Home > Norcross.Talk > Archives > 2008 > October > 08 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USThe price of progress. Is it worth it?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When we moved to Georgia in the late 80’s, we moved from a fairly well developed area of Orlando, Florida, to well… the sticks of Cherokee County, Ga.
It was a culture shock for me to say the least. I moved from an area where basically everything I needed or wanted was either within walking distance or at most a mile away to a semi-rural area where everything was at least a good 5 or more miles away.
I couldn’t wait for my new home to catch up to the rest of civilization whereas my parents wanted it to stay away as long as possible.
There are pros and cons to any sort of progress. Unfortunately it seems - mostly cons.
One consequence to the sort of progress I am referring to is.. neglect.
Norcross and the rest of Southwest Gwinnett are my case and point.
I’ve had neighbors and politicians alike reflect on the good ole days of living around these parts. Some have harkened back to the day when Jimmy Carter Blvd didn’t exist and others recalling all the shopping and culinary fare that was once available.
Then progress moved on to other parts of Gwinnett… through Duluth and Snellville.. and eventually finding its way into the farthest reaches of county today that was not so long ago very rural.
That wave of progress was followed by tidal waves of apathy and neglect - and it shows.
I’ve seen proof of that everywhere I have lived or visited - Orlando, Atlanta, Tampa, Jacksonville, Birmingham, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Phoenix to name a few.
For all my wishing for things to change or get better I always had one caveat - it had to be done responsibly.
Unfortunately, responsibility is another con to progress. We have a build now and worry about it later mentality that is coming back to bite us square on the behind.
The most aggravating part of it all is - most of the problems we are facing today were preventable.
Think about our water situation. Traffic. Crowded and poorly performing schools. Rising crime rates.
All results of poorly planning and mismanagement of progress, yet all mostly preventable, or at least manageable. But the powers that be instead play defense… not offense. And in this case.. defense doesn’t win championships. There have been many of you who have commented in the past that you want the development to stop. Well, you can’t stop progress. There have also been just as many who do not fear.. and completely welcome progress, but we wish such progress was better thought out and managed more responsibly.
While there are plenty of advantages to mention regarding progress, and we’ve questioned its price… I have to ask next… was it worth it?
Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment | Categories: Woody Bass
Comments
By MAG
October 8, 2008 5:28 PM | Link to this
You are spot on about past development. Right now, though, Gwinnett County Commissioners are considering the 2030 Unified Plan which encompasses Land Use, Transportation and Water plans. It is a bold plan that can really move the County to a great place if it’s implemented. Public interest, input and comment was non-existent through the entire process. Rather than sit here and complain about the past 20 yrs of uninspiring development, why not get involved, read this plan and comment before it’s put into action.
By Woody Bass
October 8, 2008 5:52 PM | Link to this
MAG: I am aware of the 2030 plan and have mentioned it in previous blogs and continue to follow its progress as much as possible. Unfortunately, the 2030 plan is good idea, but I am not sure its going to be enough to reverse the neglect. I hope Im wrong.
By BW
October 8, 2008 10:24 PM | Link to this
How many people will be willing to stick around for the new plan? After seeing what these commissioners have done over the past eighteen years I’ve been here, when my wife retires in just a few years all you will see are our tail lights.
By Cindy
October 9, 2008 8:28 AM | Link to this
Nothing but the tail lights? Hey! that should be a song.
By Bubba
October 9, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this
No, it was not worth it.
Yes, progress is inevitable. Yes, much of the problems we face now were preventable. I recall then Commissioner Wayne Hill who, when asked when Gwinnett would stop developing, said, “When it’s full.”
The commissioners were so busy developing north-south access that they neglected east-west access. Their answer to traffic control is to simply add a traffic light - no timing control, no maintenance. Build a subdivision, and worry about building a road later.
