betting no agent did so.

As far as I know, all of the neighborhoods on County Line south of Brownsferry have that land between them and the road zoned as commercial. The builders in many cases owned that property, but have held onto it until they can maximize their profits. Hunter Homes for example owns the land in front of Oxford and Ashbury, and just recently put it up for sale. About ten years after they bought it.

[MrBobo]

Originally Posted by LCTMadison

Not that cut and dry, Maya Blue. There is A LOT going on in there right now and in all honesty the McDonalds pales in comparison to other issues they have.

Whitworth Farms initially was NEVER to be a $400k neighborhood and it still is not, he started building the Foxfield plans for less when he opened Foxfield, and I thought people were crazy building those expensive houses in there and now they are paying for it.

I had forgotten about the Whitworth Farms issues. I have been reading all the reference documentation at their (alternate non-associated) HOA website, and it's quite the mess! I'm sure the McDonald's is just icing on the cake at this point.

[LCTMadison]

Originally Posted by r x f

I'm betting the vast majority of those in Whitworth Farms had no clue that strip of land was zoned non-residential. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think it was a buffer strip owned by the subdivision. IMO, their buyer's agent should have notified them that their property butted up to a B2 zone. I'm betting no agent did so.

Its not always been zoned commercial, and I don't think it was when that neighborhood was beginning to be built. It was all residential.

That land by Browns Ferry Crossing has been rezoned a couple of times, I believe.

That's the thing about vacant land....it CAN be rezoned at the owner's discretion and city's approval.

[BMW Dave]

perhaps a solution for those not wanting McDs in their backyard.

McDonald’s Figures Out Best Way To Keep Away Pesky Teens: Blast Opera At Them