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S. Smith Moderator
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A new Dollar General is going to be built in Stokesdale, along with space for a couple of other shops. There will also be room for more stores at the site in the future. What do you think? |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:41 am by Jim Flynt |
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Vicki White-Lawrence Member 
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Jim Flynt wrote:S. Smith wrote:A new Dollar General is going to be built in Stokesdale, along with space for a couple of other shops. There will also be room for more stores at the site in the future. What do you think? I'd rather see our area remain rural, but I guess that is just a pipedream.... Jim -- According to the official documents presented at the Planning Board meeting last week, it is a Dollar General. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:41 am by Jim Flynt |
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S. Smith Moderator
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Jim Flynt wrote: I must be getting senile in my old age. At least you're not too senile to admit it.  Any thoughts about whether the scenic corridor ordinance will make the building more attractive than it would have been otherwise? |
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ff12 Member 
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I think a Dollar Tree would be a better tenant. The stores are nicer and it is more upscale dollar merchandise.That corner would be a good place for a Burger King and a Chic fil a. How about using the parking lot for the rc airplane field |
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macca Member 
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ff12 wrote:I think a Dollar Tree would be a better tenant. The stores are nicer and it is more upscale dollar merchandise.That corner would be a good place for a Burger King and a Chic fil a. How about using the parking lot for the rc airplane field From what Sandra wrote in the paper, it sounds as though it's going to be UGLY -- Wonderful! Just what we need -- an ugly building offering crap just to make $$ off us.... As for fast food places in Stokesdale.... I hate to see us lose our rural qualities.... I guess it's coming, but it sure would be nice if we had some good criteria in place to help control what it looks like ...  BTW: ff12 -- Where will the cars and customers be if the planes are flying/landing there?  |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:42 am by Jim Flynt |
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Scott L Member 
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If the new Dollar General Store is built such that it looks like an eyesore, nobody will ever see me in there and I hope not many others who care about Stokesdale. They need to build it so it is consistent with the attractive brick buildings downtown across from the fire station. |
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S. Smith Moderator
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Jim Flynt wrote: macca wrote: As I see it, if the building meets the criteria in the town's ordinance, it will probably be approved. I heard some people saying thank goodness the town passed the scenic corridor ordinance recently or the building would look even worse than the plan that was shown. But I think there was opposition to that because people were worried about how it would affect their property and what they'd be able to do on it and that's why the town council held off so long. Sounds to me like the problem isn't necessarily with the town council but with the ordinance. Do you think stricter rules need to be in place regarding what type of buildings are allowed? |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:42 am by Jim Flynt |
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macca Member
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Jim Flynt wrote:macca wrote:From what Sandra wrote in the paper, it sounds as though it's going to be UGLY -- Wonderful! Just what we need -- an ugly building Jimbo, Didn't I read in the NW Observer that you were working on finding land in the downtown area for the new Town Hall? What's up with that? |
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Tweety Bird Member
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I COULDN'T AGREE MORE! NOTHING LIKE A HUGE GARAGE SALE INDOORS! |
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Scott L Member
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Since Tom James of TCJ is the landowner, do they have any appearance standards for buildings on their property? Are there any drawings of what that corner is intended to look like? I guess its too much to expect, but it would be nice if this were well-planned, attractive shops rather than a cluttered group of "indoor garages". Last edited on Jun 4th, 2007 03:14 pm by Scott L |
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mrsnose Member
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I agree with you. I hope our Town Council will follow the fine example that Oak Ridge chose in building Oak Ridge Commons. They were very selective and chose nice architecture and nice businesses. We sure could use a Wal Greens or Eckerds. But- are we really going to get an ugly Dollar General instead? Lets keep Stokesdale pretty. |
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rasin Guest
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The main thing we had going for us in Oak Ridge is that the Commons is located in the historic district so we had some input on what it would look like. Since not all of Oak Ridge is in the historic district the other tool we have is all of 68 and 150 and some of Bunch Road is in a scenic corridor. |
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mrsnose Member
