Atlanta’s housing crisis: stop making it worse with bad arguments against growth (legal, move)

[bu2]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Say you've got 12,000 sf house. A man comes along and builds a 50,000 sf house next door.

How is that going to make you feel? It's totally out of character with the neighborhood and could easily cast shadows on your property.

Its none of my business. People need to mind their own business and not get jealous because someone has something bigger or more expensive than you. I don't have any right to tell other people how to spend their money.

Now if they can get all the owners to agree, they could put restrictive covenants on the property. But that is the homeowner's agreeing, not someone telling others what they can and cannot do.

As Ronald Reagan said, "A government big enough to give you everything you want (like telling others what size house they can have) is a government big enough to take away everything you have."

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by bu2

Its none of my business. People need to mind their own business and not get jealous because someone has something bigger or more expensive than you. I don't have any right to tell other people how to spend their money.

Now if they can get all the owners to agree, they could put restrictive covenants on the property. But that is the homeowner's agreeing, not someone telling others what they can and cannot do.

As Ronald Reagan said, "A government big enough to give you everything you want (like telling others what size house they can have) is a government big enough to take away everything you have."

So, will you complain when the neighbors erect a multi-million dollar mansion, which results in your property taxes increasing? And, yeah, if my neighbors and I buy into a neighbor I think we have reasonable expectations that the character of the neighborhood won't dramatically change.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

So, will you complain when the neighbors erect a multi-million dollar mansion, which results in your property taxes increasing? And, yeah, if my neighbors and I buy into a neighbor I think we have reasonable expectations that the character of the neighborhood won't dramatically change.

I agree completely. God (and many of you) knows that I'm a firm believer in Libertarian principles, but in the arena of community development, there simply have to be standards and regulations. In their absence, there would be anarchy. Take a trip to Mumbai sometime if you fail to grasp my point.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

I agree completely. God (and many of you) knows that I'm a firm believer in Libertarian principles, but in the arena of community development, there simply have to be standards and regulations. In their absence, there would be anarchy. Take a trip to Mumbai sometime if you fail to grasp my point.

India has some of the worst red tape and failed bureaucracy in the world. It is about as far from libertarian as you could get. Here are a few of the flawed zoning policies there:

1. Zoning in Mumbai exists in the form of FSI (Floor Space Index = Floor space of building/Area of Plot) control. The Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966 set FSI at 4.5. Compare this with Manhattan or some other Central Business District, the FSI will be around 10–15.
   
2. The Municipal Corporation (MCGM) lowered the FSI to 1.33 in 1991. Why? To tap on to the value created by private real estate and finance it’s socialist schemes.
   
3. This created an artificial shortage of real estate. Now the MCGM could manipulate builders by issuing ‘transfer of development rights’. If you want to build higher pay (bribe, whatever works) the MCGM for additional FSI.
   
4. Then there are Costal Regulation Zoning (CRZs) that limit construction 500 meters from the high tide zone.

https://www.quora.com/How-have-zonin...ns-hurt-Mumbai

[chiatldal]

Originally Posted by bu2

Its none of my business. People need to mind their own business and not get jealous because someone has something bigger or more expensive than you. I don't have any right to tell other people how to spend their money.

Now if they can get all the owners to agree, they could put restrictive covenants on the property. But that is the homeowner's agreeing, not someone telling others what they can and cannot do.

As Ronald Reagan said, "A government big enough to give you everything you want (like telling others what size house they can have) is a government big enough to take away everything you have."

Speaking of Reagan what did he say about illegal immigrants? Don't answer that

Anyways By your logic whats stoping someone building a high rise in the middle of a neighborhood and just calling it their home? You contradict the point of zoing itself.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Say you've got 12,000 sf house. A man comes along and builds a 50,000 sf house next door.

How is that going to make you feel? It's totally out of character with the neighborhood and could easily cast shadows on your property.

If this is your concern, then you should not be happy with our current zoning laws. There is not a single residential zoning that would prevent this 50,000sf house being built on a lot big enough.

So can we stop pretending that things that "don't fit the character" is the real concern here? There is nothing stopping a house this sized getting built, but someone wants to build a duplex that is indistinguishable from any other house on the block? Nope! Hit em with the book!

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by jsvh

India has some of the worst red tape and failed bureaucracy in the world. It is about as far from libertarian as you could get. Here are a few of the flawed zoning policies there:



https://www.quora.com/How-have-zonin...ns-hurt-Mumbai

Read what I said; the point was that my political philosophy in general could be seen as quite counter to my opinions on code enforcement. If you've ever been, it's obvious that their policy enforcement has failed. It's also evident in overregulated countries such as Venezuela, Columbia, Surname and Senegal.
That doesn't argue the case for removal of zoning regulations altogether, however.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Read what I said; the point was that my political philosophy in general could be seen as quite counter to my opinions on code enforcement. If you've ever been, it's obvious that their policy enforcement has failed. It's also evident in overregulated countries such as Venezuela, Columbia, Surname and Senegal.
That doesn't argue the case for removal of zoning regulations altogether, however.

But it certainly doesn't make the case in favor of them.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by jsvh

There is nothing stopping a house this sized getting built, but someone wants to build a duplex that is indistinguishable from any other house on the block? Nope! Hit em with the book!

jsvh, if you want to build a duplex let me know and I will come down to the BZA and argue like crazy on your behalf. You are on the right track and I believe you have the best interests of the community at heart.

I used to have a little bit of pull down there, although most of my buddies are probably fading out.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by arjay57

jsvh, if you want to build a duplex let me know and I will come down to the BZA and argue like crazy on your behalf. You are on the right track and I believe you have the best interests of the community at heart.

I used to have a little bit of pull down there, although most of my buddies are probably fading out.

I appreciate it arjay, but I am not arguing just for me. All these developers are not going to fight that hard to build an affordable duplex that fits in with the character of the neighborhood when it is not legal and building a giant McMansion that doesn't fit in is. They are just going to keep building McMansions and housing prices will keep skyrocketing.