Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When people are economically harmed by zoning are you okay with them suing to recover damages?
Why wouldn’t that be a possible remedy? Court cases involving zoning issue are common enough. There are procedures in place to challenge most zoning regulations if one feels strongly about it. There are usually variance boards that will grant a variance if warranted. You probably won’t be allowed to put a heliport in your backyard.
Those that buy the zoning council members in many counties in states like GA for example? Not unusual to have a pig farm pop up next to a subdivision.
We won't even bring up Eminent Domain takings...
Zoning is class and culture warfare, and in most cases the relevant players are protectionist homeowners and profiteering business. Sometimes homeowners win and sometimes business wins.
How would you like to live next to an empty lot that allowed tiny houses and you now get 50 new neighbors on a block that was all SFH. Instant 3rd world environment. Cities like Escondido had to crack down on how many people could rent a house. There were like 12 cars for one house.
The common sense solution is to limit parking, not people. Very easy to limit parking, e.g. restrict to paved surfaces (no parking on grass or side/back yards), maximum allowable impermeable (paved) surface area, no overnight street parking (e.g. no parking 2a - 5a).
I lean towards the idea that zoning is a "left wing" (i.e. left-leaning) policy.
That said, it is frequently used by conservative people in conservative areas to fulfill certain right-leaning policy goals. So it's not a simple left-right issue.
It is frequently used as a tool of culture or class warfare?
As a one-time city planner, my experience is that no one involved in the process tries to label zoning as right or left. Only modern-day crackpots (you know who you are) try to assign a political label to everything. It is what it is...a uniform strategy for land use. Some people like it and some don't but they can voice their opinions as things are under consideration. There is always a process in place to amend the zoning map. There are usually non-conforming properties within a zoning area.
Quite often there are other regulations, such as the distance from a school for the sale of alcohol, that are not zoning regs. Developers will sometimes impose restrictive covenants on subdivisions (no mobile homes, square footage, etc.) that the new owners have to observe. I've seen covenants requiring a certain level of Christmas lighting and decorations that homeowners are expected to conform to. There are sometimes special overlay districts like a Historic district or Conservation District that will go beyond a simple zoning designation.
GRRRRR! One of my pet peeves there. The problem with non-conforming properties is that the owner is essentially in an unsustainable position - at least in the long run. Sooner or later something happens (fire, rehab, etc) which requires compliance with current code, and since non-conforming properties tend to pre-date the current zoning, that compliance is usually required sooner rather than later.
Oh, I know what third world looks like. The number of illegals living in one apt and house in Escondido made it look just like TJ until they changed the zoning. I mean, who doesn't like a rooster going off at 3 am? Who doesn't like to pick up trash out of your yard on a daily basis. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/...toryId=6360425
I'm all for building up but you can't just build apartments to add thousands of people(and their cars) without adding new off/on ramps, stop lights, fire houses. Where are all these people supposed to park if they don't have assigned parking?
How are all these people supposed to be able to afford rent if they have to pay for parking they don't need?
If you’re renting a US city apartment without a car, 16% of your rent pays for parking you don’t need
Then can we at least agree it is "statist"? Wouldn't that inherently be 'left"?
I think you are trying to lead me into supporting your argument, whatever it may be, and I won't do that without more information. I think zoning is necessary. That does not mean I always agree with every example.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