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Yes, I know. However, Stokesdale can still try to keep things pretty here. The residents deserve it. I have seen some pretty ugly looking strip malls with Dollar Generals around here. |
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Tweety Bird Member
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I give Oak Ridge credit that they didn't wait until the figurative "horse got out of the barn". It is too late to act after a town has been taken over by tacky, and useless businesses. Keep up the good work Oak Ridge. Can't wait until the book store opens. The Town Council of Stokesdale has a job to do and that is to act in the best interest of its residents. |
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Tweety Bird Member
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Mr. Flynt, I hope we can count on you to attend the Town Council meeting when the vote is taken! |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:42 am by Jim Flynt |
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mrsnose Member
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Thank you! |
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S. Smith Moderator
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I hope Stokesdale residents realize that if they don't speak up, they can't change anything. If you don't like the way something is going to look, you need to let your council members know. You can give them a call or send them an e-mail, or you can call town hall and ask Carolyn Joyner to pass your message on to the council members. While the scenic corridor ordinance will help this building look better than it would have otherwise, you should ask the town council to make some changes to the development ordinance if you're not happy. Generally speaking, ordinance changes don't happen overnight. Before the "horse gets out of the barn" (as somebody just put it), you should push for stricter building standards if that's what you want. I love the way Summerfield Village on Highway 220 looks, but I know the only reason it looks that way is because the ordinance said it had to. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:43 am by Jim Flynt |
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Tweety Bird Member
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How does one get involved after developers present their projects prior to open forums within the Town. I am drawing from professional experience when I say you must not sacrifice a vital commercial site for the sake of "just building something after 18 years of waiting for a store". This hs been one of the most repeated phrases that I have heard regarding this project. This is one of the poorest excuses for developing a piece of land. It leads to helter skelter development. I don't mind seeing the pines on that corner. I have friends who are planting pines and bushes to bring back the rural look. |
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Vicki White-Lawrence Member
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I believe the issue is more with our ordinances than with folks having their minds made up ahead of time. As long as a plan meets the ordinance for that area, planning boards and town councils are hard pressed to deny. To do so could result in legal action against the municipality. Stokesdale's ordinances are currently under review. Members of the Land Use Committeee are reviewing them in preparation for presenting them to Town Council this summer. (The town put out a request for volunteers for the committee to review the ordinances earlier this year but I don't believe anyone outside this committee volunteered.) The next meeting of this group is Wednesday, June 13, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall. This is an open meeting and, while you would have no vote, you could offer your input. When the plan is presented to Town Council (it will be noted in the Northwest Observer when this will happen), that would be the time to let Council members know what standards you want to be met in our town. I believe we've seen evidence that shows that some developers will do minimally what they must to meet these standards. If we expect them to do more, we must make sure our ordinances require it. As a side note, we have 3 seats that will be open on our Town Council this year. (John Flynt, Bobby Richardson and Powell Shelton) I have no idea whether any of them are running again, but as a person who attends every Town Council meeting, I can tell you I'd have a hard time voting for someone who isn't there at meetings to see for him/herself what is going on. I don't understand how people can think they can go from not being involved at all to being a person who makes decisions for our town and its future. |
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S. Smith Moderator
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Vicki White-Lawrence wrote: I believe the issue is more with our ordinances than with folks having their minds made up ahead of time. As long as a plan meets the ordinance for that area, planning boards and town councils are hard pressed to deny. To do so could result in legal action against the municipality.Vicki, I agree with what you've said. Do you know who serves on the Land Use Committee and how to contact them? Even if people can't attend that meeting, they could let the committee know that they would really like to see some changes in the ordinance regarding development standards. |
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Vicki White-Lawrence Member
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Town Council members Mickie Halbrook and John Flynt, Robert Wurz (Stonefield Cellars), Scott Lawrence, Stewart Hommel and Richard Millard all serve on it. Folks could also go to the town web site (http://www.stokesdale.org) for contact information for Town Hall. |
