“But is that efficient?“
One of the beauties of real estate is its vast flexibility. Land is developed for a purpose, whether it be for business, philanthropy, entertainment, agricultural, health-based or personal, there are a plethora of ways in which land can be utilized appropriately. But what is considered appropriate?
Malleable utilization
Zoning laws are created to help steer the various utilizations of land use by regulating what is built and where, providing boundaries with respect to magnitude and conformity. Comprehensive plans are drafted to establish the formwork for zoning laws so that appropriate developments will be pursued on a practical basis. However, as much as we plan for the future, the evolution of what we anticipated being needed and what is actually needed often conflicts with those established parameters.
Build for the future
The essence of Smart Growth is to build for longevity and efficiency. Allowing productive growth in our communities is essential to our evolution as we adapt to new circumstances and environmental changes. Constraining the progress of livability is counterintuitive to the intention of land-use laws, for the purpose of creating zoning guidelines and building codes is to ensure that safe and suitable developments are created for the betterment of society. The ability to adapt is imperative to growth. Zoning districts that only permit single uses or stringent alternatives hinder progress, such as obsolete retail stores being swallowed by ecommerce, subpar stabilized hotels, vacant country clubs or any other underutilized form of property that is treading water simply because an alternative use is not permitted.
Creation isn’t always implemented
The top saying in real estate is “Location, Location, Location”, however that naive statement is outdated in today’s environment, because you can have the best location in the world, but if you can’t build what you want on it, what purpose does it serve? Municipalities establish various methods to overcome zoning standards such as special use permits, form-based codes, floating zones, overlay zones and other like-kind approaches. These progressive development tactics are great solutions for providing land use flexibility for enhanced purposes. Understanding that practical growth requires segmented districts for uniformity, the underlying incentive for deviating from current zoning regulations is to accommodate more people than it currently does. New Rochelle for example drafted dozens of zoning modifications as part of their DOZ revitalization initiative. One of which permitted a favorable density towards building senior housing residencies in underlying single-family districts to support an undersupplied market for the elderly. A dozen homes serving a dozen families does not have the same impactful accommodation a senior care facility for hundreds of existing residents would. Just a few years ago, a project at Coopers Corner in New Rochelle was approved regardless of its lack of compliance within the zoning’s regulatory parameters out of necessity for more senior housing. Shortly afterwards, a superior project was proposed, Wilmot Lakeside Living, by Related, Atria Senior Living and KOSL Building, who over exceeded those exact zoning guidelines its predecessor received favorable relief from. Unfortunately, the Mayor and Councilwoman of that district were coerced by a few boisterous NIMBY advocates, resulting in their arbitrary decision to eliminate the process for a more practical development to proceed in the form of exclusionary zoning.
Support your future
Though there are many instances of counterproductive growth due to small-minded municipal officials, millions across the country have begun recognizing the need to voice their support for productive change. Smart Growth is a widely expansive field that has gained traction over the years. Stemming from logical intent, its gradually success is inevitable, however without the blessing of the controlling parties, the result will remain as stagnant growth instead.
Do you have any ideas to help expand Smart Growth?
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