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An Outer Banks time warp
Some people long for the old days.
After reading comments on the Voice site and local blogs, I sometimes feel I need to dash into Holy Redeemer and seek absolution, even though I’m not Catholic.
The clamor against “chains” and other development recently returned to the Internet and water coolers when word got out that Kill Devil Hills was considering raising height restrictions on hotels.
Even an innocuous post on the Voice’s Facebook page about a Hampton Roads-based chain of Mexican-themed restaurants taking over the old Dirty Dick’s location (Plaza Azteca) brought forth comments of “too many chains” and more threats from past visitors not to return to our over-developed resort.
In 2008, in one of my favorite South Park episodes, “Welcome to 1864,” the kids take a field trip to a theme park called Pioneer Village, modeled after a frontier town of that era. In the main office of the park hangs a sign admonishing the employees, “Never Break Character.”
As it happens, a group of high-tech bank robbers is chased into the park by police, taking the South Park kids and Pioneer Village employees hostage. The kids find the main office and a telephone, to which the employees respond “Why, what a strange contraption.” The same happens when the robbers demand a keypad code for a rear exit — even as the robbers kill the Pioneer Village “citizens” for remaining in 1864.
When I read these comments from our visitors, it strikes me that some of them possess a stylized view of the Outer Banks frozen in 1964 or 1974. Locals, I suspect, are expected to say things like “What? A big box store? Them’s funny words!”
Or I imagine an Opie-like kid coming home for dinner (probably some venison from a deer shot by pa before he went to work at the bank and cooked up by mom into a stew with possum’ innards after she finished her shift work in radiology at the healing clinic) exclaiming, “Pa, I met a kid from a New Jersey at the beach and he wuz tellin’ me thar were stores whar you can pick from a thousand video-picture games! Can we go to Norfolk pa, can we? I’ve mastered all one level of Pong, you know!”
It’s even more amusing to read the debates on a Web site called “Carolina Birds,” where our favorite litigator, Derb Carter, holds court with a bunch of bird-watching elites who love the fact Hatteras beaches are closed and chide local Hatteras residents who complain about the damage done to their economy. Several actually have the audacity to inform Hatteras denizens their overdeveloped modern economy is bad for the environment and since they chose to live on a barrier island, they should not complain about lacking modern stores, income and development.
While Raleigh may belong to those who live and work there, the Outer Banks appears to belong to anyone who wishes to stick their nose, or lawyers, into our business. This also seems to include what stores and services locals should be “allowed” to patronize.
Of course, I choose to imagine these city folk typing their posts hooked to a fiber-optic broadband connection from their home on an Apple laptop purchased at the local mall, while sipping Napa Valley cabernets, (where the locals there are complaining that the influx of wineries and winery tourists are ruining the rustic countryside and causing too many restaurants hotels, and stores to open in what used to be farming towns — but alas, Napa hosts no piping plovers).
Even with all of our “over-development,” Outer Bankers put up with a lot. I once fished a three-day tourney in Buxton and forgot to pack underwear. Not one store in Buxton, Frisco or Hatteras, including the two general stores, carried such a thing.
Up here, my urologist comes once a month from Elizabeth City — sometimes. No neurologists visit the area anymore. Oil changes still require appointments in many places, and you aren’t going to buy a set of tires late Saturday or anytime on Sunday, nor can one get a hair cut on a week night or Sunday.
Many of us still pack coolers on weekends (except in the summer when we can’t get back) and make the trip to Chesapeake to buy steaks, pork, paper towels and other items in bulk — luxuries our visitors have access to every day when they are home. Heck, I still have to go to Hampton Roads to buy something as simple as Lawry’s Mesquite-Lime marinade, as not even the two local chains stores stock it.
And if I wanted to buy something exotic such as a Toyota or Honda and get it worked on under warranty at the dealer? And a tailored suit? Not gonna happen here.
While we all eat collards in the winter and local sweet corn in the summer, I do enjoy things like tarragon vinegar, Marsala cooking wine and sausage from places without the name “Jimmy Dean” stamped across the package. Try buying Sopressata on the OBX in 1980. It takes a Harris Teeter to do that these days. I buy my Weber grill at the locally owned Ace, even though it’s $50 cheaper at The Home Depot. So my guilt is limited.