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Tweety Bird Member
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Thank you for your reply. I certainly will attend the Town Council meeting and have prepared some research regarding this venture. I know first hand how some one can go to court and win his case. He can then build what he proposed. I also know that the town I retired from learned the hard way with run-down, decrepit,vacant strip malls. I think there are reasons this project could be denied. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:43 am by Jim Flynt |
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Tweety Bird Member
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So what you are telling me is, this is a done deal and Stokesdale is ready for the sloppiest Dollar store of all that are presently in business. Unbelievable. How in heaven's name did Oak Ridge keep these lowlife stores out of their domain? Thanks for you answer. So why should I attend te Concil meeting? To be frustrated? Tweety |
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mrsnose Member
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Town Council will not hear the case. The Planning Board has authority to approve site plans. ( Text Amendment to the Stokesdale Development Ordinance adopted May 18, 2006.) Appeals may be made to the Town Council within 15 days of the Planning Board action. No one appealed the case. Carolyn Joyner Town Clerk I received this answer in an e-mail today from the Town concerning any more planned discussion about the Dollar General. Mrsnose Was also told next Planning Board Meeting is July 5th. Last edited on Jun 6th, 2007 08:02 pm by mrsnose |
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macca Member
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I thought this property had been zoned for commercial use all along. There has been a sign on it forever that says "shopping center coming soon" or something like that. How could that sign have been there if it wasn't zoned for commercial use? And Bi-Rite is right across the road from it. Isn't the property it's on zoned for commercial use? |
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macca Member
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mrsnose wrote:Town Council will not hear the case. The Planning Board has authority to approve site plans. ( Text Amendment to the Stokesdale Development Ordinance adopted May 18, 2006.) Appeals may be made to the Town Council within 15 days of the Planning Board action. No one appealed the case. I think Jim still has the right idea about trying to encourage the builder/developer to make it more attractive. And it's still important to have stronger ordinances in place for future development, so we could still let Town Council members know we'd like stronger requirements for our town. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:44 am by Jim Flynt |
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Tweety Bird Member
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Mr Flynt-I had done some research thinking I could present it at the Town Council meeting. Things are done a little differently within this township. I can briefly tell you this: Take a look at the Dollar General stores in the neighboring towns of Walkertown, Summerfield and Kernersville, even the one in Madison. Has the planning board dodne this? They are all located in rundown strip malls. Which came first the chicken or the egg? These stores habitually fail to attract neighboring prosperous enterprises to a community. Just go to their website and find out that NC is third on the list of those states having the most Dollar General stores. Why have other states kept the numbers down? Is it because they have "narrow" minded ordinances? How have they mangaed to keep the numbers down? When their is a downturn in business, how many vacant Dollar General stores will NC have? I just feel that Stokesdale is setting a precendent of low class, unprofitable enterprises. Sokesdale is in its infancy regarding commercial development. Beware that once the barn door is left open, any thing may walk through it. We deserve better. Thank you for being a gentleman and answering my questions. |
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Tweety Bird Member
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Corrections to my reply -there and forgive the t left out of Stokesdale. I am just riled up! |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:45 am by Jim Flynt |
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Vicki White-Lawrence Member
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I realized, as Scott and I were talking, that the ORDINANCES are not being reviewed at this time. Some were reviewed and updated last year. There was a special committee that reviewed them, some of whom were members of this current committee, and I'm guessing the town would seek new members when they decide to formally review them again. What IS being reviewed at this time is the Stokesdale Land Use Plan, and the folks I listed in my prior e-mail are reviewing it. All of these people, along with others, served on the original committee that developed this plan. I copied this from the Town of Stokesdale web site: Stokesdale Future Land Use Plan The Stokesdale Future Land Use Plan was developed by a committee of citizens who were appointed by the Town Council to create a land use plan for the Town. Technical assistance was provided by County Planning Staff. A land use plan is a planning tool that provides the community a "roadmap" to guide growth so that it occurs in a predictable manner to best suite the needs of current and future citizens. After public input and review, the Stokesdale Future Land Use Plan was adopted by the Stokesdale Town Council on September 20, 2001. This group has been meeting and reviewing the current plan (which is available to download from the town web site) and will present its recommendation about the plan this summer. Again, their next meeting is next Wednesday, June 13, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall. |
