“Anixation”
“Anixation”
What’s a county council to make of it? One year its largest city asks for thousands of acres to accommodate its growth, hardly a year later it’s declining to annex areas designated for growth a decad
What's a county council to make of it? One year its largest city asks for thousands of acres to accommodate its growth, hardly a year later it's declining to annex areas designated for growth a decade earlier.
The process of growth management clearly established a system where, after designation of resource lands of long term significance, areas for future urban growth were identified. And in so doing, it was expected they would become part of an adjacent city.
Now, all of a sudden, folks living in these areas want nothing to do with the nearby urbanity. It's fine to be able to drive a few short minutes and enjoy the better things of urban life, but spare me the neighbors.
What, in fact, we are witnessing is the chickens coming home to roost. For going on two decades, the system has been driven by the development industry and their allies in city and county government. Without real support from the people on the ground, government has allowed the building industry to jockey zoning to satisfy themselves.
Now the city is facing up to its willing acquiescence. Annexation is damn expensive. City leaders who had little to do with earlier decisions will be the one's left to explain the ensuing tax burden to their constituents.
The trick was simple. County government designates urban growth areas, allows greater densities than would otherwise be allowed in rural areas, and collects and spends the taxes as they see fit.
The city is left to absorb the traffic and other demands for services by those on their doorstep. Within city limits, impact fees for parks, sidewalks, sewers etc. etc. would have applied to development. Not in the county.
So now the "fowl" system is becoming all too clear. It was all part of the county administration's Ponzi scheme. Hang on. It's going to get even better.
The process of growth management clearly established a system where, after designation of resource lands of long term significance, areas for future urban growth were identified. And in so doing, it was expected they would become part of an adjacent city.
Now, all of a sudden, folks living in these areas want nothing to do with the nearby urbanity. It's fine to be able to drive a few short minutes and enjoy the better things of urban life, but spare me the neighbors.
What, in fact, we are witnessing is the chickens coming home to roost. For going on two decades, the system has been driven by the development industry and their allies in city and county government. Without real support from the people on the ground, government has allowed the building industry to jockey zoning to satisfy themselves.
Now the city is facing up to its willing acquiescence. Annexation is damn expensive. City leaders who had little to do with earlier decisions will be the one's left to explain the ensuing tax burden to their constituents.
The trick was simple. County government designates urban growth areas, allows greater densities than would otherwise be allowed in rural areas, and collects and spends the taxes as they see fit.
The city is left to absorb the traffic and other demands for services by those on their doorstep. Within city limits, impact fees for parks, sidewalks, sewers etc. etc. would have applied to development. Not in the county.
So now the "fowl" system is becoming all too clear. It was all part of the county administration's Ponzi scheme. Hang on. It's going to get even better.
