Existing business must play fairly

Published 5:00 am Friday, October 15, 2004

Editor,

I have a few questions. Surely, others have wondered the same.Perhaps the proper officials can answer them via this forum.

1. If I build a house on previously undeveloped land, is themunicipality obligated to provide a road, water and sewer to myproperty – not my house, but my land?

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

2. Does the provision of services depend upon the value of myproperty, i.e., can the municipality decide that, because I ambuilding a million-dollar house, I can afford to construct my ownroad, dig a well and buy a septic tank?

3. Having purchased said property, am I obligated to permitsomeone to drive across my property to get to their adjoiningproperty – not because there is no other way but because that’smore convenient for them?

4. I’ve been reading about the TIF plan for Home Depotinfrastructure. I don’t quite understand the existing businesses’objection. Will there be additional taxes to be used onlyto provide roads, water, sewer, a traffic signal and otherinfrastructure? Did the existing businesses have to supply thesefor themselves?

I want to interject that I support local businesses, and I shopmy conscience. But the existing businesses need to be fair.

I don’t remember this much dissent when Walgreen’s came to town.I don’t recall one letter from Robert Watts, Bane, Baker’s orLaRue’s. Was that because there were no new taxes? There were nonew roads. Yesterday, I saw what looked like pieces of an Eckerdsign waiting to be erected. With the aforementioned drug stores,regionals Fred’s, Super D and the retail giant Wal-Mart, anotherdrug store is, in my opinion, truly something we do not need. ButI’ve yet to read or hear one complaint about the additionalcompetition.

5. On another matter, one business owner is complaining thatanother has erected a fence that hinders his deliveries. Exactlywhose property is the fence on?

I know that I’ve asked numerous questions, but surely others whohave been reading about Home Depot’s request and opposition havewondered the same.

6. One last question: is the Home Depot project less like thesingle-family home mentioned in question 1 and more like asubdivision being developed by Ergon Properties, so it is ErgonProperties that should be responsible for the infrastructure?

Melody Sias-Linzey,

Brookhaven