Yes, it’s nice to be able to purchase a cheap laptop at Wal-Mart, inexpensive SD camera cards at K-Mart and ink cartridges at Staples without the necessity of a day trip. I like to linger over the ethnic food choices in Harris-Teeter. And getting your gall bladder out at The Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head at 7 a.m. and sitting on a sofa at home by 11 a.m. beats the heck out of all the times I made daily trips to Norfolk to visit my wife for kidney stone surgery or my mother-in-law in Chesapeake. Development is not a four-letter word.
I miss the old Outer Banks too, but I live here also and there is a fine line between over-development and reasonable choices. I would probably miss Packards, too, if I was old enough to remember them.
I think I have the right to patronize both a Manteo Furniture and a Harris-Teeter — just like our visitors. Panera Bread anyone?
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Meaghan says:
Sir, while I applaud your effort to find a happy medium between old and new, I have to wonder if you realize what you’re inviting to our area. Having grown up in a town that was once deemed the most desirable place in America to live, I saw it go from a quaint town with a sprinkling of chains and mom&pops to a vast sea of homogenized strip malls with a Big Box store on every corner. I doubt our current citizenry would allow such a thing to happen. But having been there done that, I dread the loss of local uniqueness to those who miss the convenience of a Panera next to their Starbucks.
Bill says:
Very well written. However, I don’t think that a majority of folks are wanting no development. And, all of us want convenience. The real issue is not what is done, but how it is done. If you stand in the curve at Sam and Omie’s and look at Comfort Inn then Jennett’s Pier, what you see is a contrast in character. I think that all of us who would like to see it stay the way we thought it was want it to look like the Pier and Sam and Omie’s not like Comfort Inn and whatever chain will be built in sight of both. As Opie as it may sound, the idea of building in a “Manteo Way” will tend to support the OBX character that has attracted millions over the years. I think that holding on to the look and feel of the OBX Way is important. It does not mean no development. It does mean thoughtful development. Maybe 50 feet is really too tall.
Russ Lay says:
Meaghan–well put. I suspect our limited population, constrained by geography, will keep many of the chains out…Panera included. And, I don’t go to the Starbucks here as I prefer the three local chains better. Ditto on Home Depot; it’s rare that I visit.
Bill-I like the Manteo way, and I’m working on something along those lines. As a preview, some towns in the area are able to maintain their “look” as their residents rely on the other towns to supply needs. Check out the Food Lion on Saturday at the Outer Banks Mall in Nags Head and you’ll see a lot of Roanoke Island residents shopping there!
Jake says:
I think Bobby says it best, there’s a new wave coming, with artificial beaches and tourism at all costs and big business being the key goal..!
So us old folks better just shut up and get out of the way.
Anyone who makes money off this place and then whines that the “wrong type of other businesses” is trying to do the same needs to be quiet.
You opened the door, sorry if the wrong dog came home. Deal with it.
Ray says:
I think you lost the reader on this one, Russ.
ekim says:
I moved here 30 yrs ago, I was a high walker makin 40 an hr, big money back then. I came like some to fish and hunt and hold my first marriage together. After a 2 week vacation, I sold everything except the car, guns and fishin poles and moved here within a month. It was a small town with 2 lights. What are we now? The marriage didn’t last, the fishing and hunting aint what it use to be. PURE GREED IS KILLING THE LITTLE TOWN, PURE GREED!!! THERE is no place like this on the whole east coast. I’ve looked, so have friends. Its still a wonderful place for me to raise my family and children. Lets stop killing the small town. Are you aspiring for the Outer Banks to be another Myrtle Beach??
RUSS whats up!
Russ Lay says:
Ekim: Where in my article did I ask for another Myrtle Beach? My point was, and is, that people who live here deserve to set their own goals on where and what we offer our residents, not people in Raleigh. There is a balance between convenience and living like it was 1960 here.
Explain GREED to me? TJ Maxx opened in April, not during tourist season. The parking lot was maxed out (no pun) and you couldn’t move in the place. Are you saying TJ Maxx is greedy, or are you saying the locals don’t want to shop there? The winter lines at Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Walmart belie the idea of greed being the only motivator. Interestingly, one of the last times I saw one local critic who comments above was in, er, Home Depot walking out with a bunch of stuff he could have purchased at Kellogg’s.
barbara says:
Wow. I just have to ask… WHY are YOU here?