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Tweety Bird Member
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Mr. Flynt, one last point and we will let the matter die a peaceful death. Your insight and knowledge has been greatly appreciated. I will disclose this much. I was a tax assessor (residential and commercial) for 20 years in the Town of Babylon, NY. Now I will devulge the origin of my frustrations with this situation. One of my duties was to take part in researching tax grievances and certiorari cases on behalf of the sole assessor of our town. One of the complaints we faced were the degradation of the values in a neighborhood by "seedy" businesses that operated within the Town. Now since we don't have a Town tax, this is a moot issue at this point. Please don't tell me that these eyesores don't run down the value of an area. I still cannot conceive that there is no alternative to just opening the door for any type of business desiring to settle in Stokesdale. Is the gentleman in question willing to let me open a massage parlor in one of his structures. I , of course am being sarcastic. Please accept my apologies. I might add, that I had given my name in to Mrs Joyner when there were to be one or two vacancies on the Planning Board. I gave her my qualifications and never heard from her again. Peace be with you! And thanks again. I rest my case. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:50 am by Jim Flynt |
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S. Smith Moderator
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It is my understanding that any citizen can ask for a review of or propose a change to an ordinance at any time. You don't have to serve on the council, planning board or any committee to do it. Vicki is correct about the zoning of that property. It has been zoned commercial for years (maybe since before Stokesdale became a town), so the town council didn't vote on that issue. The fact that somebody recently bought it and decided to develop it commercially is the only difference. Jim is right that the town can't legally say "We don't want any Dollar General stores here." If the property is zoned for a shopping center, then as far as the town goes, any business that fits in that criteria would be allowed. It is, however, up to the landlord what kind of tenants they want to rent to and whether they keep up their property. My understanding is also that a town can't say "We won't allow any adult massage parlors in our town." I know in Oak Ridge, such businesses can only be located in areas zoned for General Business and there are also certain development standards they have to meet (i.e., cannot be closer than 1,000 ft. from a church, daycare, school, park or residentially-zoned area). Since there are few if any properties that meet this criteria, it would be hard to have such a business there. I don't know if Stokesdale has standards such as this, but it's not hard to find out and if not, residents could ask for a review of the ordinance. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:50 am by Jim Flynt |
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bama80 Member 
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priceless |
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Tweety Bird Member
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Keep your sense of humor! |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:51 am by Jim Flynt |
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Tweety Bird Member
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As my husband would say, "Don't shoot the "massager"! |
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S. Smith Moderator
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In the same building as the Dollar General, there is room for a couple of smaller shops, as well as room for future expansion. What types of things would you guys be interested in seeing there? |
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Tweety Bird Member
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I had been hoping for either a physician's office, pharmacy, tasteful gift shop, first class day care center for working mom's, new Post Office. I truly think if pressure was put on the powers to be, we could get a new facility for Jeff. I was a little taken aback when Irealized that the Dollar General would be located so close to the Church. |
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mrsnose Member
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Tweetybird: I like your suggestions. Stokesdale could certainly use most of what you suggested. I wish we could get an urgent care center up this way. We don't need fast food places as it will encourage too much traffic and a place for undesirables to possibly loiter. (Do we even have a full time sheriff if this situation should occur?) If I can I will try to come up with other possibilities. I wonder how much of those woods they intend to strip off? Although some think that corner is not aesthetic, it is home to wildlife. The Cardinals and such are sure going to miss all those Southern Pines. Those woods also serve as a sound barrier for a nearby subdivision against the numerous, and do I mean numerous, 18 wheeler trucks that blast through that intersection. Not to mention all the traffic going up to Belews Lake. Oh well... |
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Tweety Bird Member
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Does anyone else have any suggetions? This would be the perfect forum to express your ideas and wishes for Stokesdale's development. How about a small scale sporting good store for the fishermen in our area? |
