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["Shea Tisdale" <shea AT sheatisdale.com>]

Actually Tom, the Sprawl in RTP was the direct result of government planning
and zoning.  And developers putting as many houses per acre as they can get
away with would better support mass transit.  It's developers putting things
far apart that reduces the effectiveness of mass transit.

And your argument about planning for infrastructure, building schools, etc.
is somewhat valid, but in the end isn't it the taxpayers who pay for such
infrastructure and services no matter what.  Even if the developer does put
in a school such as in Southern Village, the people who bought the houses
paid for it and the taxpayers now foot the bill for it to stay open.  The
developer didn't pay for it, they just passed the cost along.

And an argument can be made that by expanding I-40 it does generate revenue
for the counties, cities and state.  A:  Businesses and workers can now be
more efficient.  B:  Businesses and workers might be attracted to the area.
C:  Businesses might expand.  D:  Businesses and workers might not leave the
area.  So there is a benefit from I-40s expansion.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas Beckett" <thomas AT tbeckett.com>
To: <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2003 1:58 PM
Subject: Re: [internetworkers] 'New' Urbanism?


> > Hasn't anyone noticed that sprawl was a direct result of the
> > zoning ordinances and top-down control?  I hear people blaming the
> > developers and calling them money-grabbers.  While that may be somewhat
> > true, don't forget it was the local politicians who restricted the kinds
> > of  development that could take place to begin with.
>
> I have to disagree with you there.  The sprawl we see in the Triangle
> occurs precisely because of the absence of any regional land-use
> planning and free rein given to developers.  The developers just find
> the cheapest land they can and put in as many houses per acre as they
> can get away with.  Only recently have local governments become
> concerned with the effects of such developments on existing
> infrastructure and the accompanying costs to the community.  The burden
> of improving roads, building schools and such generally falls upon the
> taxpayers, not the developer.
>
> [snipping a number of other inflammatory and ill-informed comments
> that i'll just have to let go for now]
>
> > As far as "light rail" the other anointed savior of all things utopian,
> > one  need only watch the old Simpson's "Monorail" episode to see what a
> > crock  that idea is.  Very few light rail systems ever turn a profit,
> > they are a  perpetual drag on nearly every community that commandeered
> > all that private  property in order to install them.
>
> Tell me, exactly how much of a profit did the recently-expanded I-40
> provide to the state?  At least with public transportation the users
> are offsetting part of the cost in proportion to the extent they use it.
> Don't bother mentioning the gasoline tax.  That only covers a fraction
> of the cost we taxpayers bear to lay down ever more concrete and asphalt
> across the state.
>
> I do have to agree that Meadowmont is an elitist imitation of New
> Urbanism.  That development doesn't even pretend to provide housing
> affordable to any but the wealthy.  I am glad, however, that the Town
> of Chapel Hill delayed that project for years until the developers
> agreed to bear part of the expense of the transportation, road and
> infrastructure costs, and give land for the school.  I shudder to
> think of what it would look like without those minimal concessions.
> The development will expand the population of Chapel Hill by nearly
> one third.  That is why land use regulation and oversight is an
> important function of local government.
>
> TaB
>
>
> ---
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