| It was reassuring to read recently that a prominent | | | | of Home Depot says he welcomes competition from |
| developer at the south end of our village's shopping | | | | Lowe's ( kind of like the battle of titans), but what |
| strip has promised not to turn North Conway into | | | | about the smaller stores that sell lumber, paint, |
| another Portland. That's fine, but I wonder what impact | | | | hardware, appliances, et cetera?Within this context, |
| Borders, Barnes and Noble, or Starbucks might have | | | | what can be done? For starters, we need to start |
| on some of our local independent merchants who | | | | attending meetings and ask tough and provocative |
| have worked so hard to bring money into the town | | | | questions. We need to begin acting on the answers. |
| rather than send it out. I wonder what Home Depot | | | | We need to walk the talk. For example, why are we |
| and Lowe's and the latest new big box (which is one | | | | not at least discussing controls, restraints or temporary |
| box too many) will do to some of our local businesses | | | | moratoriums such as those implemented by many |
| and to our new and scenic North-South Road.Make no | | | | other New Hampshire towns? Has anyone looked into |
| mistake, owning a business is essentially about making | | | | the admittedly controversial subject of impact fees? |
| money. That's the name of the game. Everyone has a | | | | When are we going to get serious about the concept |
| right to do it, regardless of size. Indeed, my own | | | | of planned and managed growth? Is it in the town's |
| business interests and holdings are about making | | | | Master Plan? Has the Master Plan been given a |
| money, but the money comes to me; it does not go to | | | | recent reality check?Above all, where is our Capital |
| corporate headquarters in Arkansas, Georgia, North | | | | Improvement Plan? Where is our Capital Improvement |
| Carolina, Natick or Newton, Mass. And I spend a lot of | | | | Committee? Has the advent of the so-called |
| that money at the local book shops and cigar store | | | | Infrastructure Committee (whose members apparently |
| and at the local hardware and paint stores in the | | | | are appointed) become a reason for not having a |
| greater Conway area. I strongly suspect the money at | | | | CIP? Can we slow down the waiver process, use |
| the independent book stores in town goes to the local | | | | them as negotiating tools, and get a lot tougher about |
| owners, as does the money at the many coffee | | | | granting them? Can we start at least thinking about |
| shops. These are local businesses serving the interests | | | | saying no? One can only speculate as to what would |
| of the greater Conway area. They operate with a | | | | have happened had the planning board recently called |
| long-term focus and, I believe, with a goal of improving | | | | Lowe's bluff on the parking waiver.When the Master |
| our collective quality of life. While they serve tourist as | | | | Plan was put together awhile back, few could have |
| well as locals, their revenue churns within and | | | | envisioned the explosion of commercial and residential |
| throughout the valley; it does not flow to some | | | | growth that is now taking place, particularly at the |
| out-of-state corporate headquarters. They are part | | | | southern end of the strip. Something needs to be done |
| and parcel of and contiguous with the beautiful fabric | | | | or the Master Plan simply will become two dimensional, |
| of the valley. And they, like so many others, have | | | | and a drive south on the strip may well become an |
| more reason to care about retaining what's left of that | | | | exemplar of what inrushing money can do. New |
| fabric. That, and their entrepreneurial spirit, is what sets | | | | construction project after new construction project, |
| them apart.Can the same be said of the many large | | | | new hotel after new hotel, big box stores, fast food, |
| companies and chain hotels that are on the way? | | | | strip malls, an abandoned service station? Can the ugly |
| Does the Hampton Inn have the same interests as the | | | | billboards be far behind? Perhaps a drive through |
| local bed and breakfasts? Do they have the best | | | | Windham, Maine, on 302 might provide a glimpse of |
| long-range interests of Conway in their peripheral vision | | | | what could occur.If those who live and own |
| or are they looking through fiscal periscopes? Do the | | | | businesses here fail to act, don't expect those who |
| owners and directors of Lowe's, Home Depot, the | | | | represent the big boxes to do it unless, of course, you |
| Hampton Inn, et cetera, reside here? Are their | | | | believe they really care. If those who love our natural |
| representatives who come before the planning board | | | | environment, our lakes, mountains, and forests fail to |
| people who have a sense of what the local nature of | | | | act, don't expect those who represent the chains to |
| our town is all about, or are they corporate site | | | | do it unless, of course, you believe they really care. |
| selection specialists who couldn't care less about what | | | | Perhaps they do care. But if you don't act, it will be |
| all this may be doing to the natural beauty of our | | | | what it will be."He who speaks the truth should have |
| town? Do they care about green space or will murals | | | | one foot in the stirrup." ?old Appalachian sayingTed |
| on walls or green roofs do? Will roundabouts, traffic | | | | Sares, PhD, is a private investor who lives and writes |
| circles, or rotaries solve the problem they will have | | | | in the White Mountain area of Northern New |
| caused? Would they even consider green space if | | | | Hampshire with his wife Holly and Min Pin Jackdog. He |
| they were not forced to do so by the planning board? | | | | writes a weekly column for a local newspaper and |
| Just what are their objectives? Do they really care? | | | | many of his other pieces are widely published.His |
| Maybe they do. Time will tell.Now then, if some of our | | | | works focus on issues and themes dealing with |
| local merchants are forced to shut down (and | | | | socio-political topics, business and economics in which |
| hopefully this will not be the case), the likelihood they | | | | he advocates a free market approach to capitalism, |
| will be replaced by others is slim, since the national | | | | patriotism, and matters dealing with individual |
| chain stores will likely continue to be the negative | | | | freedom.They are frequently inspirational in nature and |
| competing force that makes this happen. One can only | | | | sometimes reflect the Objectivist philosophy of novelist |
| speculate as to what will be left but whatever it is, it | | | | and philosopher Ayn Rand. He also writes short stories |
| will be different from what it is today. The developer | | | | that feature ironic and surprise twists. |