Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 14A
- FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS-Sunday, Jun* 7,1 m
GROWTH from 13A
“The effect of these two
changes would be to recapture the
public investment in infrastructure
by maximizing use and minimiz
ing travel, he said.” Even slightly
higher densities, detached homes
•on 6-10,000 square foot lots, for
example would make a huge dif
ference, said Bauman.
Smart Growth in Maryland.
Describing Maryland’s new
Smart Growth program, Ron
Young, former mayor of Frederick
said, “The key was priority spend
ing. We just decided where we
wanted growth to happen which is
where people are already and then
put the money there.” This solu
tion didn’t require any new
money, didn’t create any addition
al bureaucracy, and didn’t take
control of land use away from
local governments.”
The state is now addressing
growth management from many
angles. One program grants tax
credits to employers for putting
jobs where people live. A transfer
tax on real estate transactions goes
into a pool that local governments
can draw from to purchase devel
opment rights on land they want
to to protect.
Portland’s solution.
Portland, Oregon’s solution
involved creating an elected gov
ernment, Portland Metro, with
power to establish growth policies
for the entire metropolitan region.
Portland’s urban growth
boundary has been widely publi-
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Athens • Atlanta • Cumming • Gainesville
cized, but Fregonese explained
that other actors have been impor
tant to Metro’s success. “The
most important was that we
worked hard to create a consensus
for doing what we did.” Portland
also used infrastructure invest
ments, especially in transporta
tion, especially commuter and
light rail, to shape development,
and changed zoning regulations to
allow more dense mixed-use
development, especially around
transit stations.
“We’ve had twenty years expe
rience,” said Fregonese. “We have
growth without consuming land.
Development inside the boundary
has increased. The middle class
has not left. Ninety two percent of
the urban kids are in public
schools. Seventy percent pass the
basic tests, compared to 68 per
cent of the suburban kids. Public
transit rider ship is higher than
ever.”
Obstacles in Georgia.
According to Michael Gleaton,
of Georgia’s Department of
Community Affairs, there has
been good compliance with the
1989 Planning Act by local gov
ernments, “but the planning is
very traditional. It's not leading to
innovation. It’s easy to widen
roads. Other things are more diffi
cult.”
“The decision culture in this
state is far removed from the sort
of thing being discussed here”
said Gleaton. “We’re a predomi-
nantly rural state. Most legislators
are simply not concerned with
sprawl. There is no statewide
investment policy. All the incen
tives are for “doing what we’ve
always done.” The focus is all
“grow and go.”
Following the panel presenta
tion, Joe Wharton, Os the
University of Georgia’s Institute
for Community and Area
Development, moderated interac
tion with the audience.
Discussion during the hour and a
half session focused largely on
ways to overcome obstacles to
“smart growth” in Georgia.
Getting around vested interests.
One questioner noted that
“sprawl means money to a lot of
people. There are people who
have an interest in seeing it con
tinue.”
Fregonese responded by dis
tinguishing between business and
development. “They are not the
same,” he said. “Developers can
be a pain to business people, too.
Don’t write off the business com
munity. Instead, on list them in
developing a stable alternative to
sprawl. They are a natural private
sector ally.”
Opposition to increased density.
A developer asked about oppo
sition to increased density. Some
developers would like to do what
you’re talking about, but politi
cians and homeowners oppose
any increase, no matter how care
fully planned.
“There are lots of misconcep
tions about higher density,” said
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Fregonese. “Make it clear that
you simply want to expand the
range of choice. Don’t give peo
ple the idea that everyone has to
live in denser communities. Stay
away from established neighbor
hoods. Focus on areas that present
opportunities, such as older strip
malls.”
Achieving regional cooperation.
Two questioners commented
on obstacles to regional coopera
tion in Georgia.
In response, Bauman acknowl
edged that regional government
will be difficult to achieve. “There
is something that is doable,” he
said. “Just focus on one problem.
In D.C. it was the subway. We
had to get two states, the elected
government in D.C., and the
Congressional oversight board to
work together. If we can do it in
D.C., you can do it in Georgia.”
Still, the panel felt regional
SEASON from 13A
bathroom or closet should be used?
An interior room on the lowest
level with no windows is prefer
able.
Finally, the third plan should
involve family safety drills.
• If your home catches fire, say
from a lightening strike, what will
everyone do? It may depend on
where they are at the time. Family
drills should be planned and prac-
cooperation was critical.
“Regions are the effective eco
nomic unit,” said Fregonese. “As
regions go, so go the municipali
ties. You don’t have to change
your culture to get cooperation.
Put together a package that fits
with the culture you have. If you
look for it, you’ll find something
in your culture that will inspire
you to cooperate.”
What’s next?
In wrapping up the sympo
sium, Wharton asked members of
the panel to say what they thought
the next steps were for Atlanta.
“Somebody with power has to
stand up and say, We need to do
this,” said Bauman. For
Fregonese, the critical lacking in
Atlanta was “a view of what
things should be like twenty years
from now.”
“Your vision has to have bal
ance,” said Young. “What works
ticed more than once.
• What about an evacuation
plan? If you must leave your home
on short notice, do you have a plan
for who gets what items, how fast
you can assemble the appropriate
belongings and how fast you can
be on the road with everything you
need? This, too, requires a plan of
action and should be practiced
more than once. Don’t forget to
has to work for everybody. Make ’
it clear it’s not just an environ-«
mental issue, that it’s also a social'
issue, an agricultural issue, an ‘
economic issue. ’
Gleaton urged refocusing state *
investments. “Decide what needs *
to be done. Let local governments
live with it. If they go along, they
get help. If they want to deep
building roads, let them pay for
them.”
For more information, contact
the Georgia Conservancy at (404)
876-2900 (ext. 25).
• • •
Eric Weir is an author, writer ,
and consultant working on issues •
of education, community develop
ment and protection of the envi
ronment. He lives in Decatur. He
can be reached by email at
eweir @ mindspring, com.
plan out your route of travel.
Knowing which way to go in
advance can save time and may be
critical in a real emergency situa- ' •
tion.
For additional information
about home safety, saving money ■
on your insurance plans and other
useful hints, visit the Georgia „
Insurance Information Service web ■
site at www.giis.org.