“Georgia Conservancy supports local communities’ authority to explore their own community development solutions.”- Statement from an environmental group
Several weeks ago there was an article in the Henry County Times about HB 302, which would severely limit the power of local government to control the kind of development that takes place in a city or county. As a former Jasper County Commissioner (R), former Chair of the ACCG local tax committee and former Peachtree City Planning Commissioner, I am glad to see that it was not approved by the House (or Senate, SB 172). But I’m concerned that a bill limiting local zoning powers would even have been proposed or considered by our legislators.
The bill itself made no sense and was the absolute opposite of what our GOP dominated legislature is supposed to be about: returning government to the level closest to the voter. I’m amazed that the same politicians supporting this proposed power grab are the same hypocritical folks who pontificate against the federal government taking powers traditionally reserved to the states. Its sponsors (Rep. Vance Smith and Senator John Wilkinson, a Senate leader) should be ashamed of themselves.
But just maybe I should not be so surprised. Removing a community’s ability to restrict the types of structures and so on that are built in a community limits the ability of private developers to make money, regardless of the needs or desires of the local community. As a politician once told me “that’s just private enterprise.” As a former hospital developer paid to regurgitate that phrase ad nauseum, I understand that “wild west” for-profit sentiment. But as a taxpayer and former government official, I do not.
Government is authorized to reasonably and fairly control and regulate the private sector. That’s why your Commissioners and Councilmen will not … should not … approve a topless bar next to a Baptist church. To see what happens when zoning is eliminated, visit Houston where developers have made a lot of money, but unregulated growth has been a disaster for its citizens.
Despite the views of the above politician, making money for private developers should not be either a formal or informal criterion. Likewise, I have written about P&Z Commissions using community cost benefit in several publications, including the February edition of the national magazine for Planning and Zoning Commissioners (“Commissioner”). Specifically, local government should use cost-benefit to the local community as one criterion in approving a project (another non-economic criterion might be community diversity.)
Benefits to the community as a whole should prevail, but often do not. For example, the Peachtree City Council recently approved a density rezoning, voting for a 66-acre area to have 160 less expensive homes. Leaving the acres as less dense development with more expensive homes would have netted the City and County more revenue. Specifically, an additional $59,176 for the City and an additional $291,761 for the County (including school taxes). But, financial benefit to the community (City/County) was clearly not utilized in their decision making. Cities and Counties should have the power to decide what sort of development they desire. The State of Georgia should not be involved unless it is a health or public welfare issue. Further, local decisions should be made by Cities and Counties equitably, using economic cost-benefit as one key factor.
