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.

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”.

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.

RUSS whats up!

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.

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!

The number of fires has nothing to do with it! In fact we do less fire than anything else about (10% fire 90% ems city paid dept, 20% fire 80% ems rural vol dept im on), unless you live in NYC or chicago and you can run strictly on fires. Most of your run volume is EMS runs, rescue runs (Vehicle accidents, entrapments, search), alarm runs, then down on the list is fires. The fire department of today is far more diverse than just putting out fires!

I do not know what else is going on in the FD, but be thankful you have a active department with good equipment and the funds to run it. Where I live they are laying off FF, shutting down fire stations and departments are not able to provide the protection that is needed for the taxpayers/citizens. If you have a good department, you are safer and your insurance costs less.

Times are tough everywhere, believe me I know, but if you really think it was wrong to replace fire equipment to help keep you, your family and the fire fighters responding to an emergency safe or to pay someone to run a department to keep you and your family safe, then I will not be able to change your thinking.

Please be safe out there!!