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Tweety Bird Member
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Typo again! suggestions is what it should say. |
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mrsnose Member
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Not a bad idea. |
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ff12 Member
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There is a bait and tackle shop located at the local sports bar on hwy 65 going toward the lake. There have been several different fishing shops in and around Stokesdale over the years. Most last maybe one year. A majority of the lake traffic comes from Greensboro. Therefore most people buy their fishing supplies from Sports Authority or Bass Pro Shops online due to price. That was a good run with the massage jokes. |
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DToney Member 
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Hey guys... I just have to ask... what is wrong with Dollar General?  To me, Dollar General is an affordable store to buy household goods... I've bought cleaning products, decor (such as curtains, towels, etc...)... baby clothes, wrapping paper and such from them. Y'all should not give the whole chain a bad rep cause some franchise owners choose to allow their establishments reside in a run down shop. I have worked in commercial real estate & can tell you that once a guy rents a storefront... he is at the mercy of the shop owner for repairs. If he signs a 15-20 year lease, he is obligated. Many times a shop has closed (like the grocery beside the Dollar General in Summerfield) but has to continue to pay his monthly rent because he has signed a 20-year lease. The shop owner don't care what the building looks like because he still gets to collect! It is up to the governing bodies and residents to complain & make the owner shape up or face fines....  Stokesdale needs places like Dollar General... just be thankful it is no Wal-mart!  |
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Tweety Bird Member
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Hi! I have no complaints about a dollar store that is maintained, such as the Dollar Tree. To be perfectly honest, the Dollar General stores in the neighboring towns are run down and slovenly on the inside as well as the outside. i don't mean to sound like a "snob", but stores like these leave a lot to be desired. But, if it is that important to the Town of Stokesdale, I will just accept it and cease voicing my disapproval. Happy Shopping. |
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smileyfaces Member
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Personally, I've been to different Dollar Trees and each one has been run down and gross. It only takes once in a particular location and that is enough for me. I've given the benefit of doubt for different locations and each is a disappointment. I used to think the same for Wal-mart but have been surprised especially in the upkeep of the Kernersville store. I've given up on Dollar General and it will take something else in that same center to drag me there. I believe that the Town Council has a responsibility to attract good sounding businesses in order to keep the locals shopping locally rather than drive into town for more alluring shops. I believe it is time for Stokesdale to keep up with the changing times and allure that Oak Ridge has developed. |
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S. Smith Moderator
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DToney wrote: Hey guys... I just have to ask... what is wrong with Dollar General? Hi DToney. It's nice to hear from you. I was hoping you'd join in this conversation. I agree with you that it is largely up to the owner of the property what the outside of such an establishment looks like. Your comment about a Wal-mart is interesting, given that Oak Ridge recently passed an ordinance so that no "big box" stores such as Wal-mart could locate in the town. The ordinance also restricts the exterior colors of buildings to more natural earth tones, so that something like that big blue Napa building on Highway 68 won't lbe built in the town. (Of course, there could be a Napa building -- just not a blue one.) Last edited on Jun 10th, 2007 01:20 pm by S. Smith |
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mrsnose Member
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Hey Smiley Faces---well stated! I agree with you. We need some nice shops like Oak Ridge. People need to get more involved and go to Town Council meetings, Land Use Meetings, and Planning Board Meetings. I know the Land Use Committee is trying hard, but they need to hear from more residents who want to set Ordinances, etc. |
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DToney Member
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I personally would rather shop at Family Dollar.... and Dollar Tree... well... you get what you pay for! I frequent Dollar Tree for party supplies especially when I have to help do a shower. Family Dollar has much more decor related stuff... Living in Stokesdale... there are many times when a quick trip to Oak Ridge to pick up something just won't do... because of the limitations. So when I need a sweat shirt or a baby outfit.... where do I go? Madison - Wal-mart? Kernersville? Greensboro? Those are some things you currently just cannot get in Oak Ridge or Stokesdale! |
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ff12 Member
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HOW bad can Dollar General be? At Kevin Harvicks shop in Kvegas(Kernersville) several of his transporters have DOLLAR GENERAL emblazoned on them. |
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onthefence Member 
