I immediately fell in love with Hamilton and am waiting for my home. I grew up in rural Nevada and have seen first hand how “BIG BOX” stores killed my little town. First the little Hallmark stores died, to be replaced with an empty building. Next was the hardware stores and the ladies dress shops, still with empty buildings. Last was the generational dry goods store where my grandfather knew the original owner.
The article 10/08/14 talks about the water problems and a specialized waste water system. Waste water treatment, all the visual destruction of the valley, and all the effluent smells that accompany this. I think all would prefer the sights and sounds of grass acreage, cows and horses, not waste water and box stores. Still, I have seen nothing about fire protection, will the box store build a fire station on that end of town to satisfy any emergencies? How about the low income housing that will be needed for the several hundred people and families that will come to work minimum wage jobs, with no health insurance, as this box store has recently stated it will no longer provide due to increased cost. Residents of Ravalli County will be paying for food and welfare assistance when the part time, minimum wage workers can’t subsist through “big box.”
Let’s just sum this up, we would get “big box,” an effluent plant, at this time, no fire assistance, loss of a myriad of hard working, productive Mom and Pop stores in Hamilton and surrounding towns, an influx of job seeking individuals that may struggle with finding work and need county help, the loss of your beautiful lifestyle and pristine beauty of the valley.
How about instead of wishing this wouldn’t happen, the public must become very vocal and grow a backbone instead of a wishbone. If you need “the box,” drive to Missoula.
Madelyn Goodman
Carson City, NV