Density Limits Only Add To Sprawl

Washington Post ^ | Sunday, March 9, 2003; | By Peter Whoriskey

[NYpeanut]

The war on sprawl around Washington has made a profound impact on the metropolitan landscape. More than half of the land surrounding the nation's capital is now protected from typical suburban housing development, according to a Washington Post review of land plans in 14 counties in Virginia and Maryland. Restrictions in these "rural" areas limit home builders to no more than one house for every three acres, with several counties curtailing development even more.

[NYpeanut]

Sprawl = whatever is built after I got mine.

Leftists are driven by emotion, even when it costs the next guy. There's a local group here that wants to prevent a farmer from selling to a developer because it will "spoil their view" driving to town.

[OBone]

Loudon County, VA is the latest. It's the old "I'm in close the door".

OB

[11th Earl of Mar]

We have learned in Michigan how a 3 acre minimum eats up land faster than traditional development.

I am surprised the article did not really address "clustering."

Many local government authorities are opting for "clustering" in stead of the standard minimum acerage rule.

Clustering allows higher density housing as long as there is a "green space" set aside where future growth is prohibited.

For instance, a 20 acre piece with typical 3 acre development rules, could normally allow up to six lots of 3+ acres.

Under clustering, a developer would be allowed bonus lots, maybe 9 total lots, for setting aside a large chunk of that land. The municipality would allow lots to be maybe a half or three quarter acre each, as long as 10 acres was dedicated as perminant open space.

It is cheaper to do for the deveoper, the owners still get the use of the open space and the municipality gets more houses to tax.

[Tom D.]

It amazes me: The same folks who want affordable housing for everyone, want to preseve green space, don't want people to drive long distances to work, and decry sprall. Are these folks so dumb that they fail to recoginze that requiring large lots to preserve open green space creates other problems like sprall, or do they justwant something to bitch about?

[eno_]

Depends on what you mean by "eats up land." I live in an exurb of Boston on 6 acres. Properties in my area range form multi-million dollar equestrian farms to 2 acre minimums with fairly modest (but now rather pricey) splits. We have LOTS of wildlife here. And, since many larger property holders donated development rights when they sold in order to cut their cap gains hit, most of the large properties are locked-in and cannot be split up.

Don't listen to the anti-"sprawl" enviros. They think houses are incompatible with nature. Spread them out enough and they have very little impact.

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[madfly]

fyi

[EternalVigilance]

The left will use whatever mechanism they can find to CONTROL.

Sprawl is a buzzword; and if you scratch very far beneath the surface when it crops up, you will most always find a liberal power grab.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

bump

[SierraWasp]

"...justwant something to bitch about?"

No! They are into rural cleansing!

They want you off "their" viewshed/watershed and back into the sardine packed urban areas, dependent on them as liberals who they totally believe has all the answers for you, including how you should vote to "sustain" their government programs.

This is "Sustainable Development," "Smart Growth" and fulfils the prime directive of the UN's "Agenda 21!" Humans should not be allowed to reproduce and certainly must stop economic development as that leads to wealth and too much individualism!!!

If you don't like my rant, you can blame "madfly" for pinging me and pulling my chain on a Sunday afternoon.

[Grampa Dave]

Smart Growth is how the Enviral Facist Nazi Nannies want to control those who weren't aborted.

Cram them into the Goron inner cities and feed them recycled food served cold not waste energy. There would be no evil cars, just a few commune bikes for each 10,000 people crammed into a city block.

Smart Growth = Rural Cleansing and Urban Cramming!

[gitmo]

"We're just consuming more land than we ever have," said Gary T. Johnson, a planning professor at Virginia Commonwealth University planning professor.

Obviously a man of great learnings. /sarcasm

[Brownie74]

BUMP!!

[OBone]

I think it is political correctness. It became one of Al Gore's pet projects when he was VP. He wants to force everyone back into the cities. I think he wanted to increase the tax base of the cities so they could tax everyone to support the social programs. Thats my take.

OB

[editor-surveyor]

"We have learned in Michigan how a 3 acre minimum eats up land faster than traditional development."

A three acre minimum preserves the quality of life. Clustering puts you in an urban cesspool, just like all the other 'Agenda 21' ideas. Increase crime, decrease security and quality of life are the marching orders of all government 'planners.'

[editor-surveyor]

"The left will use whatever mechanism they can find to CONTROL.

"Sprawl is a buzzword; and if you scratch very far beneath the surface when it crops up, you will most always find a liberal power grab."

Couldn't have said it better myself!

[Nam Vet]

I'm a Real Estate Broker in socialist portland, and what we have here is called the "Urban growth Boundary". No, or a limited spliting outside of certain areas. It's so stupid that while we build common-wall homes on 2500 sq. ft. lots inside the boundary in the city, they wouldn't allow my parents to split their 100 acre farm into two fifty acre lots for their two sons. "It would ruin the green space. Talk about curtailing property rights. Sheer idiocy.

Nam Vet

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!

[Eustace]

We are viewed as eaters and are here for the use of the aristocrats.

Plain and simple.

We refuse to learn from history because we don't know it and the people who don't want us to know it , control our educations.

We will be a propertiless people and will not buy , sell or trade without the approval of the beast.

That is unless we chose to Stand Up with Christ , instead of waiting on Him to do what we should do.

That means not accepting the governments lies and holding our politicians to Gods Laws. Foreign or domestic God knows what He's saying.

But we continue to accept these over rated car salesmen in Washington DC as our lords , and as long as we do , we will lose everything we "think" we own.

INCLUDING OUR FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[Delphinium]

Thanks for posting this, its an article I will use to persuade one of my good friends on the P&Z against control, and for private property rights.