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Almost 200 pack Tryon econ meeting
Published 9:38pm Tuesday, July 10, 2012Weaknesses
Tryon’s weaknesses named included the lack of sidewalks and bike trails, downtown businesses being only on one side of the street, the lack of small industry, lack of marketing, turnover of town managers in government, no sense of community between the wealthy and lower-income residents, lack of lodging, lack of children’s activities, residents not buying locally, lack of affordable restaurants and in-fighting among residents and business owners, among others.
Opportunities
Ideas for opportunities Tryon has to maximize its strengths included creating a marketing plan and vision for downtown. Some said the town should “dress up” vacant buildings by displaying art in the windows with other ideas of using vacant spaces as incubators or pop-up stores for small businesses that need a start.
A Nina Simone festival was mentioned for worldwide attention, as well as the possibility of creating a book/literary/writing festival. Other ideas included painting all the buildings’ trim the same color and creating zoning for main buildings downtown to be for retail-only stores.
Creating a barter and bucks program was mentioned, as well as the rails to trails idea and consolidating all county governments and policing.
Gayle Lane said residents could pledge to patronize two Tryon businesses every week.
Threats
Participants named several threats to Tryon, including big box stores, people not realizing the low prices of local stores, the national economy, Nina Simone statue debt and I-26 bypassing Tryon. It was also mentioned that nearby towns of Columbus, Landrum and Saluda are threats in terms of tourism, but the other towns could also be an opportunity if the towns work together.
At the close of the meeting, participants wrote down contact information so ideas and information can be shared. Further meetings will be planned after organizers review the surveys and determine the next steps.
“This is just a start, folks,” Millard said. “This is a great opportunity that we have created.”
Sometimes you need an outside opinion. Here is mine. You won’t like it.
As a Tryon aficionado, a frequent reader of the TDB and a consistent visitor over the last 12 years or so, I feel your pain as if I was a resident. The recent articles relating to Tryon’s status as a ”ghost town” and the meeting called to find solutions bring a tear to my eye. But sadly, any interested observer wouldn’t be too shocked as this has been coming for a long time.
I am continually astounded by the apathy shown by the residents of Camelot Tryon. Did you really think you didn’t have to work at paradise to keep it? Why would you bother to spend locally when it’s cheaper elsewhere? Are you even paying attention as the restaurants, stores and B&B’s close, or are you too busy pointing out what’s wrong as you enjoy your morning coffee on the sidewalk? You think it doesn’t affect you? Just wait a little longer. That noise you hear in the distance isn’t thunder; it’s your chickens on their way home. When the inevitable property value adjustments hit, along with the overdue tax increases and you can’t find a buyer for your major investment at any price, then the public outcry will be deafening, but unfortunately too late to effect needed change.
The comment by the economic development director that “We have stuff that other towns would kill to have,” is right on, but unfortunately, y’all have been killing the golden goose for so long that you’re not going to have it a whole lot longer without significant effort by the locals. No one else gives a cares.
Assets like a newspaper, downtown movie theater, artists, historic inns, rated restaurants, an old time hardware store, a grocery store that actually cares and caters to its customers are just some of that stuff other small towns just don’t have, and you will never, ever see again here once you succeed in driving them out.
The present economy is certainly a major factor, causing many, if not most tourists and horse show participants to stay closer to home and thus out of Tryon’s businesses, you can’t do much about that, but there are a lot of local factors contributing.
The TDB once had an editorial page that held an opinion and spawned a lot of change, what happened to it? Have they somehow lost their opinion? The Chamber of Commerce should have a strong leadership position. What is it? “Let’s barbecue”? It’s more a social and money making entity than a local business advancer and representative. When was the last time it spoke out to local government on an issue as a voice of business?
The county’s decisions to abandon tourism support, divert tourism tax dollars earmarked for advertising to buy fireworks, fund a study for a new motel that several previous studies have shown not to be feasible, are all examples of questionable leadership that are now being felt on Trade St. Every resident should attend a commissioners meeting, it’s much better than reality TV and somehow entertaining, but sad.
How many times can a town fire its manager before it has an effect? How many times can a town artificially hold the line on taxes by raising the water rate which actually unfairly passes the tax increase burden on to township residents? Why would any prospective business choose Tryon when better choices abound?
Tryon was once so special that Margaret Morley in her 1913 novel “The Carolina Mountains” wouldn’t even identify it by name for fear too many would discover it and ruin it. That’s certainly no longer an issue.
