Growth: Retirement Heaven is here!

[Florida]

I can't believe Valdosta made the list. If anything they should be running behind us. A good exampe is Savannah, or at least the image of.

[poonther]

Yeah we are light years ahead of Valdosta and Pine Bluff, but that ain't sayin' much. Savannah and Charleston are good examples and Asheville and Chattanooga are nice examples of downtown revitalization.

[BHCav]

Just out of my own sweet ignorance, what are examples of good development for a geo of our size/latitude? I'd love to see Tallahassee look a bit like San Diego, for example, but we don't have the border to jack up the economy or the Navy to generate good restaurants and great bars. What are we? Columbia South Carolina? Huntsville Alabama? Valdosta?, Pine Bluff?

Who has a vision?

Worried about our water, GotS

It may seem somewhat ridiculous, but I think Wakulla's coast needs to step up as a whole. People seem to forget how close and underutilized the ocean/beach is. Not saying it should turn into PC but the area could use some work. We also have an Interstate running though town that is severely underused for a city of this size.

Tallahassee is what it is. A state capital and college town. Instead of trying to move away from this, we should embrace it whole-heartily and build off that.

IMO, Tally would be the PERFECT location for a theme park of some kind. Draw from Ga. and Bama, as well as snag the tourists coming from the west. It would be a closer, cheaper alternative to Orlando.

[south park county]

On our way back from Cross Country camp in Boone, NC our team passed through Macon, GA and I noticed that they have impressive amenities for a city of I believe approximately 100k residents. They have a modest skyline that seems more populated if not necessarily as tall as ours and two major interstates forming a conjunction close to downtown that were both well traveled. Anyway, the point is that Macon seems to be able to grow well within itself for a city similar to us (southern as opposed to south Florida, no major waterways for a long way and a likely conservative city government).

[Florida]

Trust me... you had to be looking at Macon's downtown from a distance to think that. We recently had a home in Macon and I'll tell you it's got nothing on Tallahassee. Please don't take this as a knock on your city if you're from Macon and reading this, but someone allowed that downtown to fall thru the cracks and it'll be a good while before it comes back.

As far as our under utilization of the interstate frontage is concerned... I'll agree that we've done outselves an injustice with our city ordinance on that. We've prohibited development that fronts on the interstate like many other cities do, to protect our trees of course and certain neighborhoods. With everything hidden behind the trees the ordinance helps to make more of a Pass-Thru city vs. one that seems vibrant. You can thank the likes of Debbie Lightsey and Steve Meisburg for this type of rule. With the current body it could be over turned, but I don't think anyone has the guts to sponsor this right now.

Edited to add pictures

[poonther]

From what I've read and seen, Macon has "come into its own" recently. Much of that is due to its proximity to ATL. For several decades, Macon being so close to ATL actually hurt it, but now w/ATL being so large, many are looking to be near it, but not in it and Macon offers some good amenities for that type of person. If GA would ever do a commuter rail system from ATL to Macon, I think Macon would explode, but that probably will never happen in our lifetimes.

However, I've not lived in Macon, but the vibe I get when passing through (on I-75/I-16 and US 129) is OK, but I get a much better vibe from Tally. I also think that Tally is not quite as conservative as Macon.

TJ I understand what you are saying about our interstate area. I for one am glad we do not have billboards all over our interstate in Leon b/c I'm not one much for big loud tacky signage. I do agree it's hard to tell what urban Tally is like when passing thru via 10, but I have also heard from many many people that our tree-lined I-10 is what first caught their eye about our area and part of the reason they looked into and did move here.

I guess I'm for more interstate development as long as it's done in a tasteful, controlled and enforced way that will be aesthetically pleasing.

[ghostOFtheSuwanee]

TJ I understand what you are saying about our interstate area. I for one am glad we do not have billboards all over our interstate in Leon b/c I'm not one much for big loud tacky signage. I do agree it's hard to tell what urban Tally is like when passing thru via 10, but I have also heard from many many people that our tree-lined I-10 is what first caught their eye about our area and part of the reason they looked into and did move here.

