So there's a weird thing happening in my neighborhood. There's a parking lot that everybody uses, not just for parking, but for special outdoor events. It's owned by some dude, and he's been fine leasing it to the neighborhood (though he increases the rent every year), but now suddenly he wants to develop it into a lot with three national chains. There are already a few national chains in the area, but this will up the ratio greatly, and they will be clustered together in the heart of the area, blocking views of and access to local businesses and most likely turning traffic into a giant clusterfuck. We've got petitions and t-shirts and are trying to make people aware of the situation, but when it comes down to it, it's a private lot owned by a butthead and what can we do? I'm sad and upset, Grog. What should I do?
Oh what? Grog am just wake up from hibernate. But okay, will try to answer you question, even though it am have more preamble than most question Grog answer.
Grog am see this sort of thing before in orc village. Gruumsh (no relation to Gruumsh One Eye) own like pretty much half of orc village, including park that lot of young orc use, and some older orc come and do yoga there. It am well-situated near meatpile and mud pit. Well, Gruumsh decide to turn park into space for new halfling venture am pop up all over mountain, a restaurant for orc where you am get you own personal meatpile, very small, on a plate.
Grog not understand why we need personal meatpile when we am have local village meatpile like almost literally right there. Sure we am already have elf jewelry store chain at other end of village; that not mean we want more non-local business! There am lot of argument for and against, and in the end Gruumsh kill leader of opposition in trial by combat. They am build restaurant, and eventually even opponent forget to be angry and patronize it. But not Grog; Grog leave village, try to find another village. Wander and wander and end up live among hu-man, hear story of other orc village am not even have they own town meatpile anymore because chain of restaurant am so popular.
So base on that experience, let Grog take a big guess what people am say about this situation when you am talk about it:
Hey bro, you am already let chain store into neighborhood, why you care now?
Look, bro, he am a businessman who am look after he own interest. No can blame him.
Hey also, bro, why you even care about a dumb lot for car to park in?
In like a year, bro, those business probably close and then everything am be back to normal, so just like chill and go with the flow, okay bro?
Let Grog address these thing one by one:
There am big difference between a few chain and the ratio of chain to local am be fifty-fifty. It am slippery slope that end in fifteen Qdoba restaurant in a row and pretty much no money go back into local interest.
Yes, he am businessman. Congrats you am know a word, bro. Yes, he am look out for he own interest. But yes, you can blame him. Grog am see firsthand the similarity between orc and hu-man culture. In orc village, ability to direct orc society am tied directly to ability to inflict violence. In hu-man society, instead of fist to face, it am fist full of dollar. It am a different kind of violence, but it operate on same principle of power differential determine direction of society. It am pretty gross. Just because it am legal not mean it am right.
Sound like it am not just a parking lot, but a community space, even if it mostly just have park car in it. It am what the parking lot represent, you literal-minded dumdum. It am a pretty narrow view of community that not understand how space become tied to people view of neighborhood, and how social space am important and inform neighborhood view of itself. It took Grog two second to figure out. How come you no see it, bro?
So let say these business open, and then close a year later. It not go back to normal. Why? First because building am still there, will still attract new tenant, probably another national chain. So it pretty much am never-end cycle of same thing over and over again. But also, there am the damage to the sense of neighborhood identity to consider. People of neighborhood invest they self into neighborhood emotionally. To know that that sense of community can be shatter by one stupid dummy maybe hurt community in a way that am never fully recover from.
So what you can do? It am difficult. Power differential am too great, maybe. Sound like you am on right track. No am lose hope, okay? Keep fight. One thing Grog learn is that rich people no like when poor people bug them a lot. So that am something. Keep you voice loud. Even if you lose the fight, they am know you am there now, that you am watch what they do. You am may need to use legal loophole. Here am some practical thing to consider, maybe:
Am new building going to be accessible to Large and/or Gargantuan monster? If not, hey, back to drawing board. Gargantuan monster need burrito too.
Am you have any high-level caster in you party? If so, maybe try Teleport Object to move whole development? It am worth a shot.
Or maybe summon extra-planar creature to wreak havoc on construction.
Since it am probable that whatever chain restaurant come in will serve meat, it am possible to cast Gathering of Maggots and maybe get it shut down for health code violation. Again and again.
Replace construction crew with undead creature who only want to party because they am just excite to not be dead anymore.
Use Summon Nature's Ally to conjure a pixie. Pixie shoot guy who own lot with memory loss arrow. Problem solve!
Am sure you am come up some of you own idea. If all else fail, Grog know a guy who know a guy who am like pretty good with punching through walls and am good also at destroy a thing.