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ff12 wrote: HOW bad can Dollar General be? At Kevin Harvicks shop in Kvegas(Kernersville) several of his transporters have DOLLAR GENERAL emblazoned on them. Dollar General's sponsor money spends as well as anybody else's... Their stores can still be ugly and tasteless. Consider a fly trap... it can be pretty and nice. But it still attracts flies |
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macca Member
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So, if people are interested in making sure stores (or any buildings) meet certain "beauty" standards (or whatever criteria the community wants), how do they go about making that happen? |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:51 am by Jim Flynt |
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S. Smith Moderator
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Well three council seats are up for grabs this November, but anyone planning to run must file between noon on July 6 and noon on July 20. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:52 am by Jim Flynt |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:52 am by Jim Flynt |
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S. Smith Moderator
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Jim Flynt wrote: macca wrote:So, if people are interested in making sure stores meet certain standards (or whatever criteria the community wants), how do they go about making that happen? Okay, Jim, I'll bite. These are some pretty strong statements you're making. What evidence do you have that town council members are "beholden to real estate and development interests" and that "Stokesdale has the best town council that (real estate and development) money can buy"? That certainly gives the impression of money changing hands and/or impropriety, if not downright illegality. Why do you believe the majority of town council memers and the mayor don't have vision, leadership and common sense? |
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Scott L Member
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What does the term "beholden to the interests of others" mean? Unfortunately, the use locally is that one would gain financially in a direct manner. I have seen this use applied by attorneys and our governmental units where decisions are made regarding conflicts of interest. There are many other ways than direct financial gain that consitutes being beholden to others. For example, if I were a psychologist in private practice serving on a town's zoning board and one of my professional colleagues was presenting property for rezoning, I am not likely to gain financially by my vote, but I am likely to gain through increasing referals, and other social and professional benefits. Defining conflicts of interest as direct financial is easier in its application than considering gains more broadly, but the cost is to community distrust. |
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Vicki White-Lawrence Member
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Scott L wrote:What does the term "beholden to the interests of others" mean? Unfortunately, I don't think that the interpretation of "conflict of interest" is a local interpretation only. I think (at least in Stokesdale, the town I am most familiar with) that interpretation has been presented to Town Council members and members of the Planning Board as part of their official training by whoever provides it. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:53 am by Jim Flynt |
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Scott L Member
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I am sure you are correct that the governmental bodies are trained to use the attainment of immediate monetary gain as the criteria for requesting escuse from voting on a decision. Since as I've said, their are many other possible gains and costs that influence voting decisions, I would like to see persons running for Town Council specify in considerable detail what their interests are. I think I'll write them down for use at the Council meetings after the election. |
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onthefence Member
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Jim Flynt wrote: "Basically, every election is a change election. All elections are about tomorrow, not yesterday. Yesterday is only relevant as it gives evidence about tomorrow." Some of yesterday's evidence is the current TC actions in past rezoning cases. Rezoning cases are the most important decisions on the direction of future town growth. They are basically irreversible. Taxes may be added or deleted. Property and equipment may be bought and sold. Job positions may be created and removed. Once a parcel of land is rezoned, the land use changes. The land owner then builds on or changes the land. Unless the town buys the land for market value or uses ED, the land and Stokesdale is forever changed. The TC has a proclivity toward over ruling the planning board. A group of seven people they (TC) appointed to examine the land use cases brought to them. The planning board spends their entire meeting thrashing the details of a particular case. Then the Town Council votes the opposite direction. Why does the TC over rule a body appointed by themselves? Some examples: Rezoning for Sunoco gas station was rejected by the PB. Over-ruled and approved by TC. This was approved by two people over the objections of eight people (7 PB and 1 TC member) And one approving TC member later said she was "tricked" .... Sure! Rezoning for Proposed retail & building material complex south of Prince Edward Road was rejected by the PB as not conforming to the land use plan or appropriate to the surrounding land use. Over-ruled and approved by TC. Site plan for this complex was rejected by the PB last week. We'll see what TC does next week... Rezoning for planned unit development off of Prince Edward Road that would provide a path for the 158 by-pass. Approved by PB, Rejected by TC |
