The Coming Storm

There’s a tempest coming to Fannin County … or at least a lively squall. And it will cross the boundary between newcomers and old-timers and divide the county into two camps. The dispute will be over progress, commerce and development. If you spent the last 35 years living in Pinellas County on the west coast of Florida as I did you would recognize that the first signs are already here.

Forty years ago the development in many of the small beach towns in Pinellas County consisted of mom and pop tourist hotels and lodgings. Most of these were one- or two-story buildings. The residents of these towns lived in modest houses in small residential neighborhoods.

As tourism developed and more and more people decided they wanted to live on Florida’s Gulf Coast, demand for land near the beach increased and property values started to rise in the beach communities. Developers decided there was money to be made in building large multi-story hotels and condos. When beach land values reached a certain point, many property owners cashed out and sold their land to the developers who proceeded to develop the properties in the most profitable manner possible. Never mind that their developments destroyed the old-time beachy character of Pinellas County.

Conflict developed between those who wanted to retain the old look and flavor of the beaches and those who favored development and what they considered progress.

Those on the development side had a lot of arguments going for them. Most of these arguments came down to money. Development would bring more tourists and residents, more jobs and more business opportunities. The sad thing is (depending on your perspective) that all these arguments were true and irrefutable.

What was interesting is that the division between the two camps did not rest on whether you were a newcomer or an old-timer. Many newcomers wanted to preserve the old ways, and many old-timers were in favor of development.

Inevitably, great pressure was brought to bear on local elected officials to change local zoning and building codes to facilitate this development. When the backlash against development started, great pressure was brought on them to change the codes to limit or control growth. Some of the ugliest politics I ever witnessed as a city attorney arose out of this conflict between the proponents and opponents of development. There was mud-slinging, name-calling, litigation, threats of litigation, and all the other nastiness that can occur when people feel deeply about the future of their community.

Eventually, those in favor of development won. The truth is that development almost inevitably wins. Money talks. The allure of new jobs and new business is irresistible. As land passes from one generation to the next, the younger generation has less attachment to the old ways. Furthermore, developers usually have the law on their side. This country was founded on the concept of protecting life, liberty and property, and, as a general proposition, the law favors the free and unrestricted development of property and disfavors governmental restrictions on property rights.

The developers won in Pinellas County. The beaches are now lined with high-rise condos and hotels. Traffic is unbearable. The beach is still lovely … if you can get to it. If you want to see this at its worst, just visit Clearwater Beach. It is a classic example of a blivet―ten pounds of traffic and tourists crammed into a five pound sack.

So what does this have to do with Fannin County? Well, Fannin County has a tourist-oriented economy. Every year hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Fannin County to spend the day in the City of Blue Ridge or vacation in the beautiful mountain countryside. Many persons have second homes here. This is a desirable spot for retirees. The Wall Street Journal just included Blue Ridge on its list of the ten best small towns in the United States for retirees.

At present Blue Ridge has a quaint small town feel. The fast food chains and stores like Home Depot and Walmart are located just outside town along the one major highway that runs through the county. There are only a few crowded subdivisions in the countryside.

But as the economy improves and more people move here to retire and live, the demographics will attract more chain retailers and restaurants. There is a reason a new Walmart opened outside of Blue Ridge, and it’s all about the numbers.

There have been signs already of friction between those in favor of development and those who want to retain the small town flavor of Blue Ridge. There’s talk of placing parking meters or a parking garage in downtown Blue Ridge. This sparked a lively debate at a Blue Ridge City Council meeting and in the letters to the editor sections of the local newspapers. The downtown merchants are trying to create a downtown development authority. A recent letter to the editor bemoaned the possibility of having chain stores and restaurants in downtown Blue Ridge.

It is impossible to predict when this battle royal will start, but if Fannin County and Blue Ridge remain an attractive tourist and retirement destination, it is inevitable that it will occur. It is also inevitable that development will win out in the end. That’s just the American way.