So, what to do? Get involved, speak out, invest, participate, learn and understand the issues and vote, vote, vote. Demand performance. Make local officials accountable or get them out! Don’t settle for the status quo, or you won’t be circling the drain, you’ll be in it.
THANKS TO THE TRYON DAILY BULLETIN FOR ALLOWING PRESENTATION OF VIEWPOINTS FROM ALL CITIZENS, NOT JUST MAIN STREET. UNLESS EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS WE ARE DOOMED TO GO ON AS WE ARE WITHOUT CHANGES. I LEAVE IT TO OUR COMMUNITY TO JUDGE WHICH VIEWPOINT IS THE ACCURATE VIEW. IT REALLY DOES NOT TAKE MUCH PAPER FOR ME TO PROVIDE MY SIMPLE REBUTTAL. THE MAIN STREET OF TRYON USES A LOT OF WORDS TO SIMPLY STATE THEY IGNORE MY COMMENTS!!!!
Predictably, it is impossible today, as for years in the past, for the citizens and store ownners of main street to even recognize the problem or comment in a gentlemanly fashion. You only resort to name calling and disgust with me, as a life long native for generations. Opening all those closed stores up again will not fix the mess. Calling me ugly names will not fix the mess. Having all your meetings and pats on each other’s back will not fix it. Until you address the issues I have raised, investment on main street is a waste of time and effort as has been proven for years now with one failed business attempt after another. Tryon cannot thrive without the support and patronage of ME…..Tryon township outside the town………and we are so disgusted with how you treat us and with years of annexation and taxation without representation….that we boycott your stores. Clearly some of you think this is a one man boycott. Go on thinking that…….as I travel to Spartanburg to shop.
And the broken record continues playing the same old boring tune.
Don’t be too bothered, I consider the majority of adults, clueless. I’ve lived in this county since 1970 and when I came here, all the shops in Saluda, Columbus, Tryon and Landrum were all practical stores, offering NEEDED and WANTED things, plus all the restaurants, even the banks were LOCAL and LOCALLY OWNED. Even the gift shops were locally made crafts (Toy House, Blue Ridge Weavers, Valhalla Weavers).
I watched the change happen when Oak Hall was torn down and the trains stopped. What you are complaining about it the same in EVERY TOWN. College grads, dolts, suits-n-ties who make great bureaucrats, but lack “common” sense, and just ditto what “experts” say and CONsultants from Atlanta, Greenville or elsewhere.
I also KNEW when I typed “Mr. Boycott” that there are hundreds, possibly ten times that who are ticked at ToT, Polk County gov. But, all bureaucracies become dumb beasts over time, without a brain. They do the best they think they can.
BUT, as far as the closed shops in Tryon, that’s not the ToT’s fault. It’s the suckers who fell for the go-go 90s and “go out and shop” 2000s. There are not the shops and stores that fill the needs of locals and that will have to change or Tryon will stay a ghost town.
Landrum was rockin’ Saturday, I’m sure that Saluda was too, Columbus was pretty sleepy, and the turnout at the Columbus Farmers Market was, maybe 100-200 (max). The rest of the masses were off to Spartanburg and Hendersonville to spend their money elsewhere and give it to corporate entities that are not even based in USA any more (multi-nationals).
So any boycott is not the problem, it’s the FACT that Tryon needs shops (and more restaurants) to fill the needs of both LOCALS and VISITORS.
After checking out a new hodge-podge shop in Landrum (with 30 vendor waiting list (all spaces are filled), it proves my “vision” that more thrift and consignment stores can be a low-cost, even better than Department Stores, because of all the things needed can be in a thrift store that are in department stores, such as children’s toys and clothing, tools, electronics, computers, kitchen and home stuff, furniture and at 75% of retail, in fact thrift stores kick-a$$ over big box stores!
Anyway, I feel your pain, understand where you are coming from, know many that feel the way you do and there’s nothing anyone can do but carry on, make things better by fixing the mistakes made after the financial deceivers trick the masses into “thinking” that elsewhere was better and here was “old fashioned, quaint” send all your money to Wall St. we will help you (by transfering your wealth and earnings to international mega beasts) by destroying main street.
Taxes both feed the beast, as well as pay for services such as water, street repair, garbage pick up, equipment, equipment replacement, staff, insurance and on and on and on…that’s going on 24/7 while everyone is living or dying.
The cost of everything is close to twice since 1990 alone, so what you “think” is high is the abbynormal (from movie Young Frakenstein) of today.
And sorry if I made fun of you, but it’s kind of easy and I make fun of everybody, including myself. Life today is pretty ridiculous don’t you think? I mean, one 100-200x person gets in a 2,500 pound “horseless carriage” drives 60 miles round-trip to buy an apple or head of lettuce that traveled an additional 2,000 miles.
