Written by: Jamie Dixey, Blowing Rock
When asked by a Commissioner at the August Council Meeting, “Why do you think this property needs more density?”, the developer of the Shoppes on the Parkway explained that this was one of the few large flat properties left in Blowing Rock and “unless someone has money to burn”, it needs more DENSITY. What he meant was his company needed to make more money off this property, regardless of whether the 75-100 Short Term Rental condos he was proposing were needed or wanted by our town. Whether or not it would cause undue stress on our infrastructure or traffic congestion and gridlock, that didn’t matter. It needed more DENSITY because Oak Hill needed to increase their profit.
What happened to the Parking Garage that was in the first master plan? We sorely needed that.
What happened to some Affordable Housing units in the mix? Several Commissioners asked about that.
What about the stress on our water supply and sewage capacity? We’re all going to be asking that question when we hit the next dry spell.
It’s probably too late to stop this developer now. Yes, they’re required to come back to Council for approval of future phases, but the Conditional Zoning has been granted and as long as they meet code, Blowing Rock is exposed to the possibility of a lawsuit should we oppose their plans. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this how the Embers got built? Have we done nothing since then to tighten the codes and prevent the same situation? How many more high-density projects will be lining our Valley Blvd. before we start standing our ground?
Blowing Rock is not for sale to the highest bidder and we certainly don’t need more DENSITY. Our town used to have the reputation of being discriminating; of insisting developers meet our high standards. We need to reclaim that reputation. It’s the only way Blowing Rock will remain the special place we love.
NO MORE DENSITY!
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