I guess I'm for more interstate development as long as it's done in a tasteful, controlled and enforced way that will be aesthetically pleasing.

We have one nice big tacky sign on I-10 between Thomasville and Mahan.

[south park county]

Incidentally TJ, I was about a half mile or more form the skyline when I saw it and I suppose that can play tricks on one's perception. I seem to think Tallahassee's skyline looks bigger (especially Highpoint Center) from afar also.

As for me being from Macon........HAH!! Tallahassee from the womb (seriously).

[poonther]

We have one nice big tacky sign on I-10 between Thomasville and Mahan.

DeVoe Moore's property?

[BHCav]

DeVoe Moore's property?

I don't mind that sign at all.

[insituphoto]

I don't mind that sign at all.

It'd be nice if it did more than time and temperature.

[BHCav]

It'd be nice if it did more than time and temperature.

What else do you want from it? It's better than the average wooden billboard and is also about the only sign of modern life along the I-10 corridor.

[poonther]

What else do you want from it? It's better than the average wooden billboard and is also about the only sign of modern life along the I-10 corridor.

If modern means gaudy, no thanks. That sign looks like it got lost on its way to I-Drive in Orlando.

I've always been curious to know how that sign got approved. Yes, I know who owns the land and no that should not matter.

[ghostOFtheSuwanee]

If modern means gaudy, no thanks. That sign looks like it got lost on its way to I-Drive in Orlando.

I've always been curious to know how that sign got approved. Yes, I know who owns the land and no that should not matter.

It's part of the southfloridacation of Tallahassee. There was some sort of hassle over that sign. For awhile DeVoe had part of it covered with a tarp.

There are a lot of signs in Tallahassee that violate the sign ordinance. For example, how about that sign on Magnolia that points toward those shops behind the mall (Sports Authority, Bed and Banana, the craft place....I forget exactly what's on it). That sign is in clear violation of the off-site sign clause in the city sign ordinance. I know several small businesses in town that have been cited for a violation of this but somehow the big chains aren't bothered.

There are some very beautiful, wealthy and livable communities that have strong enforced sign ordinances. One of the cities in Silicone Valley (been there but can't remember which one) has an ordinance that prohibits internally illuminated signs, or sign's over 4 feet from the ground. Yet somehow the Starbuck$ and MacDonalds seem to prosper.

The problem here is that we have pirates running our government. Yo ho ho matey.

[poonther]

^Dude you are preaching to the choir. My first job was to enforce the sign codes and permits for signage in Boca Raton. Boca has some of the toughest sign codes in the country which are very similar to what you wrote about the city in the South Bay.

I totally agree w/you about sign codes not being enforced over all in Tally. I personally don't feel it's a big biz vs. little biz thing, I think both types are in violation all over town. I've written several post about it here in the past. It's truly my pet peeve. Two signs I'm trying currently to have removed are the Old Steak and Ale sign on North Monroe and the Old Dixie Gas sign at T'ville Road and I-10. I'm not having much success, but I'll keep trying b/c they are in clear violation.

FYI: I believe the monument sign you speak of on Magnolia for Gov.'s Marketplace got a variance for an off-site sign.

Finally as an ex-South Floridian I must say that DeVoe's sign is NOT a SouthFloridification of Tally. Bad signage is everywhere and definitely not exclusive to South FL. Prime examples are Central FL's International Drive, Panama City Beach and almost the whole state of Georgia especially on the interstates.

So the question is again: How does DeVoe's sign exist? It must be against code?

[Florida]

It wouldn't surprise me if DeVoe builds his new museum without any permits. He seems to have no respect for the rules. I've often seen his sign used for free Political endorcements (he's a republican) and birthdays / wedding announcements. It would be nice to see a beautiful building open out there with his beautiful car collection, maybe even a movie theatre included and the sign could display Now Showing info and such.

Sorry, southparkcounty, I wasn't implying YOU were from Macon, but just incase someone from Macon forum drops in on us, I didn't want them to feel insulted.