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What would stop a municipality from making zoning laws that are impossible to meet, and then just issuing waivers to those that play the political game well eno
by jeffdavis 10y ago
What would stop a municipality from making zoning laws that are impossible to meet, and then just issuing waivers to those that play the political game well enough?
- SilasX 10y agoThat sounds like how things already are, esp with the "neighborhood character" restriction.
- floatrock 10y agoHopefully the local interests who also know how to play the political game well enough but recognize the "indications that businesses and residents are fleeing the state in part because of high housing costs and the state's Legislative Analyst Office blaming excessive restrictions on development for the affordability crisis". Profiting from pulling out the rug to newcomers only works if there are enough newcomers still willing to pay the exorbitant rents for the artificially suppressed supply. If enough people start saying "eh, the bay area is nice and all but not worth it", the NIMBYism starts to get less profitable. Sort of a pendulum-swinging-the-other-way dynamic-equilibrium type of thing.
- superuser2 10y agoThat is exactly what the electorate wants.
- abakker 10y agoI've heard before that "everybody who moves to California wants to be the last person who moves to California." I think that applies here. Once you've got your spot, its best if it stays the way it is.
- seanmcdirmid 10y ago"Got mine, screw you" isn't limited to Californian real estate though. It is unfortunately very broadly applied.
- Grishnakh 10y agoIt's not just "broadly applied", it's the American motto!
- seanmcdirmid 10y agoLet's not kid ourselves: it isn't just the American motto...it is motto of most people in the world.
- Grishnakh 10y agoI don't know about that. Ignoring the rest of the world for a moment and concentrating on industrialized nations, we seem to be the worst at providing socialized services.
- seanmcdirmid 10y agoI've been out of the states for 10 years now and have noticed the motto being applied in states as altruistic as Switzerland, and it definitely rules in here China, much more than in the US.
- Grishnakh 10y agoChina is a third-world country not comparable to western Europe. It's industrializing rapidly, but no one would ever be so naïve to think it has social services even approaching those in western nations.
- seanmcdirmid 10y agoChina is comparable, but further down the development chain. Social safety nets and good governance tempers selfishness a bit, but can't eliminate it (e.g. Switzerland). America has less of a net and equality than much of Europe, which is why selfishness seems to be more apparent there than in Europe.
- tryitnow 10y agoMy guess is that that would be a tougher law to pass. The real estate developers and construction trade unions would pretty much swear to block something that extreme. It could also wreak havoc with small-time landlords who want to improve their properties, so that's another interest group that would militantly oppose it.
- pjlegato 10y agoThis has already happened in SF. You need a permit to install a new garage door on your house, including a review of how well it fits the neighborhood character (in the subjective opinion of the reviewer). Yes, the real estate developers and construction unions have screamed, for decades. It passed anyway.
- protomyth 10y ago"You need a permit to install a new garage door on your house" I can only imagine what would happen to a politician who would suggest this much less a group of politicians that would pass this in North Dakota. Why are they in office and who is supporting this type of legislation?
- spamizbad 10y agoThey are put in office by property owners that are big fans of these laws.
- sbov 10y agoThat seems questionable. I haven't met a property owner that is a fan of permits.
- rm_-rf_slash 10y agoHarder to build -> harder to densify -> homeowners reap appreciation. If you don't need work done, this is a great way to sit back and let your property values skyrocket (as long as you can pay property taxes, but I hear that's kinda sorta not a problem in California).
- pjlegato 10y agoThis is essentially what San Francisco does now: "fitting in with the neighborhood's character" is impossible to meet, unless you play the political game well enough.
- brudgers 10y agoLocal real estate interests and the lack of political will. Sweeping zoning changes are hard work over many years. Those that widely devalue property? Few local politicians have the charisma to ride out multiple elections with that sort of agenda.