If that makes sense to you, well, I’ve got more jokes. But everyone has been duped, so don’t be angry at local government, realize everyone has been tricked by much bigger beasts in DC, NYC, City of London, Rome and Geneva.
Complaining about the men and women behind the desks, in suits n’ ties gets you no where. Until this County and all Counties across the USA Inc. get back to it’s roots of locally made, locally grown, locally run, it’s never going to grow naturally, healthy and sane.
and no one’s patting themselves on their backs, many are doing, acting, and planning new businesses.
The streetscapes, etc. might be lipstick on a pig to you, but it does help (except for stupid Depot plan and now wasted space on McCowan St.) by making it light up at night and easier to walk. Those are the things the City does, as far as establishing and helping businesses, that’s the “job”of entrepreneurs, merchants, cooks and dreamers and not the job of the gov. of ToTryon.
dw
Wish to partially retract one statement: Today (Sunday afternoon) saw all the cars parked on McCowan St. for the afternoon movie and see, that way more cars can fit than before “upgrade” (a good thing). It’s just a lousy layout for vendors (Farmers Market or any other event such as the Tryon Garden tours and having vendors…the parking block-stops loose about 8′ of width of street) because of the concrete blocks. Last Thursday, the vendors and attendees were cramped there.
The Depot Plaza layout will end any event there, because of it’s layout (parking/bushes/terrace/and NO open space for events), so “planners” are leaving only behind Trade St. (Thompson’s area) or closing off Trade, which has to get NC State approval.
In rebuttal, this is the only course of action we, as residents who live in the township OUTSIDE town have, is to boycott main street and local business. We have no voice and are taxed about twenty five per cent of our county tax bill going to the town each year, ad infinitum with no ability to vote in elections for the town officials who waste our tax money, who continue to impose on us with demand for resources from outside town and holding events which continually spill out of the annexed area of the town into our community causing ongoing problems such as traffic tie ups, drunks on the roads, crowds, enormously high water rates, and issues such as the annexation fight. The issue is taxation without representation. The issue is alcohol events imposed on Harmon Field and spilling out of Harmon Field with the Blue Ridge Barbecue which more than doubles the population not just of the town but the county. No, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. AND YOU DESERVE TO BENEFIT FROM OUR VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE BOYCOTT OF MAIN STREET WHICH WILL CONTINUE UNTIL WE GAIN A VOICE IN HOW OUR TAX MONEY IS SPENT. You, can now stand by and watch as more stores grow empty. Tryon is a small incorporated area which seems to think they can impose on the greated community of Tryon township with their plan and we will all go along with your demands and imposing on us no matter what you do without our ability to have input at the all important American institution of the ballot box. It has gone on too many years here and no one listens to the real problem. So, if you think you few folks on main street can get together with your meetings in the small incorporated area of Tryon, and manage to garner enough support for your main street business without the ongoing support of the local township you continually alienate and impose on FOR YEARS……….well it is no longer happening in Polk County. Watering plants on main street with firetruck…………to show your disgust for us…..and exaggerate the fact you have total control with no input from the township as you waste town money……….is of course your decision. The boycott goes on. This is just one example of what is wrong.
Dear LOCALNATIVE,
How is harming local businesses, owned and operated by residents and potentially your neighbors, going to help your plight? They are not your government. Shop owners are entrepreneurs, not elected officials with any power whatsoever. I do not see your correlation between the two to merit your “boycott of main street”. Take this issue up with the mayor and town council, not your local gift shops, pharmacies, galleries, and restaurants!
Go ahead and enjoy your optimism as you drive by the 33 empty stores and the boycott of main street continues. Until the alienation of Tryon Township voters outside the town continues, with smoldering opposition to high town water rates, disgust with forced taxation without representation, alcohol at Harmon field, and displays such as the firetruck watering plants on main street funded by the taxpayers of tryon township outside while the town wastes our money on matters such as the failed annexation………….the boycott continues no matter how much you pat each other on the back Tryon.
It’s obvious that you are “mono-minded.” That is, you are focused on a few things (Harmon Field, Tryon/Polk Government and you would love to have two or three big-box stores so you get foreign made stuff cheap). It’s really great to read your point of view, to understand where, possibly as much as 80% of the population shops (out of town). Tryon was once full of practical businesses (1980s all the way back to the late 1800s). It took a wrong turn when the con-men of Wall St. leveraged both worker and retiree savings a few hundred times and “invested” the ill-gotten gains in building the big box stores, the chain restaurants and mega malls. At the same time, the State Dept and Chamber of Commerce (in Washington) facilitated the shipping of factories and equipment (funded by taxpayer dollars) overseas. This took 20 to 30 years and we are now in a depression (not a “recession”).
