Then just let developers build what they please! We have no right to stop them from the best use. Why do we even have zoning and ordinances? Makes no sense. Development is always better than people!

I agree with bad_ptc.

An interesting strategy used by Hilton Head, SC was to condemn any property that was brought before them for dense development and make it a park or permanent green space. Unfortunately, Hilton Head probably started a little too late.

Hilton Head had great leadership and the city/developer bond was strong and that's what made Hilton Head what it is today. Please, please, please do not ever go there. We have a house there and we do not want your input - ever.

Did you buy that Hilton Head house with "your job" mudcat?

Best thing about leaving Yankeeland years ago is we left with enough from the sale of 1 house there to buy 2 here - and we did.

Then why are you always "pounding" Mr. Brown to get a job?

Yes mudcat there was a great city/developer bond in the early days, especially around the Sea Pines project. However, they were overrun with high density projects and limited transportation options.

They also had their own Wal-Mart fight. They covered their big box up with trees.

The developers later hated the town council in Hilton Head because they kept condemning anything they brought forward.

We "borrowed" the path concept from Hilton Head. The similarities between Peachtree City and Hilton Head are striking.

Our City Planner David Rast formerly work for the Hilton Head government.

I have some interests in Hilton Head and over the past 15 years have witness a steady decline. The newly developed islands learned from Hilton Head's mistakes and are beating them. Many of the business owners I know on the island are worried or phasing out.

Hilton Head was governed mostly by the developers in the 60's, 70's and 80's. The Fraser brothers and our very own Joel Cowan were part of the ruling class. By the time the town was incorporated in 1983, all the large plantations had their own land use plan and could develop without interference from government. Even most of the 80's were problem-free. It wasn't until the late 80's that Hilton Head became a victim of it's own success. All the Yankees and retired military wanted to be in control and town government got stronger, larger and more intrusive. The developer's pushed back, but it wasn't the original group - who are legends in that community. Instead it was the new breed of developers - led by Marriott and their time-share scams that created the friction. The old residents who had paid $100,000 back then for property worth $1,000,000 today could not handle the idea that a youg family with kids could buy a time share and actually own property (sort of) for $5,000. That feeling and excessive enviornmentalism fed the government machine and led to higher taxes and questionable leadership.

The thing Hilton Head failed to do that PTC did admirably (at least on our north side) was to protect our entrance. All that green space and buffer you see on both sides of Hwy 74 was bought up in the 70's by Joel Cowan. HH ignored Blufftown and now Blufftown is probably larger than HH and their commercial development and traffic is really hurting HH.

Yes, David Rast worked there, but no our path concept did not come from there - the path concept was introduced by Richard Browne who brought it here from Columbia, Md and Reston, Va in the 60's and later took it to The Woodlands in Houston. Sea Pines had bike paths as part of their original plan circa 1976, the Town of Hilton Head's paths are relatively new. Yes, there are similarities between PTC and HHI - the sign ordinance is almost identical, the undisturbed landscape buffer idea is similar. Wish we could adopt the traffic circles and the angled/wider left-turn lanes which are much safer.

so, how would you go about stopping McMurrain's attempt at putting a gas station at that location? If you are really serious about helping the community, let's band together and stop what he is trying to force feed us.

First and foremost, do NOT sell the guy the city streets. He loves using scare tactics to get what he wants.

McMurrain has threatened more homeowners to get what he wants.

Someone in the Matt Ramsey camp kept bringing up that I received a $1,000 campaign contribution for Doug McMurrain back in 2005. That was true, but what they forgot to mention is, while I was mayor, McMurrain built exactly to city standards (no big boxes). As I said before, McMurrain could have left a great legacy in our city, but greed got in the way. The greed was encouraged by Mayor Logsdon who thinks big box stores are the answers to all our problems.

Libel (and slander if you verbalize this at Starbucks or where ever you hang out)

You wrote this ---"The greed was encouraged by Mayor Logsdon who thinks big box stores are the answers to all our problems."

When it is proven that this is incorrect, you knew it was incorrect and you wrote it -- $2million - plus lawyer's fees will be taken out out of your nest egg/insurance policy/wife's income.

Be very, very careful.

Always with the frivolous lawsuits.

Mayor Logsdon openly stated in the Update he thought big box stores were the bomb, as the teenagers like to say. This is public knowledge, just ask the people who fought the Hwy. 74-S Lowes.

If that's the case about being sued, then most people on here could be sued for libel!

This blog is a public forum. Mr. Brown has every right to voice his opinions/opposition/insights/recommendations ETC, ETC

Let the free speech flow, please, and stop the threats.

Mayor Brown, remember how your City Council bought the parcels at the entrance to Wynnmeade right along Hwy. 54? I believe the excuse was to protect it from commercial development.

I mean, we needed a place to land that bridge and build a parking lot, wink wink.

Not a good use of our city taxpaying funds. Maybe the current council could right the wrong and sell the parcel to pay for a new police station?

BTW haven't heard you apologize yet for being wrong about the PD problems. Turns out it wasn't groundwater from the nearby dump at all but shoddy construction instead.

You are correct that there will be no development on the land we bought - that deal looks better and better with every new development that comes along.

The city still has $600,000 in grants to help build that cart bridge. Hope they build it, especially since all the new development we predicted has happened.

The main problem with the police station site was/and still is they bought a dump for around $25,000 per acre without disclosing the facts the about the dump hazard to the public or the news media. You cannot hide something like that and say it was a legitimate deal.

The dump, which does not conform at all to current standards, is mixing with the water table. That is a lot to pay for a liability from a former business relation of the mayor at that time.