Woodstock and Canton take steps Forward
Posted: Monday, March 27th, 2006, 12:09 am EST
Category: Real Estate News
Both cities in Cherokee County passed Tax Allocation Districts (TAD) by public vote. This is a step in the right direction to accommodate the demand for housing and commercial uses in areas where infrastructure already exists. By targeting areas for redevelopment where infrastructure already exists and choosing these infill locations to bring future growth to a specific area allows the opportunity for higher-density housing that I have been campaigning for weeks about.
“TADs have been beneficial, yet any decision-maker considering one for his or her area should be aware that this policy tool is not without cost or risk,”says Bourdeaux, an assistant professor of public administration and urban studies at Georgia State University. “They do represent a gamble on the part of local governments, so they need to be thoughtfully applied.”
“Thoughtfully applied” is the next big step for the cities of Woodstock and Canton. Choosing the right locations, the correct use of the tax incentives and how these cooperate with the Comprehensive Plan for future development is key to overall success of the TAD.
There will be a lot fo pressure on the city governments to take the proper steps of implementing a successfully TAD project, but at least we are moving forward and not backward. Way to go Canton and Woodstock!
- For those wanting to learn more about TADs, read this complete study conducted by Research Atlanta and go here to view the progress of a large-scale TAD in the City of Atlanta - The Beltline.
McMansions Debate moves to Suburbs
Posted: Friday, March 17th, 2006, 1:04 pm EST
Category: Real Estate News
McMansions have been a hot buzz word around the Atlanta real estate market for years. However, recently the debate has elevated to the local government level. The City of Atlanta recently considered a moratortium on these types of houses. However, the ban was never imposed.
Now the debate has begun here in Cobb County. The East Cobb Civic Association leader Martha Adams is running for re-election and is proposing an Infill Ordinance to stop McMansion construction. She has been quoted as saying…”The attempt of the infill ordinance is to give the same scale, look, and feel to neighborhoods” and referring to the new McMansions, she says, “there are inconsistencies with styles, size, and views.” These quotes scare me!
It sounds as if we don’t live in homes that Mrs. Adams approves the scale, look, feel, and size of, then we should not live in East Cobb County at all. I have a problem with small community groups trying to impose ordinances or bans on specific types of development. We should always question their true motiviations, the long term affects of such ordinances, and remember the freedoms that this country was founded on.
Should I not have the right to sell my property to a developer who is willing to pay the highest price? If laws prevent certain development, then I may be forced to take less money from a different developer. Should governments dictate the values of individual property? Speaking of property values…doesn’t an increase in land prices benefit all the surrounding neighbors? If we impose a ban on “McMansions”, then property appreciation will slow down and perhaps stop altogether.
America was founded on the principles of a free market economy. The best evaluation of property values is based on supply and demand. If there was no demand for these McMansions, then you can bet your arse there would be no developers building them. If they don’t allow them in Cobb County, then they will go somewhere else to build them.
Cobb County should not tell people where they can and can’t live and what their house must look like. Leave those decisions to the free market. We do still believe in supply and demand, right?. We are still living in a free country, right?
Things will get worse before they get better.
Posted: Friday, March 10th, 2006, 12:19 pm EST
Category: Real Estate News
If you read the local newspaper in Cherokee County, you will find many new planned developments for both residential and commercial real estate. If you read further, you will find most of the people interviewed or sending letters to the editor are complaining. They are complaining about traffic congestion, overcrowding of schools, degrade the environment, and strain public resources.
The irony of these comments comes from the fact that these problems already exist in the area and have been created by these same complainers. The Cherokee County School System issued a critical overcrowding report in 2005 and if you remove the portables from the schools (who likes class in a portable?), then 25 out of 31 schools are operating at 100% or above capacity. All 4 county high schools are overcrowded with at least 101% including the portables. Most of the residents in Cherokee County have moved to the area within the last 15+/- years. Over that time, the county’s population has doubled from 90,000+/- in 1990 to 174,000+/- in 2004. (view complete stats here)
These complainers I have been referring are often referred to as NIMBYs.
“while NIMBYs often claim that they are trying to prevent urban sprawl, NIMBYism can in fact accelerate such sprawl. Because population grows continuously, new developments must be built somewhere. If suburban NIMBYs demand a reduction in the density of a proposed development, one foreseeable result is that the same amount of development, when built at a lower density, will simply occupy more land. Thus, the same amount of development will sprawl more than under the original proposal. Alternatively, the developer can simply avert lengthy political fights by building in less developed areas on the outskirts of suburbia, where either NIMBY opposition cannot galvanize or the local government welcomes new development. When many developers build large developments on the outskirts, they fuel the pattern of low-density development.”
This quote from Wikipedia further illustrates my point about the need for higher-density housing. Density housing often includes a commercial component and the combination of both will help solve the current and future infrastucture problems in Cherokee County. Why will more housing help? Read the Urban Land Institute’s report about Myth and Facts of High Density Development. Plus the very simple fact that local governments have 1 major need that must be met before improving schools, roads, and parks…MONEY. Money comes from local tax payers. The more local tax payers, the more improverments that can be made by the local governments.
If we can all agree that money will help local governments solve our current and future problems, then there are 2 ways to get them the money they need:
1) Raise Taxes
2) Welcome More Taxpayers
The population is coming either way. The problem we are faced with is where to put them? Higher Density housing is a better solution for everyone, newcomers and locals alike. With these thoughts in mind, we should embrace new developments like Woodstock Downtown and look for more opportunities to create true live-work-play environments.
Local Employees Wanted
Posted: Thursday, March 2nd, 2006, 3:59 pm EST
Category: Real Estate News
I was in a meeting yesterday with two owners of local businesses here in Woodstock. My goal was to sell one (or both) of them a new office building. As I was assessing their needs, one of the owners said he …”couldn’t find enough local employees”… to match the growth of his company. Further into the conversation he stated he…”had to bend over backwards to keep the good ones”… he has working for him now. The other business owner pointed out that there are a lot of Help Wanted signs all over town. This should not happen to local business owners.
Why is it a problem today? Because a few local politicians have prohibited higher density housing in favor of $350,000+, ½ acre lot subdivisions that most employees can’t afford. It takes management or executive incomes to move into many of the newer housing developments. Why can’t we build affordable housing to attract workers for our local businesses? (This will also help our terrible traffic congestion by allowing residents to live and work locally.)
Research conducted by the Urban Land Institute proves that higher-density housing actually improves a suburban area in many more ways than lower-density housing. The U.S. population is expected to increase 33% by 2030 to 376 million. That’s 94 million more people than there were in 2000. About half of the homes, office buildings, stores and factories needed by 2030 don’t exist today. Where are we going to put these houses…in the next pasture or forest to erode our green space, or in-fill the cities with higher-density?
Higher-density, lower-cost housing will provide the local business owners with more employees and higher retention rates. How can we grow as a community if our small business owners are struggling to hire employees to meet demand?
The future is our choice and it can be a great one if we understand three things: First, we have tremendous opportunity ahead of us. Second, we don’t need to be afraid of, or oppose, higher-density development. Done well, it can provide great economic and environmental benefits. Third, if we want this new vision of an even better community to happen, we have to work together.
