We live in the first platted subdivision in our town, platted in the 1880’s. Our house was built about 20 years later, and the block slowly filledup with one or two-story houses, narrow but long lots (52 X 180).
Well, last summer we saw a legal notice that Land Clearance for Redevelopment (urban renewal) was trying to designate our area “blighted” because it is under-developed and doesn’t meet current platting standards. We sucessfully fought that, and now we are fighting “Design Standards” that would require new buildings be built at the front property line- no front yard allowed. We have never been able to get our property re-zoned out of a commercial classification, but with lot area requirements, it has always been a moot point. If the Planning Staff gets these “Design Standards” through, the next step will be to rezone us CBD, and then there are no lot or yard requirements.
Abuse of government power—oh, yeah. But the City is proud to be a “Sustainable City”. Truly a misomer, kind of like “Planned Parenthood”
Here's the problem for planners ~ you can sometimes get a zoning overlay district that gets beaten down in court 20 years from now because you forgot to change the actual zoning.
What your community can do to combat the planners is simply apply for designation as a PUD (planned unit development) ~ which will prevent any further zoning changes affecting anything in your area unless the entire PUD is challenged. The PUD is ordinarily used by developers for new developments where they want to leave open space ~ usually cricks, forests, rockpiles ~ so they'll trade those spaces for higher zoning densities where homes are actually built. The sme standard can also be used to protect a community not otherwise eligible for an historic designation.