[Winona Online Democracy] The specter of Wal-Mart has clearly touched a nerve in many people, judging from the continuing discussion pro and con. Some of the latest posts ask what is Winona's vision for itself. This is crucial, since we all act out our internal visions, whether conscious or not.
It is important to note that there are some things Winona (as a collective community and as a municipal authority) can do and some things it can't. It can't change the nature of global corporate business in the 21st century. It can't dictate for others where they should shop and what they should want to buy and at what price. What it can do is decide where there should be shopping areas and where there should be residential areas, and other distinctions of land use. It can decide which buildings and neighborhoods are important enough to our character to preserve or protect them from unwanted destruction and development. It can dictate the placement, style, materials, and size of buildings built in the community. For me, the unfortunate thing about Wal-Mart is not it's business plan and corporate structure (although I don't necessarily like them), but that they create such bland places, devoid of "soul", "character" and "identity", and they reinforce the expansion of such places wherever they go, and at such a large scale. They are at the top of the stinking heap in creating global lowest-common-denominator sameness. But people flock there by the millions to buy their daily necessities because it is all so cheap and plentiful. No, for me, the unfortunate thing is that Winona has opened the door to a vast highway-oriented, parking lot driven retail empire on the east side. Wal-Mart is a logical fit once that "vision" is allowed into the community's psyche. It may be too late to change it, but maybe not. How to reconcile the two? Craft a vision that includes clear statements and specific guidelines (written into ordinances) on land use, character, and architectural identity for this East Village, then let Wal-Mart or anyone else come fit into OUR mold, rather than the other way around. If Wal-Mart could look more like the Choate building than a cinder block warehouse I might actually go buy some socks there. - Phil Carlson, Mpls _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