I like ekim’s post above… a lot of us have settled, not made the salaries as other places, dealt with a few minor inconviences, dont miss the traffic, malls, the starbucks (and dont frequent the ones who have chosen to set up shop) … why? because this place is so special. Pure heaven on earth, pure heaven which is being poisoned slowly by over developement, beach nourishment, higher taxes and greed. Greed is destroying it. Our little island is nothing like it was when I first came, and I loved it for what it was and never hoped to “change it”.
Colleen A says:
Russ, another great post. I think we townies may have been more OK/less uptight with the TJ Maxx because it’s not so obvious. The only way you stumble upon it is if you are looking for it. I have to admit, I like the idea of having a little more convenience, and variety is one of the spices of life… I just don’t want it to be smacked in the face with it.
Russ Lay says:
Again–my point exactly. The response thus far is what I expected. I am here for my own reasons and I am not sure they need to dovetail with yours or others. One of the reasons we have media alternatives is to air these type of differences of opinion.
What first prompted this article was not just the arrogance of those in Raleigh telling folks in Hatteras to “tough it out” and deal with the environmental movement. Not being defensive, but my article had no problem with locals determining our fate; it had to do with those who don’t reside here weighing in. That point has been missed by many.
Secondly, you moved here. So I ask, why did “YOU” move here, and why do you think you’re the last one? If you came here from outside, you were one extra person, one extra house, and one extra person utilizing one extra group of resources…water, roads, septic. Where did you draw the line? Should the native population somehow have prevented you from arriving? Because surely, if you thought the area a paradise, so did several thousand others.
And so you came. Many here call it the “close the bridge behind me” syndrome. As an observer, I sit and watch this everyday.
In 2009, I watched a prominent member of one local planning board rail on and on about big box stores at a public meeting. The following Monday, there she was in line at Wal-Mart in front of me, basket full of clothes for her grand kids.
As I’ve mentioned already, I’ve seen one, now two comments from readers saying I am wrong about this development. As I pointed out, one I saw in Home Depot, and now the other is one who posted, in public, on Facebook how much they enjoyed Captain George’s the first week they opened. If CG’s is not the epitome of huge, chain, frozen, corporate food, I’m at a loss for what is. Others who have commented here took jobs, making money working on mansions, soliciting government bids, etc. It’s a small town, and if there is one thing that puzzles me, it’s the contradictions that are apparent every day from those who decry development yet make their living from it. Ditto for those who decry runaway taxes yet bid for government jobs.
Nowhere in this article did I say build a million homes, or a 100 story hotel, or build a million Wings. I said I like being able to buy a PC at Wal-Mart, some good food at Harris-Teeter (and yes, I miss Seamark terribly), or a webcam (which I bought Monday) at Staples.
But one more time, each person who moved here from elsewhere to enjoy the “undeveloped nature” of the area added to the eventual over development. The story is the same in Sanibel and most of Florida, Napa Valley, even the New Zealand coast.
If the vast majority of locals don’t want this much commercial development (and I am not speaking of rental homes), then they would boycott the stores. Instead, the chains are full of locals and the small businesses eventually close or adapt. Why is that?
My guess is that if I’ve “lost the readers on this one,” then the folks I see in line at Food Lion, dining at Outback, or hauling generators out of Home Depot who live here simply don’t read this web site.
Russ Lay says:
@Colleen–agree. I like how Kitty Hawk hid the Wal-Mart complex and I also like the new Food Lion center in Nags Head as it sits perpendicular to the main road. I have never been a huge fan of the Belk Center. Likewise, for some reason, the Market Place in Southern Shores is equally unobtrusive. The hospital blends well with the mall, although I would prefer the Seamark to the vacancy now present. Seamark carried all the same alternative foods Harris-Teeter now offers.
Shannon says:
Small businesses… am I missing something? Can someone give me an example of a small business I would shop at when I need bed linens or general housewares? For these I go to Belks or God help me Kmart. The small businesses I see around here are candy stores, coffee shops, restaurants and clothing boutiques/surf shops geared to tourism with tourist prices. Unless you can come up with an example or two how can you fault a local for shopping at a big box?
