2009.03.08
Discuss Trejbal's column on Blacksburg's big-box dilemma
Blacksburg’s big-box litmus test
By Christian Trejbal
Trejbal is an editorial writer for The Roanoke Times based in the New River Valley bureau in Christiansburg.
News that Blacksburg won its case before the Virginia Supreme Court spread quickly. The developers of the First & Main project must seek council permission if they want to build a big-box store, the court said.
Citizens who had mobilized against a large-format retailer next to Margaret Beeks Elementary School rejoiced. Members of Blacksburg United for Responsible Growth shared joyful e-mails and did not skimp on the exclamation marks.
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"The big-box store could become a litmus test. Congress has abortion; Blacksburg has Wal-Mart." Let's throw a bit more emotional knee jerking onto the subject, shall we, by using really loaded words in comparing this topic. Two thoughts. First, the Mayor was on point. The developers should pitch something similar to what was presented in order to obtain the initial rezoning. That could include B-grade (sized) national chains or even one company spread over four or more buildings. Second, council and the community should be honoring the late Derek Myers' spirit. He was well known and active, and appointing his successor should include trying to get someone with similar political views. It isn't hard to guess how he would have voted on this (or other), important issues coming before council over the next couple of years; look at his life and his recent campaign for this office.
Comment by NRVA Reader — March 8, 2009 @ 9:04 am
An interesting view on appointments, but not one I share nor one articulated in the charter or state code. Council members' duty is to appoint the person whom they believe best qualified to fill out the remainder of the term, not the person who would honor the predecessor. Indeed, different people might have very different views of what Myer's spirit was, making that standard impossible to meet. Perhaps you honor his independent spirit and choose someone similar. Perhaps you honor his desire to turn the Old Blacksburg Middle School into a senior center and choose someone based only on that.
This is akin to when a U.S. Senate vacancy comes up. When governor's get to appoint a replacement, they do not have to appoint someone from the same party as the outgoing senator. Rather, they appoint whomever thy think best suited, and that most often is a member of their own party.
Comment by c. trejbal — March 8, 2009 @ 9:29 am
Sorry, but a "placeholder appointment" plays too easily into what the BURGbrains don't want -- the next highest vote getter in the last election getting a seat on town council. They don't like Paul Lancaster because he doesn't have their same narrow thought process. Whomever gets the nod needs to look out for everyone in town, not just those who hate Wal-Mart. BURG folks are still not happy that Sonic got its special conditional use permit approved and they don't want even the remotest possibility that anything they don't like for the rugby field gets a fair hearing (and horrors! approved). The town has not been served well by its special-interest groups (with the exception of Citizens First changing how open town council operates after the Tom Creek sewer fiasco) and to give BURG more belief that its has influence is not A Good Thing.
Comment by Joe Hokie — March 8, 2009 @ 1:59 pm
After thinking more about this issue, I think the Town will be ok after all. One of the main reasons for bringing a Wal-Mart to town was to help encourage shoppers to spend their money in town, not in Christiansburg. But, since the lower income residents of the town who would shop at Wal-Mart are pretty much gone, only the students and some annonymous people who would likely wear facial disguises would be left to shop there. Why bother with the disguise when you can drive your Prius emblazoned with "Downtown Blacksburg" bumper stickers over to the C'burg Wal-Mart and shop without fear of being discovered by the in-town Wal-Mart haters?
The students will likely just keep going to Christiansburg like they do, it's hard to break habits, and why would they not just go down the road when they also have the mall, Target, K-mart, and a wealth of restaurants to choose from? Blacksburg can then keep the rugby field, since I don't see any box stores filling that parcel or any other in town for that matter, certainly not while the current council is on power. I also don't see the site going to the mixed-use vision the developers originally had, not with the housing market in the toilet. Any attempt at developing affordable housing would likely mean a $200K+ house, and anything under that would be infested with students, not exactly what the developers would want either.
Sadly, after being to the First & Main site, I don't see it being successful in the long term. It sure looks nice, and it was pretty festive this winter with the lights on the trees, but I don;t see it surviving in its current form for long. I think that without a box retailer or theater, seeing as how neither are even remotely close to occupying the site, that the boutique shops and expensive restaurants there won't have much of a chance at survival. SOme might, but I forsee the same breadth of empty storefronts that plagues downtown dominating the new shopping center. Before long, it will be a glorified strip mall, filled with the usual businesses that one would fine there. Blacksburg just doesn't strike me as a nice place to live or open a business anymore. The taxes are high, the regulations are aplenty, the accomodations spartan, and the future currently limited by a narrow view of a very vocal, powerful, well-organized, and influential minority group. Best of luck BURG and Blacksburg, your great experiment in city building and developing a liberal utopia is well underway. Those of us regular folk in the NRV are watching.
Comment by Other John — March 9, 2009 @ 12:07 am
Well said OJ.
Comment by C Ramsey — March 9, 2009 @ 6:42 am