It takes committment to keep up with all of the development going on. The editors apologize for not previously including the 14 lots stacked up against the hospital. We hope that the NEW WHITE SALMON PLANNING COMMISSIONER, BILL MASON takes a good squint at it (see the New Developments link to the right). This is the reality of R-3 zoning density. We doubt that this little rural town needs any more of this. The problem is that 'following the ordinance' can result in this ridiculous extreme. Is this what we really want?
Thursday, June 28, 2007
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2 comments:
What about the water? Why build more houses if there is not enough water?
Early Riser
The reality of R-3 zoning density is that in an area like this with high land values, it is one of the few ways to create affordable housing. Affordable housing also requires some combination of low land and low development costs, property tax breaks, government assisted low-interest financing, and forward-thinking community, planning, and council members.
Prime view property will probably never qualify here or anywhere else as "affordable". But at least affordable housing IS possible with high density zoning. Isn't affordable housing what some people have been so vocal about?
It also seems a lot of people do not realize that the City just doesn't have the power to change existing zoning without the cooperation of the property owner(s), just because some community members might want it changed. Property owners thankfully DO have rights. If they are taken away, they must be compensated for their loss by the goverment, which is US, which means higher taxes.
We can all speculate on what the City needs, but without real expert advice on what our options are for the inevitable future growth, we cannot make good, well-informed decisions.
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