And when it comes to home improvement, Kelloggs and Ace are adequate but don’t have the inventory of a Home Depot. I try to give Kelloggs my business and only go to Ace and Home Depot as a last resort. Now can someone explain why we need so many Ace Hardware stores on the beach?
Ricky T says:
Ekim and others,
If “greed” is destroying the Outer Banks, will someone please explain to me why tourists are here in record numbers in the middle of a deep recession???? Explain to me why message boards such as the Outer Banks Connection are packed full of people who absolutely rave about this place,i n spite of the so-called destruction.
I personally hope that I never see the day where the Outer Banks transforms itself into a Va or Myrtle Beach. Where do you draw the line in terms of growth? It’s not my job to determine that. How can I in good conscience rob someone else of an opportunity to get ahead in life?
Like Russ says, define greed . . .I think the majority of the “you’re greedy types” are envious of those who took risks and prospered from it. Class warfare runs rampant on the Outer Banks.
One thing I’ve learned in life is that you don’t lift yourself up by pulling others down.
That’s my opinion……..
ekim says:
RUSS it was awsome when we had 2FLNS an 1 ROSES it was simple .THE big companys are the first step,the people you see at wallyworld would shop at roses if thats all we had.
Russ Lay says:
Ekim–yep, it was. In fact, as a kid I worked at Roses. Loved it. Bought almost every 45 rpm record I own from the one that used to be in Princess Anne Plaza.
Then in college, my Rose’s boss solicited me to work at a bigger store–JM Fields. He thought the Rose’s model was dying and took a bunch of us kids with him to work in the new, big store stock room. I worked at Fields all through college–even grad school. Then they went down as K and. W-Mart came along.
For a time, all three stores co-existed, but eventually, Walmart won, even to the almost-extinction of K-Mart. For whatever reasons, people make their choices, sad as it seems to be.
The very first store I saw in NZ as I got off a plane was Burger King. The second one was Sunglass Hut. Next was a Subway. It was hard to find a NZ store in the entire Auckland airport. It’s the same, somewhat sad story everywhere. We all love what we grew up with. I liked the old Va Bch to its current version. But I suspect the kids today prefer the new version. I know how you feel, but I suspect it’s changing tastes rather then greed in most cases. We’re getting old Ekim and a new group with their own preferences–pools in rental homes, DVD players, large kitchens–they want that stuff.
Barbara says:
Im HERE because I LOVE it exactly how it WAS. I didnt want to change anything. I loved the fact that there wasnt a huge mall and giant 20-story motels. I loved the small town charm, small ma and pop businesses. Everyone was happy to pay their bills and just was happy to be here. Content to shop at Food Lion, Belk and occasional KMart. (Still don’t shop at wally-world unless I’m up that way or have no other choice.) I was dismayed to see giant Sunsations and Coastal Edge dwarf small locally owned Surf Shops like Cavlier and Whalebone. I think the problem is all the visitors come from wherever this sprawl exists elsewhere and are content to eat @ Capt. Georges, content purchase souvenirs at Walmart instead of the numerous art galleries, cool gift shops and locally owned businesses. These same visitors who we have spent millions and millions begging to come here have in fact homogenized the Outer Banks to become exactly what most of us wanted to get away from. That is where the greed factor comes Russ… more visitors, more money, more buidlings, more profits… The sad thing is nobody’s wages have increased, wages and job opportunities for locals remain very stagnant and low despite all of these ‘record numbers” and record profits. Do a story on THAT.
Cynthia says:
Bill’s sentence: “I think that holding on to the look and feel of the OBX Way is important. It does not mean no development. It does mean thoughtful development.”
It seems everyone is in agreement on this.
bubba says:
I’m against all this fancy new fangeled stuff with their doo dads and what not. I don’t want to see us change, I like it the way it is. Just give me a chic fil a. That’s all I need what we have now and a chic fil a. Nothing more.
Nothing more than a chic fil a and what we have now, and a Target. That’s all I need. A target, chic fil a, what we have now and nothing else. Don’t need those other things!
A Target, chic fil a and what we have now and a Sams Club. But that’s all. Target, chic fil a, Sams Club and what we have now, nothing else but an Olive Garden. A target, chic fil a, Target, Sams Club and and Olive Garden but don’t change anything else here on the OBX please.