The dolts of today shop at these places because they offer cheap (and cheaply made) stuff, have it “all” under one roof or one after another on a strip. The younger generation (say born 1970/1980/1990) it’s all they know.
The younger generations have no clue of the mom n’ pop grocery or hardware store (but, still holding on is Cowan’s, Tryon Mountain Hardware and the classic Landrum Hardware). They have no clue of when there were one owner service stations and restaurants locally owned. But Polk County and Landrum still have such businesses. The younger generation is “trained” to see that the big box is “normal” and the owner-operated is “a thing of the past.”
Dolts (adults who stopped learning in high school, who don’t think for themselves, where yesterday does not matter and tomorrow does not exist), they are today’s sheep. Shopping where the bargains are, and have zero comprehension of what this county was like 30 years ago – or – how, why, who and what got all of us from a local, almost self-reliant town to a place of nick-knack shops and the remnants of days gone by.
Basically A) you don’t have a clue and B) you really don’t care. But thank you for letting me know, because it proves my theory that the majority don’t either.
What happened in Tryon was a series of mistakes and poor moves, that profited during the Greed is Good to the “Go out and Shop” times. Those times are over and now Tryon and all small towns across the USA must revert to the past and return to shops, stores and services THAT ARE NEEDED BY THE LOCAL PEOPLE and BY VISITORS. It’s really that simple.
The 30-year fraud has been exposed and it’s now scattering like cockroaches when the light is turned on. The public is living on thin air now and has the desire to return home, not drive in traffic 30 miles away.
Either the empty spaces will be filled again with needed things or they will stay empty. Both Landrum and Saluda are almost filled to the brim, so businesses will come to Tryon to locate. Those businesses still standing have a good chance of getting stronger and new ones will come along.
Optimism, like wishing, like hoping is the same as praying, they are all simply forms of WANTING. It’s those who think, act, do that start businesses, not the wishers, hope-ers or prayers.
Water prices, trash pickup, cost of running a Township have risen, just like the cost of food and other things. This is the result of the Central Bank/Wall St. fraud (inflation is the over-printing of money supply, not backed by production, but by jive talkin). The Town of Tryon is no ripping people off or making a profit, the cost of doing business is 1,000 times more today, than in 1913. Town Hall in Tryon was built for $3,500. What would it cost today?
LOCAL NATIVE, you are a broken record, but freedom and “common” sense were both cookie-cutter schooled and usurped out of the masses decades ago. Until you step back and see the big picture, all you see is what you want to see or what the teevee tells you.
In the original Ghost Story article, you complained that there were no BIG BOX STORES and that the county/town would not allow them. Odds are you are wrong, if a big box store figured there was enough population to put one here, they would and both the Chamber and local Gov. would OK it, because it’s high-dollar membership and tax income. There are these beasts in Hendersonville, Greenville and Spartanburg… and you and the majority of the population drive to these towns, at minimum, once a week to get their stuff.
Are you too lazy to drive 20/30 miles? How about they build one in your back yard. I’m sure the blacktop and bumper-to-bumper cars will thrill you, big time!
In the mean time, there are some nice spaces available in downtown Tryon and nearby. Less than a few percent of people are entrepreneurs (that’s because the majority refuse to think for themselves), the few percent that have a smart idea, the guts and some bucks will fill the few spaces available. It will take time and like many towns USA, some spaces will stay vacant for a long time, but the ones on Trade St. will get filled.
It’s not because of the current price of Tryon water, garbage pickup or local taxes, it’s because entrepreneurs have chosen busier places and opened businesses that offered needed things. The same might happen here, since what worked over the past 20/30 years will not work today.
Several NEW businesses will be OPEN by MID-September, and it’s possible that several more will too. In the past 24 hours a NEW business opened on Trade. And more will follow.
LOCO-NATIVE: Please wear a button (and bumper sticker) that says: DON’T SHOP LOCAL or I LOVE DUH BIG BOX STORES so we can make fun of you when you drive through town.
One way or another the sun will still rise in the morning and soon, we will see Morris’s shadow again at sunset.
dw
Goofed on Tryon Hardware, it’s TOWN MOUNTAIN HARDWARE (fine owners) in Lynn, and left off, in Columbus Hardware & Supply. And, PS: Tryon Lumber will become Henson’s Lumber in the Fall of 2012 and across Hwy 176 on top of Bird Mountain, the “old” Hungry Fox will become a new restaurant and be open no later than mid-September (I met the owner and it’s going to be a place to go to eat and he’s FOR local food, as much as possible!).
