March 2000

By James Lawlor

New York: "Quality counts." Gov. George Pataki on January 21, signed an executive order creating the Quality Communities Task Force. The task force, to be chaired by Lt. Gov. Mary Donohue, is charged with studying growth issues and recommending programs to enhance local community development efforts. Steven Finn, legislative chair of the Upstate New York chapter, was one of a group of planners, local government officials, and private-sector representatives who helped to draft the executive order.

The task force, which will report its findings to the governor within a year, will look at such issues as: redeveloping urban centers and older suburbs; preserving open space and agricultural and forest land; protecting water and air; and restoring waterfront areas. It will begin its work, Finn says, with an evaluation of current state and federal programs affecting community development, environmental protection, and rehabilitation. A series of regional public forums will allow citizen input.

In addition to the lieutenant governor, the secretary of state and the commissioners of several state departments will serve on the task force. Also, the lieutenant governor will appoint an advisory committee with representatives of environmental, business, agricultural, and municipal interests.

Colorado: Talking points. The chapter expects to see a lot of discussion in the state about smart growth this year, says David White, AICP, cochair of the legislative committee. And for the third consecutive year, at least one growth bill is likely to be introduced in the legislature and at least one related citizen initiative may appear on the November ballot.

To head off some of the inevitable misinformation about smart growth—what it is and is not—the chapter commissioned past president Donald Elliott, AICP, to produce a list of 10 talking points to educate citizens and legislators about growth management issues. Elliott notes that the points are translatable to other states. Here they are, in edited form:

1. What is the goal of a growth management system?
   To manage growth, not to stop it. Reasonable policy makers realize they cannot entirely stop immigration or natural population increases—but they can slow them down.
2. Why do we need a state or regional program?
   A broader program is needed to address the type, rate, pattern, location, and quality of development. Leaving these matters be decided at the local level has resulted in sprawl development.
3. Can a voluntary program work?
   It can, but in a state like Colorado that has a strong tradition of home rule and local control, it's unlikely. Realistically, some form of mandatory program will be necessary to change the sprawl pattern in fast-growing areas.
4. Does the whole state need growth management?
   No, an effective program could target Front Range communities, fast-growing resorts, and the west slope of the Rockies, excluding many rural and underdeveloped parts of the state.
5. What's in a good program?
   A comprehensive plan generated by citizens and the community; coordination between local plans; and regulations, programs, and incentives to implement the plan.
6. Why are urban service areas needed?
   They're easy to understand, fair to developers, and save the taxpayers money. Critics charge that urban service areas strangle growth, but they can be modified over time to accommodate changes in the area.
7. What will density be?
   Generally that's up to the locality. Most people in urban service areas will continue to live in single-family houses. Those who wish to live on 35-acre mini-farms will have that choice, but they must be outside the urban service area.
8. Is growth management fair to developers?
   Urban service areas and a comprehensive plan offer developers a measure of certainty. They create a 10- to 20-year supply of developable land where development that is consistent with the plan cannot be denied for inappropriate reasons.
9. Will all this raise housing costs?
   Not unless local governments restrict supply. Smart growth is not about putting fewer houses on the market, but controlling the pattern of development. Moreover, good growth management results in lower land costs, so new homes can be priced lower.
10. Will we pay more?
    Over time, smart growth will save taxpayers much more than it costs. The state should make funding available to help local governments revise their plans. Most proposals would not involve significant state staffing.