Phyllis says:
TJMaxx compared to shopping available in bigger cities? Give me a break. I live here because I chose the simplicity of this type of life. I brave the traffic every week to fly out of Norfolk for work …. and the drive back late at night upon return. Because I chose the simplicity of this type of life. I don’t need major stores in this area, and I certainly don’t need a Lowes at the opening to BOTH streets leading to my development. But then I knew it was going downhill when Hooters was built — so what’s a little (big) box store? And don’t tell me about shopping in the winter at Food Lion or HT — they do not stock the same things in winter for locals — they stock for tourists in the summer! So I’ll just stay in my little corner of paradise away from it all, take the long way down Bay Drive to 5th street to catch a light after Lowes goes in, and quit complaining. Won’t do any good anyway. You say let the locals decide what is built on the island? Who listens to the locals?
ekim says:
RUSS baby i love the way you srir it up as for the new group you speak of thay can go somewhare else,But i guess the way thay were allowed to build the mcmansions thay wont.
Well it seems most of us agree their destroying the peace & the solitude of the once small beach village.Im sick to say i think it will get worse
Lets VOTE em all out!
Beth says:
My memories of the OuterBanks is one of pristine lovely vista’s and wonderful “mom and pop” places to shop and eat. The Sound Side, Gray’s Dept Store, and least we forget Ben Franklin. All were so unique and loved by locals and tourist alike. You had to take the trek to Chesapeake or Norfolk to go to big stores, but it was an adventure something you looked forward to once a month.
During the recent Earl scare I had friends send me pics of the Outer Banks and was shocked and somewhat horrified there was a TJMAXX. Yes, if you build it they will come, but at what cost? You can always find a reason to patronize a store, but wasn’t what brought you to one of the most loveliest of places because it was so quaint? Those of you who still live there and have for the last 35 plus years, look at your old photo’s and remember when. Just because there is vacant land doesn’t mean you need to build on it! I miss that island of once was!
Russ Lay says:
Barbara-that is a good idea for an article, and something I have part way in progress. I need to decide how to approach it and who to interview in order to get a representative sample…
Roanoker says:
There are many places now gone that I miss. The Galleon Esplanade, A Restaurant by George, Papagayos, Jennette’s Pier, Sportsman’s Diner, and getting my car fixed at Scarborough’s Garage. I noticed that the photo for this piece is the old garage. I also miss Roy’s Exxon in Manteo, Fearing’s Drug Store and the Diner. All these places represent to me the fabric of something special we had on the Outer Banks. Adding more and more chains and box stores are watering down or homogenizing this place to be like any where else in the US. I always liked living in a unique place. It didn’t and still doesn’t matter to me that I see the most current blockbuster, have the latest fashions, or all the gourmet ingredients for a certain dish. I could travel to Chesapeake for those things while I was seeing my doctor in Great Bridge. My mother moved here 5 years ago and I put together a list of doctor’s for her. A doctor for this, a doctor for that. It really surprised me. I suggested she just go to a local family doctor and she was dismayed. When I told her there are a few natives on Roanoke Island that are living past 100 doing just fine with the local doc, she was not impressed. I was. Did I mention that I miss Dr. Wright in Currituck? I know you cannot stop growth, but you sure can plan it and how you would like your town to look in 20 years. Just for the record, you will never see me in Walmart or Food Lion, still haven’t been to TJmaxx, and rarely go to Harris Teeter or Home Depot. If you are on facebook, there is a great group called Outer Banks Vintage Scapbook with a lot of old photos and remembrances from members.
Meaghan says:
Shannon – seafood markets, bookstores, accountants, florists, jewelers, tutors, vegetable stands, framers, knitting stores – all small locally-owned businesses that cater to locals (not necessarily tourists) that can be replaced by box stores. Try and think beyond hardware stores and fast food restaurants as the only businesses where you make a choice.
