I have visited Blacksberg on a number of occasions. One of the more pleasing aspects of visiting is the local ownership of business and the lovely sense of community that is created by local small business owners.
The WalMart invasion has been successfully halted in a number of communities; perhaps some research on these would be useful. A Walmart in Blacksburg would propel us far in exactly the wrong direction.
We were told this would not happen when the rezoning was approved. This is typical behavior bait and switch from devlopers to the Town Council. The Council should rescind the zoning changes that made this reprehensible behavior possible.
WalMart in Blacksburg would make bad traffic much much worse. C'burg is close enough! Let's make Blacksburg a nice town to live in, not another strip mall.
This is a very common sense proposal that simply gives the community the right to an informed choice for any specific eventuality. Without it we are vulnerable to any kind of megastore with any kind of traffic implications.
We were told this would not happen when the rezoning was approved. Addition of a big box store in this area will increase distrust of our governmental representatives.
If you don't already know how Walmart operates, watch "The High Cost of Low Prices." The other evil about Walmart's approach to moving into new places (and shutting down local businesses) is that they very quickly move out of the town limits to avoid town taxes - and leave the huge footprint of a building empty - a building no other store can possibly fill.
So we're not just looking at Walmart coming in, which is bad enough - we're also looking at an empty retail monstrosity years down the road when Walmart decides to move out on 460 going into Giles county.
A Walmart would ruin the character of the whole town. It is also a really bad idea to have such a high volume of traffic and people loitering right next to an elementary school.
(Petition is poorly written. It says we want to expedite--speed up or facilitate the ordinance, but I'm not clear whether the ordinance is making it harder or easier than it already is for these stores to come).
But regardless of the wording of the petition, I'm against anything that would allow sprawl shopping centers and huge department stores. Blacksburg can grow, but keep it a dense community with lots of local shopping like what we see downtown.
Societal growth occurs because it reflects the will of the constituency. Small businesses thrive or fail by the support of local customers. Large stores can simply subsidize a failing location until they undermine the local economy and pull out. Diversity is the key to a stable ecosystem, lets focus on revitalizing downtown and educating the public about the importance of small business, not welcoming corporate chains.
We do not need a Walmart in Blacksburg. Traffic has become significantly worse since the new Kent Square area was built. Let's keep our small town small and not drive out local businesses for three cent plastic garbage stores.
I do not want Blacksburg to develop the way my home town did. My home town was peaceful and beautiful until a Super Walmart was built. Ever since, small local businesses have been dying and other big corporations have been moving in. The town has lost all personality and appeal and I don't want the same thing to happen to Blacksburg.
To accept a fate of drowning Blacksburg in the cultural ideals of corporate America and the big box nation would be the death of this town and a defeat for what little integrity is left in our true culture.
blacksburg's independent retailers and restaurants enrich our community in such a valuable way. we must do everything we can to ensure that this town fosters an environment where both can flourish!
one of the best things about blacksburg is the fact that i can go to local stores.
christiansburg is where i go if i'm determined to go to a big box store.
Not wanting big box stores has no effect on what smaller retailers think about Blacksburg. If anything, Blacksburg is more appealing, because small retailers can charge higher prices. Keep those big box stores in Christiansburg, or at least put them on the outskirts of Blacksburg.
Is the idea to make Blacksburg be the next Christainsburg? The best thing for Blacksburg's future development would be to make that land into a public green. The land around it would become the most valuable commercial property in southwest VA.
I am not a resident of Blacksburg, but I have visited and enjoyed the sense of a vibrant community one gets on the main street. Letting in the big box stores would wipe that out.
For such a small town, Blacksburg should be more concerned with taking care of its locals rather than large conglomerate corporations. Additionally, we don't need more traffic, or more parking lots. People say that this strip mall will create a lot of jobs for Blacksburg, but at what cost?
For the record... the south main development will NOT include a Wal-Mart... but in anycase, a "big-box" store is a bad idea in Blacksburg, and a movie theatre will shut down the Lyric, which I heart.
Blacksburg is a beautiful town, and the independent business community is part of what makes the town so refreshingly close-knit. A Walmart would destroy many small businesses around the community, and lower the wage standard. A five-mile drive or bike ride to Christiansburg is not too much to ask for keeping Blacksburg independent and lovely.
i agree that blacksburg has no need for a walmart, but this isnt about walmart, our town knows better than that, have some faith in our planning commitee, but rather a movie theater, wouldnt it be nice to have your children be able to go ona date right here in town and possibly walk around safely,and be right in our own backyad practicly.instead off in christiansburg with its traffic and depressing closed in mall? so yeahno way do we need a walmart or a homedepot or anything like that, but ithink the people runing blacksburg would never allow that to happen they only want the best so do keep that in mind, we do have the power to say yay or nay to whatever buisness that wants to come in.
Blacksburg does not need this kind of developement. Just look at the Circut City ficasco, big buisness is for the benifit of the big corporations and not for the local people. Lets try to bring in some businesses which will benifit the small local community.
