Over at Fresh Loaf, Wheatley writes about an interesting vote by Va-Hi commercial property owners this evening involving the rezoning of three commercial areas.  All of our very favorite, reoccurring ITP characters again take center-stage, including Reggie Rezone, Sherrie Shared-Parking and Maximilian Mixed-Use.

The rezone vote apparently has something to do with a proposed giant parking deck building disguised as mixed use called “The Mix” (warning: clicking on their website may cause seizures or initiate a “harrowing decent into madness“), which is planned across from Blind Willie’s.

THE MIX! - Wheatley's Screen Grab

Is that a Regal Cinemas?

UPDATE: Steve…Carl sees your tip off and raises you a pic of the sign.   From the wording it sounds like they’ll be reopening under the same name.

Steve writes in that the previous report about Crescent Moon closing and becoming a Thumbs Up Diner may in fact be true.

“Apparently the rumor is in fact true. There are signs on the window today stating that Crescent Moon is closed, but will reopen after some remodeling with Rob in charge. (Carl, I can’t believe you didn’t scoop this)”

This new piece of evidence certainly seems to jive with the old rumor, but doesn’t yet confirm it will be a Thumbs Up.

Carl’s so good to us…

This new joint is taking the place of the former DPD Community Relations office next to Kavarna.

Written back in 1991 when housing prices were still growing, this Atlantic article argued that Americans should really think about living smaller.

The growth in the size of houses is also at odds with the shrinkage in the size of households. Why do families that are, on average, smaller require twice as much space? To some extent the expanding American house reflects a crude, bigger-is-better mentality. Homeownership is a sign of social accomplishment and status, and just as the most prestigious cars were once the Cadillac and the Continental, which served as models for cheaper (but equally bloated) Fords and Chevrolets, the houses of the wealthy—in particular, Hollywood celebrities, whose sprawling Beverly Hills villas were prominently featured in fan magazines—were what the average tract house strove to imitate.

The increase in the size of the average new house, and in the level of amenities it contained, naturally cost money, and prices rose accordingly. Of course, the homebuilding industry was propelled by the same economic imperatives that drove the automobile industry, and found it profitable to furnish the market with more-expensive houses. And like the automobile manufacturers, builders resisted reducing the size of their product dramatically—even when inflation, higher interest rates, and low household incomes (especially those of single-parent families headed by women) suggested that it might be reasonable to do so.

Of course, due to the fact that 80% of our housing stock is over 50 years-old, many Decaturites have already shown their preference to live in less space than the average American, in exchange for all the communal/environmental benefits.

Now if only we weren’t the exception to the rule.

h/t: The Daily Dish

Altmod lets us know that Moey’s candy voting machine is now fully operational and ready for Election Day…I mean Halloween!

Additionally, Moey’s costumes from previous years are online here.  The stuffable pinata is not to be missed!