A Return To A More Quaint Gatlinburg?

Recently, Gatlinburg city leaders adopted a new ordinance limiting the amount of displays required on store fronts in town. The city is banning the use of distracting lights and keeping signage and merchandise displays at no more than 50% coverage on shop windows. Shop owners have 90 days to ask city staff if it complies with the ordinance, which officially goes into effect the first of April.

The support for this is twofold: The first has a lot to do with the fact it can be a distraction for drivers leading to unsafe consequences. The second is a return to the Gatlinburg of old, as a more quaint community. Gatlinburg city leaders didn’t just throw this in; there were six months of reviewing ideas and two months of discussion before voting to adopt this ordinance.

My opinion may rub some people the wrong way, but I hope that it doesn’t because I think the intentions of this new ordinance are well-meaning. It’s good that safety is a priority, and anything that seeks to improve these conditions is a positive step. Also, I fully support anything that reduces the tackiness of downtown Gatlinburg. I love the idea of making it feel more like a mountain town. There’s nothing better than improving the theme of Gatlinburg as the Gateway to the Smoky Mountains. But here’s where reality comes into play.

I believe that ship has sailed.

Yes, it’s nice city leaders are taking steps to improving the look of Gatlinburg, but it’s only scratching the surface, and there’s no going back to the quaintness of this town anymore. You’re just not going back to a world that doesn’t exist anymore. Women aren’t going back into the kitchen, and we’re not going back to the 1950s—or even the 1990s, for that matter. We live in a different world, and the Gatlinburg of today will never resemble what people remembered 40, 50, and 60 years ago. Yes, some businesses from that era still remain, but I don’t think anyone considers Gatlinburg to be a quaint little mountain town anymore, unfortunately.

Again, I’m not ripping the city for adopting this ordinance. The perception of this tourist town has taken a hit for its gaudy attractions that have sought to lure tourists in. I get it, money talks, and it’s a big reason I and many other locals have a place and job here. I guess we’ll see what more is done to improve the look of Gatlinburg.

Change is always necessary. And if you don’t accept this, you’re going to get left behind and in the dark. As humans, you have to learn to adapt to these modern transformations. Complaining won’t do you any good. Technology is a blessing and a curse, but we have to stay somewhat up-to-date to have a chance at life not getting the best of us.

So maybe I got a little off base. I hope not. I am proud of where I live, so I want to lend some support without ruffling too many feathers and getting political—that’s the last thing I want. I see it as good thing to improve Gatlinburg’s image, despite how small these efforts may seem. I am a realist, though. In the long run, I don’t see it as a solution, but again, we’ll see. I love living here, and I am always excited to see what’s coming down the pike in Gatlinburg!

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