Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Greenbelt vs Openspacee
Greenbelt vs Openspace
Greenbelt vs. Openspace.
We all desire openspace. Some of the great cities in Europe such as Frankfurt are one-third public openspace with forests near downtown. We want openspace near our homes, for daily use by our families as parks, golf courses, etc. Many prefer openspace as part of their own private backyards.
Greenbelt on the other hand is different and is part of the Urban Growth Boundary, a central part of Smart Growth Planning along with the second part Light-Rail transportation. The Greenbelt Plan puts a limit of development belt around San Jose, which ends up squeezing the city inhabitants and forcing them close together with the hope they will become light-rail riders, thus denying the residents usable openspace.
The result is a shortage of development land directly effecting housing costs. During the last 25 years housing prices in San Jose have gone up by a factor of nine, more than any US city. Families demanding a home with a swing set and a sandbox skip over the San Jose greenbelt and instead look to Stockton or Hollister to purchase their home which results in sprawl, pollution, and waste of resources. Housing prices have resulted in exiting of the poor and minorities, which is a phenomenon some call economic cleansing. Houston, the fourth largest city in the U. S., has no zoning and few restrictions, resulting in some of the lowest housing prices.
Greenbelt landowners with builder's eager to build for enthusiastic buyers must continue to wait for approvals. During these recent years San Jose home purchasers have paid two to three times more for their homes than they should, compared to cities without a greenbelt. High housing prices and a congested highway system resulting from exaggerated funding of light-rail and neglecting roads also impacts urban joblessness. Portland, OR and San Jose are one two in urban joblessness in the US. They are also one two as the first US cities to implement Smart Growth planning. It should be evident to all that Smart Growth Planning negatively impacts cities housing, roads and the environment.
We do not permit racial profiling; we support equal pay for equal work. We do not permit discrimination in race, religion, etc. However, when we get to property rights there are no fairness or reason. Can private property be reserved or held as greenbelt or a viewshed for the benefit of the community with out the community paying for it? This law is still evolving.
The community should purchase privately owned lands designated greenbelts along with environmentally sensitive lands, wetlands, lands with endangered species.
However, designating privately owned land as greenbelts, has a tremendous cost that is not fully understood or taken into account as to its effect on housing costs, jobs, livability, and the environment.
Lowell Grattan is a local businessman born, raised and educated in the valley.
He can be reached at lowell_grattan@prodigy.net
This was just published in the Silicon Valley Biz Ink 9/17/04
Greenbelt vs. Openspace.
We all desire openspace. Some of the great cities in Europe such as Frankfurt are one-third public openspace with forests near downtown. We want openspace near our homes, for daily use by our families as parks, golf courses, etc. Many prefer openspace as part of their own private backyards.
Greenbelt on the other hand is different and is part of the Urban Growth Boundary, a central part of Smart Growth Planning along with the second part Light-Rail transportation. The Greenbelt Plan puts a limit of development belt around San Jose, which ends up squeezing the city inhabitants and forcing them close together with the hope they will become light-rail riders, thus denying the residents usable openspace.
The result is a shortage of development land directly effecting housing costs. During the last 25 years housing prices in San Jose have gone up by a factor of nine, more than any US city. Families demanding a home with a swing set and a sandbox skip over the San Jose greenbelt and instead look to Stockton or Hollister to purchase their home which results in sprawl, pollution, and waste of resources. Housing prices have resulted in exiting of the poor and minorities, which is a phenomenon some call economic cleansing. Houston, the fourth largest city in the U. S., has no zoning and few restrictions, resulting in some of the lowest housing prices.
Greenbelt landowners with builder's eager to build for enthusiastic buyers must continue to wait for approvals. During these recent years San Jose home purchasers have paid two to three times more for their homes than they should, compared to cities without a greenbelt. High housing prices and a congested highway system resulting from exaggerated funding of light-rail and neglecting roads also impacts urban joblessness. Portland, OR and San Jose are one two in urban joblessness in the US. They are also one two as the first US cities to implement Smart Growth planning. It should be evident to all that Smart Growth Planning negatively impacts cities housing, roads and the environment.
We do not permit racial profiling; we support equal pay for equal work. We do not permit discrimination in race, religion, etc. However, when we get to property rights there are no fairness or reason. Can private property be reserved or held as greenbelt or a viewshed for the benefit of the community with out the community paying for it? This law is still evolving.
The community should purchase privately owned lands designated greenbelts along with environmentally sensitive lands, wetlands, lands with endangered species.
However, designating privately owned land as greenbelts, has a tremendous cost that is not fully understood or taken into account as to its effect on housing costs, jobs, livability, and the environment.
Lowell Grattan is a local businessman born, raised and educated in the valley.
He can be reached at lowell_grattan@prodigy.net
This was just published in the Silicon Valley Biz Ink 9/17/04
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