Pinehurst: “ambience” & selective indignation

When you think of Pinehurst, North Carolina, you think of  pristine, well-manicured championship golf courses, the quaint downtown area, and The Carolina Hotel.  You certainly don’t think of locales like the one pictured here.  You might think this is a photo of a crack house in a blighted neighborhood in one of America’s larger cities.  But no — it is a commercial rental property, currently housing a business, located within walking distance of Pinehurst’s historic downtown, Pinehurst village government offices, and The Carolina Hotel.

We’ve got a lot of busybodies — in and out of government —  in town here who are SO concerned about what everybody else is doing on their private property.  If you want to erect a fence or a sign on your property , you have to go in front of a government committee, put your hand on The Bible, and get cross-examined.  Leave your trash can out on the curb too long, or try to throw out “the wrong thing”, and you will get a stern warning from village government or one of its apparatchiks.

There has been a lot of griping recently — in and out of government — about The Tradition of Old Towne development property located about one block down the street from the property pictured with this post.  During the 2011 campaign for village offices, candidates spoke openly about suing, fining, or generally throwing the book at the developer of The Tradition.  His “crime”?  Letting the grass grow too tall.  The development was put on hold when the owner fell into financial trouble, thanks to BarryO’s economy.  Drive by The Traditions property today, and you see well-kept landscaping.

Go one more block up the street, and you see what’s in this picture.  The short block wall you see in the foreground used to be the foundation of this building’s other half.  About a year ago, the fire department took down half of the building as part of a controlled burn exercise.  (That’s a lot cheaper for the property owner than shelling out money to fix a dilapidated mess.)  What’s left in the wake of the burning? A lot of broken glass, weeds, and building debris.

Why are local residents and politicians SO worked up over The Traditions, but not THIS?  I would think living down the street from THIS would be much worse for your property values.

So, the next time some busybody from village government wants to hassle you about your sign, your fence, or your kids’ swing set or basketball goal, send them to THIS property, at the intersection of Rattlesnake Trail and McCaskill Road.  Tell them to fix this eyesore, in their backyard and in the heart of Old Town, before hassling you.