barbara says:
Russ, I would start by interviewing the local families who now go to the food banks (local food banks had RECORD numbers of people this past year). Also interview some of the foreign workers before they leave – ask how their pay compared to expectations and living conditions (pilot reported foreign workers eating at soup kitchens to make ends meet). Ask a local who once had a home here and has forclosed. Ask anyone who has been here for at least 10 years how much their bottom line has increased, esp. in past 3-5 years. It seems the only people making out in Dare County are wealthy retirees and county / govt. employees. Ask them, they probably all got raises this year. Our young population has enabled this area to prosper. You know why? They LOVE (or loved it past tense) it here. They have long provided exceptional enthusiatic service. probably lived in less than ideal conditions. Probably turned a cheek when faced with salary cuts, rent increases and typical BS. You know why? because they love it here and wouldnt want to be any where else. These people have financed the up and up on the OBX. Their beautiful attitude has sold hour-long dinner waits, broken AC and red flagged beaches to our visitors for years. This beach is slowly crowding this crowd out. Good luck. Whose gonna wait on the wealthy retiree country club set then? Better learn russian.
Stan Clough says:
The only thing in life that is constant is change. That is a fact that can not be disputed. We just need to control the change as we can,
Duke says:
I have really enjoyed the posts. They have been as diverse as our population. Let me remind everyone again that about 75% of Dare County is government owned. The over development everyone keeps referring to is such a small part of Dare. What the problem is that a lot of the solitude and beauty is inconvenient. If you want to see virgin oceanfront get in your car and drive to Pea Island or Bodie Island. There are thick forests and wildlife at the Alligator National Park. How about Nags Head Woods, Kitty Hawk Woods or Buxton Woods. These are great places to take a walk. There are so many areas put aside that will never be developed because those who were here ahead of us had the forethought to set aside what is precious. But so many want it in KDH or Nags Head also. The OBX is marketed as a family oriented destination and as someone mentioned previously, the new group of visitors want the amenities. Do you remember the terrible cell phone service and the frequent electric brownouts. We demanded broadband internet and so much of the rest. These improvements cost money and without the tourists and the many rental homes to pay for it, we would still be waiting for a clear cell signal. Ask the people in Martin County or some of the other small areas that don’t have what we have. I see no need for more box stores but I do enjoy the convenience. After working in Buxton last winter through all of the nor’easters and realizing how few services are available in the winter I felt like I was returning to civilization when I crossed the bridge into Manteo. But I enjoyed the 1 1/2 hour ride along the oceanfront and remembered why I moved here. Coming from NY I thought it insane I couldn’t buy a gallon of paint or a bag of fertilizer on Sunday because ACE was closed. We have come a long way from that. So I have no problem with all of the development in the 25% and I have learned to be grateful for the remaining 75%.
ekim says:
Duke you dont get ityou must be part of the75%
beth says:
Duke as many have said, it’s the newer residents that don’t see that the charm of the Outer Banks WAS the inconveniences! You left NY to get away from the traffic the craziness, and now you want it for YOUR convenience! The slowness of the community was what brought most people to live on the Outer Banks NOT the stores. Having a store closed on Sunday is a good thing. You need to slow down, have a day of rest.
beth says:
Barbara you are right! The one thing that has always plagued this community has been the low wages. It is sad to hear how so many have lost their homes and are in need of food. Their should be an article about the plight of the people on the Outer Banks. Really looking at the different residents and jobs that have been lost, local businesses etc. I’m sure the economy has taken its toll on such a finite driven economy.
Len J says:
While development is sometimes a good thing, it must be carried out with caution, objective thinking and a step back to get a clear view.
I am an “out of towner”. I first visited the outer banks in the early 90′s and loved it. I did not return again until 2004 and was shocked on my return. Some areas are now over developed and more importantly over commercialized. Be careful what you allow or you will ruin the beauty.
If you raise the building heights and build the “big box” stores, the history, tradition and beauty of the banks all wash away like the beaches are doing. Progress and conveinence are sometimes not a good thing.
I have made some friends there, I plan to look to retire there. When those friends talk about us visitors – that T-word – and the traffic, ignorance and the like. It doesn’t change my plan but makes me ask “how did you let that happen”?
Just an opinion
Harold says:
Gee Russ — You’ve really hit a nerve
We moved here after 15 years of visiting because we liked the “feel” of the area…small town living at the beach. We still love it. What we don’t like, we avoid. We will NOT go into a Reef, a xxx, a Coastal Edge, etc. We do a lot of our home improvement shopping at Ace or Kelloggs because we can. For those who don’t know, our local Ace stores are owned by the same family that helped the Wright Brothers more than 100 years ago. Above all, we like the people…the small town atmosphere, the ability to get to know people, having a doctor, a grocery store, an auto repair shop and a bank within a mile or 2 where the people know us. We love the schools, and watching the high school sports teams like the 50′s.