The movers and shakers got rich, the homeowners got shoddily-built houses. Business owners got graffiti, movers and shakers found something for prisoners to do in their off time. Forget “paint control,” everybody’s gotta do something.
Once upon a time, Gwinnett was beautiful. Now, it’s become a slum for the good ol’ boys, the modern-day plantation owners who measure progress by diversifying the racial make-up of the contributors to their coffers. They build city halls that are far more elaborate (and expensive) than their citizens require, their city police forces are akin to neighborhood reevenue enforcers legitimized by a badge and a gun.
I miss Gwinnett.
By Willx
October 9, 2008 3:48 PM | Link to this
I am extremely disgusted with the lack of respect shown by the current Gwinnett Board of Commissioners to the Taxpayers. From the land use plan, overconstruction of sub-prime loan target homes, to the currently under construction baseball stadium not a single taxpayer was asked about or allowed to make public comments on until is was too late.
During the next two elections cycles, I will vote against every single Commissioner on the current Board especially Chairman Bannister. If they will not listen to us taxpayers, we can at least shake up the good ole boy & girl system favoring developers over the citizens.
I can’t wait to vote AGAINST Bert Nasuti and Kevin Kenerly!
At a time when the economy is in the tank, the baseball stadium taxpayer boondoggle should be halted immediately. These are times to halt all excessive spending not absolutely neccessary, not full speed ahead towards financial backruptcy for Gwinnett County. Heck, even a lawsuit by the Braves would be cheaper than continuing to throw money down an ever increasing financial hole. Its completion cost will increase more and more. $Count$ on it!
By roska
October 10, 2008 10:22 AM | Link to this
As long as Gwinnett voters don’t participate in primaries and/or keep sending idiots like Bannister, Lassiter and Kenerly back year after year nobody has a right to complain.
Nobody shows up at budget hearings. Nobody shows up at public planning sessions. Nobody shows up for SPLOST planning sessions. Nobody shows up to vote.
Everybody does show up to complain after the fact though.
We have seen the enemy and he is us!
Come on people. Get engaged and actually DO SOMETHING other than complain.
By Michael H. Smith
October 10, 2008 11:02 AM | Link to this
roska -Only one of your complaints about the complainers even registers an honorable mention. If everyone shows up to do everything as you desire, then we would have no need of electing a representative government.
Not enough bodies of good judgment run for elected office and not enough bodies show up to vote them into the decision making positions of government.
By roska
October 10, 2008 1:27 PM | Link to this
But there were better people than Bannister and Lassiter running in this past election right?
And if people were engaged and responsive we wouldn’t have many of the problems we now have nationally and locally.
It takes and active citizenry to make a representative republic work. That was my point.
And my point continues to be that we have a lazy citizenry that really shouldn’t complain when they don’t participate in the process.
By Cindy
October 10, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this
As long as I’m a taxpayer I have the right to support or complain against anything that’s being done. Michaels phraseology of “not enough” is a more accurate statement than “nobody” because I am pretty sure I saw me at the polls every time they’ve been open since I’ve been in Gwinnett, thank you very much.
Usually you make alot of sense Roska, so I’m not going to say you don’t. But, the most of us have our own jobs that we are responsible for and can’t hold the county officials hands every single step of the way.
They’re not supposed to be tittybabies…the meetings are open to the public, but that doesn’t mean we’re all supposed to be at every single thing, and the tv channel shows it, so does the website. We’re not supposed to have to alter our lives around county govt meetings. There are other avenues…
By Michael H. Smith
October 10, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this
Yeah and I voted for that better person. As I said not enough people vote to put the right individuals into office. And on that, as I pointed out, YOU got a legitimate gripe.
See ya at the ballot box with pen in hand.
By Cindy
October 10, 2008 3:43 PM | Link to this
I voted for that better person too. Scare tactics from leadership-influence swayed alot of people to vote the wrong way…under the guise of safety.