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ff12 Member
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As one person in their plea to not build the shopping center said that they enjoyed seeing the cows and views that was one of the reasons they moved to Stokesdale. If you want to continue seeing the cows and having nice views then buy the land before the developers do, but dont penalize landowners who want to sell because it could be their retirement is the land that they own. Or they might want to sell because their 'view" has already been ruined by people who wanted the nice view. So if you want to preserve Stokesdale buy the view and cows from your neighbor. Last edited on Jul 14th, 2007 07:15 pm by ff12 |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:53 am by Jim Flynt |
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ff12 Member
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What about property owners rights? Should their rights be trampled on because someone wants to have a view? i WOULD RATHER THERE HAD BEEN A LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED BUSINESS INSTEAD OF A LITTLE WAL MART AT 158/65.But how many people that read the NWObserver and live in Stokesdale buy from Stokesdale area merchants. I have always heard that Southern Hardware was to expensive, well guess what he cannot compete with Lowes, Home DEpot , and Wally world on price, but service is better. If you cant supportyour local businesses then why move out here in the first place if you are just going to drive back to Greensboro or Winston-Salem to do your shopping.You cannot have it both ways , nice views and convenience unless you support your local businesses and help them to grow and stock different products. Personally a Dollar store of any kind is just another economic gain for China and a few rich corp. heads and stock holders. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:54 am by Jim Flynt |
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onthefence Member
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ff12 wrote: What about property owners rights? FF12 : Consider that when anybody buys or has a parcel of land, the zoning conveys a given set of rights. Like a stream or any other land feature, the existing zoning figures in the value of the land. There is no individual "right" to change the zoning to allow Jim's nuke plant or my hog farm or your haz waste dump unless the land use plan (zoning)already allows it. When the town council rezones a parcel of land say, to highway business from ag, that action greatly increases the lands value. That increase in value is taken from those people (the rest of the town) that enjoy the current land use and the uses already allowed. The whole reason for the zoning change process is to allow land use that benefits the town as a whole. It is not for the best price the owner can get. |
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Tweety Bird Member
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Well said "onthefence" Money is such a motivating force in this country that we are selling ourselves down the river. Once the land is so desecrated by mindless building, you live with it for eternity. Praise the almighty dollar in the United States. Not to go off on a tangent, but the greed in this country will definitely be our downfall. Unfortunately, the downfall has already started. Get your heads out of the ground! Last edited on Jul 22nd, 2007 04:12 pm by Tweety Bird |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:41 am by Jim Flynt |
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Tweety Bird Member
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Thanks for the heads up! I have been communicating with the powers to be to try to have our Post Office moved to one of the available store fronts proposed for that site. As usual, it falls on deaf ears. Why, I don't know. Relatives of mine live in a little town called Chadbourn, NC and you could fit our Post Office in the confines of their more modern edifice. I gave them some good documentation, but I imagine it ended up in the office shredder. I have not given up yet! |
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JamesAttaway Member 
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Tweety please see the new post in NEW POST OFFICE FOR STOKESDALE |
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ff12 Member
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If a farmer has farmed his land for 40 years and is now retired and needs the money for his retirement should he not be able to get the best price for it? Maybe the people who fight every rezoning case that comes up should get together and buy the land when it is available. My point may get lost in rambling, but at what point do the property rights of the longtime landowners get trumped by the people who have their acre of land. Maybe Stokesdale needs to establish a conservation easement where they pay landowners not to develop their land but they can get paid for it and retain ownership without being taxed out of their longtime home and livelihood. I still do not want a Dollar General, just another place that sells cheap Chinese junk. Last edited on Jul 29th, 2007 03:18 am by ff12 |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 02:55 am by Jim Flynt |
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ff12 Member
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Yes I will concede that I do not know of any that have not ultimately had their land rezoned, but there have been some that have taken most of a year. I guess I am just thinking about the future. Their needs to be a balance, it seems most people are way to the extreme either way. I cannot afford any farmland, maybe the nice couple that owns the 800 acres needs could buy more. |
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