Also, I give Nags Head credit for using its zoning and permit process to keep some of the old charm, and not caving in to development (although it’s a pain if you want a permit to do a minor alteration to your house).
Everything changes; we need to work together to keep the changes for the better.
Russ Lay says:
Harold-hitting a nerve was the intention
And yes, Nags Head does a good job for the most part.
Some future articles–development and low wages–I think from my research the data will show development brought locals much higher paying jobs.
Vacant land–why build on it? I would ask those asking that question what they expect the lot owners to do? Keep it in a perpetual trust, donate it? It gets sold, sooner or later, and it has nothing to do with greed and often, more of need.
Locally owned business–what happens when the surf shop owner, small clothing store owner, etc retires?
I think people will come to realize as we actually write from fact rather than emotion that economic reality and not “greed” feed development. They won’t like what we write, but I’ve financed small business for 30 years, and 90% of the time, their demise has nothing to do with chain stores.
Harold says:
Russ — I agree and I enjoy watching the conversations.
Stan Clough says:
OK, complain about the traffic, how much it has changed, over development,greed, on and on. I really get tired of hearing it. Sorry. A look of the Outer Banks from above will show anyone that there is very little development on OUR OUTER BANKS. Duke is RIGHT! (its OK he is from New York). I live in Kill Devil Hills and have miles of forrest behind my house where I can take my 4 year old daughter on “hikes” . When I was in high school and would come to Hatteras fishing we had to bring our own food. The need to go to Virginia to shop, which was NECESSARY until recently is a good thing. There are still a few specialty items I enjoy that are only available in “the big city ” so I still go there. Development is a GOOD thing, it just needs to be regulated, as we are doing. Builders on the Outer Banks have been buying from Lowes for years in Elizabeth City, why not here ? I may not like the location, but there are lots of things I do not like. Trying to connect the Lowes to possibly raising building heights in KDH and Dare County considering sewage treatment as some sort of “conspiracy theory” is way off base. There have been and always will be people who move here and want it to stay the same forever. Get over yourself and relax, it is the beach !!! We will work together to try to keep it nice !
Trip Edwards says:
I fee like I’m at church on Sunday with all these hypocritical comments being made here. “I like the way it was” and the “I hate change.” Let me ask you this….if you’re need medical attention quickly, aren’t you glad that we have the OBX Hospital? If you have to have a cancer treatment, aren’t you glad that you don’t have to go two hours north or west to get it done?
I guarantee that every single person that has posted on this article has eaten at a Subway, Dairy Queen, or Five Guys here on the beach. I guarantee you’ve shopped at the “big box” stores. In my line of work I hear so much talk about convenience, and in this world today, if it’s not convenient you aren’t going to want to bother with it. Wal-Mart is convenient. Home Depot is convenient – don’t know that Kellogg’s has a credit program.
So much whining about our local economy and that real estate has gone down the tubes. Sounds to me like those “I like it the way it was” folks want it to stay that way.
KHer says:
Good article, Russ.
Change happens. I crack up at those who say, “I moved here because…”. You’re moving here (by the tens of thousands) is what necessitated the changes.
And the old time families who complain about the development…whose daddy and grandpa sold that land to the developers? Hello.
I’ve lived here a quarter century. Lots of changes. I, for one, am glad I don’t have to drive to Eliz. City or VA for reasonably priced groceries or TVs or plumbing fixtures or appliances anymore.
And someone mentioned some the businesses of the past that have closed down. None in that list (Galleon, Scarboroughs, etc) were due to chains or big box stores coming in.
Change happens.
BoB says:
Yes, Change Happens. We Love Our Comfort Zone, However We Are Quick To Run To The Va. Chain Stores To Shop At Christmas. Admit It.. You Always See Your Friend Or Neighbors In Va.(And I Hate It), Spending Money Outside Of Our Local Economy) Selection, Value Etc. The Mom & Pops Can’t Always Compete On This Level. It’s A Sign Of The Times.We Created This Monster. Shop Local !!!!!!!