I hate progress.

[7L Farm]

I can't believe this is happening. I live in Texas was born in Houston. I have always hated it . I'm an outdoorsy person. I tolerated Houston because I had access to a 1000 acres 30 minutes from my house. I could hunt, fish, totally enjoy the outdoors when ever I wanted. The land even had a little cabin no running water no electricity. But the cabin served be well for 20 something years. Then the bulldozer showed up & took it away. Bummer!! Well, my father inherited 100 acres in the country. So, I started going up there. My father built a barn & I remolded it. I turned it in to a barnominium. Well, I finally moved to our family farm. I'm lovin it got chickens, gardens everywhere can hunt . Life is good. Wrong I'm sitting here right now listening to bulldozers next door. Yep there putting a neighbor hood right next door. I hate progress. This land has been in our family for 60 years. I'm getting to old to keep moving remolding etc. Its a sad day at 7L.

 

[yomama]

I know what you mean. I grew up in a rural neighborhood. It was about 30 houses on about 1 acre lots each out in the country, so not a cookie cutter subdivision. When I was a kid, I would walk the dogs around the neighborhood, and at the end of it, there was the entrance to a forest. Acres and acres of beautiful forest. It had dirt trails that people would take their horses on, some kids would take their dirt bikes (

) or walk the trails, like I did. There was a beautiful stream that seemed to run forever. I even got lost in there a few times, it was that big. I walked those trails for years, from the time I was about 6 or 7, and throughout highschool. Then, whoever owned it, sold it. I moved away when I was in my 20's, but went back about 10 years ago. Houses. It was so sad. It was such a wonderful, peaceful place to be, especially for a kid like me that was having a hard time with things back then. In fact, the somewhat rural hiway that led to my old neighborhood had been totally overdeveloped. It used to be such a pretty drive, houses here and there. Now, it is houses anywhere they can sqeeze them in. I remember when my mom was still living there, she said that the tap water, which used to be really good, started tasting like chemicals. Guess you got to start accomodating all those people. I understand progress, but it sure does stink sometimes!

 

[texasgal]

I feel ya .. about Houston AND progress ..

 

[Laurajean]

I was surprised to see the title "I hate progress", but now that I've read your post, I think what you really mean is that you "hate decline". I am surrounded by woods and fear the day it gets ripped out to build. I hope it doesn't happen for a long time. I wish I had the money to buy all the land around me just to prevent it.

 

[thebritt]

I know how you must feel. I live 5 miles from what was once a rural, unincorporated area. Every pasture is being bulldozed to make room for HUNDREDS of houses. One 29 acre pasture sprung up 225 houses!!! These people can't look out their windows without looking into their neighbor's. Literally 12' between houses, with a 6' fence dividing the "yards". Since the town is unincorporated, there are no rules. Strip malls started showing up, and our main road is impossible to cross during most of the day. I'm fortunate to live over a ridge in a truly rural area, but there is no longer a "night sky" to the west, just a pinkish glow from all the light pollution. I sure hope the developers don't get their way and start building up and over the ridge. The thought of that just makes me sick to my stomach!

Hang in there. Maybe start planting a greenbelt of fast growing native trees and shrubs, especially willows. They attract wildlife, block the view, and muffle noise. That's what I did so I wouldn't have to look at my freaky neighbors, and now I have a nice park-like area between our properties (we only have 2 acres, but all the plants make it feel larger!).

 

[sewchick]

I wouldn't mind a bulldozer. We have trucks all day. We live near I95. And the worse part is CASELLA WASTE COMPANY!!!!!

NASTY!!!!!!

We don't have close neighbors other than CASELLA WASTE COMPANY!!!

You don't know what your missing. It's a gd trash mountian. NASTY THING. I HATE PROGRESS TOO!!!!! I will never consider that place progress. That was our wonderful X GOVERNER BALDASSY. Yep backroom BALDASSY.

 

[PineappleMama]

Quote:
I Hate Sprawl would also work.

Be prepared for your crime rate to go up...

 

[FarmerJamie]

I took an Urban Land Use class as an elective years ago, and I think some of you might find this interesting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_city#History

One of the texts we used was the 1991 book Edge City: Life on the New Frontier by Joel Garreau, and the story of Tysons Corner, in McLean, Va is enough to shock you. I tried to find one of the early photos with the intersection having dirt roads and a dingy little building to compare with today, but came up short.

I found an article in Time from 2009

"There's something deeply wrong with Tysons Corner. For starters, Virginia's bustling commercial district — the 12th biggest employment center in the nation — has more parking spaces than jobs or residents."

The Article: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1904187,00.html#ixzz14qLJdi6I

Probably not too many backyard chickens around those parts....

 

[Pumpkinpup]

I grew up on a long and winding dirt road. Our house was the last one on our end. At the corner, where you turned on to our road was my Uncle who had 800 acres, next was my Grandfather who owned 450 acres and then us, we owned 3. After you passed my house there was nothing put timber company property for 5 or so miles. I roamed at will, rode my horse and hunted and fished as I liked.
When I was 26 they paved the dirt road and built a golf resort on the pulp wood company land next to our house! Next, They put in a rock quarry on the other side of my uncle and grandfather's land so it just stinks! Traffic, traffic, traffic and all the darn blasting!!!!