"Seems Like This Place Could Use The Extra Jobs..."

A new comic by Chase Chauffe questions whether or not all rural economic growth is good for community.

There’s been quite a bit of hubbub in Madison County over the past year as construction on the first-ever Kentucky outpost of the Texas-based mega-gas-station chain Buc-ee’s has gotten squarely underway just off of I-75 between Richmond and Berea.

As someone who has spent quite a bit of time driving past these mammoth roadside recreation outposts along I-10 in the Lone Star State, I was surprised the convenience store with a cult-like following was bringing their larger-than-life approach to jerky walls, clean restrooms and Beaver Nuggets to my home county, sure, but I was equally surprised that seemingly no one in the community was hesitant about its arrival.

Several towns across the Southeast have actual been not-so-thrilled about Buc-ee’s attempting to expand to their area, including Efland, North Carolina, where residents questioned the environmental and health impacts of such a massive gas station (and the traffic it would bring) to the point that Buc-ee’s eventually abandoned the location due to community pushback.

On the flip side, the coverage here in local newspapers has read either like a) confusing press releases or b) hype pieces for the arrival of a bona fide celebrity. Take this snippet from an August 2021 article in the Berea Citizen:

This is unlike most other gas stations since it is not just a place where you buy gas to fill up your car and be on your way. They also are a place where you can go shopping for food, drinks, snacks, ice cream, and more. This is why it has been able to grow so quickly over the past several years as Americans now live busy lives where we do not have time to cook our own meals or shop at other grocery stores which can take more time than people have in their day.

Uh, what?

We’ll be covering the impact of this new 120-pump extreme gas station more in-depth closer to its slated “grand opening” in Spring 2022, but for now, Chase Chauffe explores big questions related to community, economic development and whether (or not) bigger is always better in his latest comic for The Goldenrod.