[randombit]

> Vermonters want to do whatever the hell they want on their own land.

Within the constraints of zoning, which are very strict both at the state level (Act 250 would certainly come into play for a development this large) and often at the town level also (don't know about Sharon). Vermont's zoning is partially oriented towards keeping as much green space and working farmland available as possible... maybe there are places where you can just buy up hundreds of acres farmland and turn it into strip malls and high density housing but Vermont is thankfully not one of them.

As another example of what you cannot do with your land in Vermont - you cannot put up a billboard on it. There was a case recently where a mural painted on a barn wall within sight of the highway was declared a roadside ad and had to be removed. You don't realize how just ugly and tacky billboards are until you live in a place without them for a few years...

[chrisdbaldwin]

>You don't realize how just ugly and tacky billboards are until you live in a place without them for a few years...

I recently visited San Francisco and was appalled by the billboards. There's something very jarring about seeing internet memes on a billboard.[1]

[1] http://i0.wp.com/digiday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/bill...

[wavefunction]

I wonder too if HipChat compensated the original artist.

I would guess not.

[deadowl]

It's several towns. What he's doing will disrupt the local economy by inflating prices on the real estate market. New people won't be able to afford to move to town because their pockets aren't billionaire deep. The people who moved out won't come back. Once the local economy is disrupted enough by the pressure on the real estate market, the residents that never planned on leaving won't be able to afford to stay. Then they'll sell their land, and that will feed back into the cycle until the town is either in depression. That will open the door for this billionaire to import enough new residents and hijack the local political processes. Monopoliznig the local real estate market is what will lower the barriers.

[dghughes]

My tiny Canadian province doesn't allow billboards and yes they are very obvious to me when I travel.