A few months ago, I recorded some commentaries for WCHL. Since they were based on comments I had previously written here, I didn't bother re-posting them. But the accusation that Chapel Hill's development review process is overly burdensome to businesses has come up again on the thread on creating green-collar jobs, and this is one of my biggest peeves in local politics. Here's what I said about it on the radio:
I often hear leaders of the Chamber of Commerce complain that Chapel Hill is too hostile to economic development. That we are putting too many restrictions on development, raising taxes too much, or just generally being anti-business. I beg to differ.
Businesses are clamoring to get into our community, even in spite of these supposedly-onerous restrictions people like to complain about. Businesses are already very attracted to Chapel Hill because of there are so many potential customers here. It's no accident that people with resources – people who have lots of options – choose to be in Orange County. It's largely because of the Town governments' work to make sure that development is done in a way that serves the long-term interests of the community (and not just the short-term interests of businesses), that so many people want to live, work, study and therefore spend money here.
Orange County has an economy and a downtown that is the envy of towns across North Carolina. Of course we have the University to thank for many of these benefits, but Chapel Hill is much more than an accessory to the campus. In fact, this thriving community is a large part of what attracts people to come to UNC-Chapel Hill in the first place.
Our local governments have worked hard to protect our quality of life by providing the essential infrastructure and amenities that make this such a wonderful place to live. Wonder why nearby communities are full of traffic jams and strip malls when Chapel Hill and Carrboro have trees and a functioning downtown? It's called smart planning and we've been doing it since before it was cool. It's what makes approving new developments take so long, and I think that time and money is well-spent. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Issues:
Comments
Because nobody knows
Because nobody knows (and I agree), it is incumbent upon us to be as thorough and responsible with the process. That's one of the reasons that the advisory board system is a good idea-many aspects of proposals can be broken down and tweaked or rejected outright.
Fred's opinion about "establishing a vision that is constantly reviewed and updated" provides a route to using the best technology and growth philosophies of the time. That's all that a vision really is-a guess and hope that using our best knowledge will result in development that is positive for both a town and its residents.
Del Snow
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