Personally, I choose not to shop at Wal-Mart for many of the reasons previously stated by Wal-Mart dissenters. I also am not in favor of a Wal-Mart in South Walton. I moved here from PCB where I reluctantly shopped at Wal-Mart out of convenience. I was very happy upon moving to SoWal to have put that distance between me and all things that remind me of Anywhere, USA, like fast food chains and big box stores. Once a month I take my list of office supplies, pet needs, etc. and make the half-day trek to Destin or Panama City. Otherwise, I choose to drive less, shop locally, order online, or do without and I don?t feel deprived in the least.
Before moving to PCB, I lived in a quaint historic Northern town outside of DC. My parents were so excited when Wal-Mart came to town, then a Kolh?s, a Best Buy, Costco, Sam?s Club, and on and on. I never ever shopped at them. I overwhelmingly preferred walking to the little boutique shops, the local diner, the drug store, etc. for all my shopping needs. They struggled to understand why I didn?t want to get out in the hustle and bustle of the ?strip? where I could buy things so much cheaper. They think SoWal is a wasteland, a beautiful wasteland, but still a wasteland. By G_d, there?s no place to shop! Of course, this is from a parent that was proud to call me at 7:00 am on Black Friday and tell me they were one of the lucky consumers who scored their purchases thanks to their vigilant 3:30 am stake out in the parking lot. Good for them, that?s not me.
These things I don?t understand and I doubt that my diatribes about the evils of consumerism and formula stores are going to sway those that seek convenience and low cost goods to a place where they feel good about spending more for quality food or (gasp) doing without. We are consumers, right? I mean it?s true; we don?t actually produce anything anymore. Do we? Do you? I do, though the majority of our industrialized, information based society doesn?t recognize making and growing things as having value. That?s another thread, I?m sure.
The point is, we as a community: locals, vacationers, and second homeowners alike, need to come to a consensus on how we envision this county in the future. Do we want fast food and big box stores? Are we going to make these stores comply with certain aesthetic guidelines? How do we keep our local economy going with or without a Wal-Mart? Do we want 98 to look like Anywhere, USA? Without a vision and conviction to enforce the vision, we will continue to be railroaded by any large corporation that sees an opportunity for the taking in our little piece of paradise. We?ll also continue to be complacent and praise them for their measly little make nice scraps they throw out to appease the masses, like a donation to this or that charity, a relocation of an endangered species, a little preservation here, and a greenway there.
Whether we agree or disagree if Wal-Mart should be here or not, I think we all agree that we like the uniqueness and charm that South Walton offers. If we want to preserve that character, we need to realistically look at how that will be accomplished.
BTW and FWIW, I completely disagree that 30A is the only corridor that has aesthetic merit and therefore the only one of importance.
Just one more word?transect.