Vagrancy

Well, we are getting word here in Elk Grove of a possible hostile takeover by Simon Properties of GGP, the owers (sic) of the Elk Grove Promenade mall.

Of interest is the Sacramento Bee's reporting that there's the off chance that whoever takes over this property might just decide to convert it into an outlet mall. Wa-hey! A regional outlet mall. I decry all these sorts of projects, to be sure. That it's an outlet mall, a big box power center, or indoor mall is really inconsequential in my view. It is located at the extreme edge of Elk Grovian development and as such will require heroic quantities of petroleum to shuttle its consumers to consume said consumables at the mall.

I, personally, would like to have a small grocery that I could walk to from my housal unit. This wouldn't require anything except some exercise and co-mingling with my neighbors. Wouldn't that be nice! The obvious concern, of course, is that will attract vagrants:



Horrors!

Can't tolerate those vagrants, man! They don't look like us! So let's forbid the development of residential and retail and commercial properties together and spread them out as far as humanly possible from each other in an effort to discourage vagrants from collecting on the sidewalks. As we sprawl, vagrancy becomes a much more difficult entrepreneurial exercise. Far more difficult to panhandle and set fires in barrels when you're in a low-density environment.

Tell me. Doesn't our quarter-finished mall look like it would attract vagrants?



I think it might...and indeed, it might even more so after it's finished.