By Michael H. Smith
October 11, 2008 11:24 AM | Link to this
Cheer up Woodrow, lament not the past. Build a better future we must. Yesterday, in the AJC no less, appeared a very timely thoughtful article. Written by Speaker Pro Tem of the Georgia House, Mark Burkhalter.
At last Georgia may have the voice and the elected official willing to boldly step forth with an energy plan that truly fosters the strategy for achieving energy independence.
Georgia must develop a bold energy plan
I urge support for this proposal, though, in its’ early stages this potential legislation is the most important the General Assembly will consider in the upcoming session. The energy issue weighs heavily on all the other issues of our utmost concerns, i.e. transportation, water, economy and security.
By Al
October 14, 2008 7:31 AM | Link to this
“That wave of progress was followed by tidal waves of apathy and neglect - and it shows…I’ve seen proof of that everywhere I have lived or visited…The most aggravating part of it all is - most of the problems we are facing today were preventable.”
Amen.
I’m always baffled by how commercial and residential development is allowed to exceed the capacity of an area’s traffic infrastructure. I’m even more baffled as to how an area can be developed into someplace really nice to live/visit, but then it’s not designed to STAY that way.
If Gwinnett’s progress is unstoppable, then can the progress at least be forced into a 180-degree turn, going back to REDEVELOP the neglected areas instead of continuously (and unnecessarily) going outward?
By Sloan
October 15, 2008 7:07 PM | Link to this
Stupid is as stupid does. This is the only state I have ever lived in that didn’t know how to take care of water problems. My first week here it was obvious the road structures were created willy nilly. No grid system. No timed traffic lights. Heck, not even room for sidewalks let alone bicycle lanes. It’s like the built the buildings first, and then built the roads around them. I love progress. I spent 20 years in Orange County California. I loved it as things grew. Better freeways. More roads to use. Heck, they even built an aqueduct the size of GA in anticipation of all the future water usage. Here it’s like everyone is running around complete blind of any common sense or judgement. I say tear it all down and hire someone from outside to come in and rebuild.
By Michael H. Smith
October 16, 2008 3:38 PM | Link to this
Common sense and sound judgment would never say tear it all down.
This is the only state I have ever lived in that didn’t know how to take care of water problems.
This state surrendered its’ water rights to the federal government many, many, years ago via federal reservoirs. The Democrats want to continue to negotiate failed talks that will only continue to produce failed results. The Republicans hope to build locally controlled reservoirs, which the federal government will not allow because once again Georgia no longer has any rights to the water that rightly belong to this state. Locally controlled reservoirs would deplete the federal reservoirs of water and the federal government has no intention of ever allowing a loss of what the federal government considers to be water belonging to the federal government.
The logical answer is to build two desalination plants and four nuclear power plants in solving two major problems, water and energy - Throw in addressing global warming for good measure and jobs baby, jobs using U.S. Citizen labor first and foremost to foster economic recovery.
No grid system.
The electric grid system of the entire nation is fifty outdated years old. The private sector responsible for updating the grid has failed and that by the admission of many experts within the energy sector. This is one area where the federal government should step in, because of the obvious failure produced by the private sector that is more interested producing profits that providing national security interests. A reading of the Kelsey Nunez report found on the Website link below gives a good idea of where the grid stands at the moment and the challenges it faces going forward.
http://www.acore.org/
It’s like the built the buildings first, and then built the roads around them.
That is exactly what happened and that will not change without passing new laws and amending old laws which allowed this to happen in the first place. As for building more roads: Where they can be built is fine. However, the needed available land to build enough roads no longer exists and it would require demolishing far too much structure, incurring far too much litigation in the process to ever be a viable option for the most part.
On rapid rail we need a statewide solution, otherwise past failure will be future failures repeated. A three county approach or five county or even a ten county approach is wrong-headed, so MARTA is out as the major plan. The plan that best suits the need will be the one offered by the Georgia Passenger Rail Authority using existing rail rights-of-way.