breaking point?

Sometimes I forget just how beautiful of place we live in. Last week I was involved in a really large wetlands delineation of one of the most special pieces of property that remains in private hands in this area. Will it still be special with all the little boxes dotting the mountain side? Will our water still be clean and pristine!. Where do we draw the line? I grew up a farmer and in a rural landowning family who always believed in private property rights, but treated the land with respect and conserved the natural resources. It seems to me that as a community we are at the breaking point. The next 5 years will be critical in the quality of life in our communities.
Adding fuel to this internal debate that I have been washing around is that consumer digest just named Boone and top 10 retirement bargain. This is nice publicity and the kiss of death all rolled up in one. The area may be affordable to the retirees, but not tro many of the blue collar workers and hospitality workers. Many of these people have to find homes outside of Watauga County and drive 30 miles each day into Boone. This type of setup is hardly sustainable.