Today (Saturday alone, I’ve learned of a few more new things coming to a town year you, so by Fall, things will be changing, just like Landrum in 2004 was full of empty, closed and for sale businesses and now it’s about full, other than the “old” Twigs building and Country Mouse Inn.
This Saturday, there were two farmers markets (Columbus and Landrum) with the finest of farmers, growers and vendors. Asleep at the wheel dolts went to BiLo & Food Lion on Saturday in Columbus, while the nice good-ole people stopped and shopped at the LOCAL FARMERS MARKET(S).
PSS: Mr. one-man boycott prefers shopping at duh big box stores, but this FALL food and gas prices will leap and the majority will realize those trips out of town are not cost effective.
There’s always change and backlash (return to “normal”) when things are pushed too far one way.
I’m grateful that TDB included my video coverage with their story. If you would like to see more video coverage accompany TDB local interest stories, please let me know…
Erik Olsen
864.990.1217
http://ErikOlsenFilms.com
Excellent meeting, superb turnout, fantastic handling, wrangling and capturing 157+ voices via Andy Millard in 1.5 hours.
I listened to the whole discussion Tuesday morning for a second time (audio recording) and was reminded of what all was said in a serious “jam session” of ideas, concerns and suggestions. What I heard were both big ideas, as well as desires, what I didn’t here (much of) was problem #1, filling the vacancies and chasing the ghosts away.
What that will take, is NOT the job of local government or any newly formed committee, but people interested, willing, motivated and with clear visions and plans to fill up available retail and office spaces in the downtown Tryon are (within a mile circle of Morris).
Those who have funds to invest in good ideas and plans for opening such businesses, needs to meet with people with plans, talent, motivation and TIME to start and open a business.
This means, putting those with ideas/plans with those who are willing to support the venture with funds to get it off the ground NOW.
So who already have the funds and a plan and they can go to downtowntryon.org and click on “Available Properties” on right hand column to see what properties are available and new places are being added, so check back, and also, believe it or not, some places, with great rent prices and great locations will be taken and removed from listings (so don’t hesitate, the best locations and best prices will go first and fastest!).
Some of the most outstanding spaces are: Where Richard Baker Studio once resided (157 N. Trade) and also next door (163 N. Trade). The “old” Kathleen’s space in-between Cowan’s Hardware and The Book Shelf ~ all three of these locations have exceptionally fair rent and great locations on Trade St.
The “old” Kiveo building (78 N. Trade St.) would be excellent for a Consignment Shop (kind of cross between an indoor flea market and thrift store), it’s listed only for sale, but that does not mean (I don’t know) that the owner might consider leasing to the right party. It has two, wide open floors and was once a department store and could generate two, possibly three, maybe four income streams: Rent for table space (for anyone to sell their excess things)…that alone could pay rent ($50 month for table x X-amount of tables on two floors). A 15% sales charge for paying someone to run/open doors and be checkout person and then an area to photo in back and list on Ebay. Crafts, baked goods and other things would and could sell and with the right manager, it would not go “either way” either too trashy or too fancy-schmancy.
90 Pacolet is so unique, with all that shelving left by the former Book Shelf location and 62 N. Trade St. also is a fantastic building, with it’s own parking area!
The “old” Wine Bar location should be revived into a “Living Room” type gathering place for meetings, get togethers (sp?), talks, have catered food and rent by event type place. There needs to be a place that offers different things from classical music to blues, from travel logs to discussions on natural health, for birthdays and parties, for private events and just a daily place to go that is NOT exclusive to “adolts” only, but for any age from 9 months to 90+
The previous Family Dollar store would make a great (and needed) bowling alley where, instead of dumping $100s of thousands in pin-setting equipment, a manual (men/boys, girls) re-set the pins by hand, the kind of alley that the wealthy had in there basement (before the electronic, automated everything days).
Upstairs in the South Trade building would make a great LARGE artist studio or place for a Grand Piano with skylights and could be a grand space with some paint, rip up old carpet and sand those fine hardwood floors!
These are just a few ideas to make proper use of spaces available and by September, at least three or four new businesses will be open in locations already taken.
Thank you Mary for awaking the sleeping masses, thank you Andy for wrangling the masses… now those who are awake now and motivated, get you a–s to downtown Tryon.
dw
&&& Thank you David for your persistence.