| Issue: | What are urban growth boundaries, why does C.A.R. oppose them, and how can REALTORS® prepare to deal with these proposals in their local communities? |
| Action: | For information only. |
| Options: | For information only. |
| Status/Summary: | In November 1996, voters in five San Francisco Bay Area communities approved ballot initiatives that lock in growth boundaries for as long as 20 years. The San Francisco-based conservation group Greenbelt Alliance is promoting Urban Growth Boundaries (UBG?s) as a way to prevent the encroachment of "urban sprawl" into the Bay Area?s open spaces. The Greenbelt Alliance reports that activists in many other communities throughout the state have contacted its headquarters for more information on how to promote an urban growth boundary in their communities. Although C.A.R. has successfully defeated legislation that would mandate UGB?s statewide, REALTORS® should be aware of this emerging local growth control tool, and should be prepared to fight such proposals and/or propose more constructive solutions as alternatives. |
I. IntroductionIn November1996, voters in five San Francisco Bay Area communities approved ballot initiatives that lock in growth boundaries for as long as 20 years. The concept of urban growth boundaries (UGB?s), or urban limit lines, is not new, but the passage of these five ballot measures is significant because it marks the beginning of an effort by the Greenbelt Alliance, a Bay Area conservation organization, to promote UGB?s throughout the state. C.A.R. opposes urban growth boundaries and recognizes the necessity of REALTORS® to be informed about this campaign. As the state?s economy picks up steam, and growth starts to look more like it did before the downturn, growth control debates will re-ignite in local communities. This, in turn, will make UGB?s very attractive to growth control activists. Many will place UGB initiatives on local ballots. To counter the influence of the Greenbelt Alliance, REALTORS® must be informed about this issue and prepared to respond. This paper is intended to offer the background necessary to do so.II. C.A.R.?s PositionC.A.R. opposes UGB?s because they:
III. The Greenbelt AllianceThe Greenbelt Alliance is a conservation organization headquartered in San Francisco. It?s mission is to protect open space in the San Francisco Bay Area. Recently, it has promoted local UGB initiatives as the solution to preventing urban sprawl. In the November 1996 elections, voters in five San Francisco Bay Area communities approved UGB initiatives promoted by the Greenbelt Alliance. Voters approved of UGB?s in the SonomaCounty cities of Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Rohnert Park and Sebastopol, and in the Alameda County city of Pleasanton. All but the Rohnert Park measure passed easily. The Greenbelt Alliance reports activists throughout California--from Chico, Arcata, Petaluma, Windsor, Cotati and Ventura County--have called its office since the election to learn how they can pass similar initiatives in their communities.lV. What?s Attractive About Urban Growth Bounderies?Everyone likes open space. The Greenbelt Alliance brochure features eye-pleasing pictures of rolling hills, flowers and people lazing in tall grass. These are juxtaposed with pictures of monotonous looking, suburban sprawl and aerial photographs depicting the loss of open space to development in the Bay Area over the last 40 years. UGB?s are attractive also because of their simplicity. What could be a simpler solution to the problems and controversies associated with growth than drawing a line around a city with growth on one side and open space on the other? The most famous UGB?s are in London, England and Portland, Oregon. The British Green Belt plan calls for the preservation of large areas of open space and agricultural land surrounding urban areas with the intent to prevent urban sprawl and support infill. Since the enactment of the plan, substantial funds have been spent in compensation for property around London which otherwise would likely have been developed. Portland?s UGB divides the city?s land into three development categories: developed areas, to-be-developed areas, and long term development or "no development allowed" areas. With the assistance of state mandates anda strong regional service district, Portland created a comprehensive UGB system that is largely supported in the area. The Governor?s Office of Planning and Research, in its 1994 Book of Lists,lists 61 cities and 20 counties that have enacted, either by initiative or ordinance, a greenbelt ordinance, urban limit line or urban growth boundary in California.V. What?s Wrong With Urban Growth Boundaries?C.A.R. cites several flaws with UGB?s in its opposition to them. A. Inflexibility Typically, UGB?s are imposed for periods of up to twenty years. Furthermore, the lines cannot be redrawn nor can major exceptions be made--both of which might be necessary to accommodate unexpected growth--without voter approval. B. Overcrowding and Housing Affordability C.A.R. supports infill development and higher density to accommodate affordable housing; however, the higher density that inevitably occurs when UGB?s are imposed, combined with the latter?s inflexibility, leaves local elected officials defenseless against problems of overcrowding. Conversely, UGB?s do not provide local officials with the resources they need to address the factors ina community that typically work against higher density development (i.e., NIMBYism). Furthermore, the lack of choices in land development created by UGB?s puts pressure on housing prices, but local officials are left without the creativity they need to provide for affordable housing, which makes it more difficult for localities to meet their regional fair share housing allocations. C. Leapfrogging and Hobby Farms Often, UGB?s can backfire. The lack of a safety valve to accommodate rapid growth, cheap land in outlying areas, market preferences for single-family homes, and the mobility afforded by the automobile can cause leapfrogging andhobby farms. Leapfrogging occurs when development jumps to outlying jurisdictions. The recent passage of UGB?s in Sonoma County came in response to rapid growth which itself occurred due to similar policies passed in Marin County. Hobby farms, otherwiseknown as ranchettes, spring up within areas set aside for agricultural or rural designation. This occurs when wealthy homebuyers purchase the minimum amount of acreage needed to meet the land?s rural zoning. These "farms" contradict the purpose of UGB?s by creating a pattern of rural residential development well in advance of the availability of services. D. Takings Restrictions on the development of land outside a fixed UGB may leave a city open to claims by private landowners that the city is committinga taking without just compensation for the economic use of their land. However, jurisdictions typically avoid this by ensuring that the restricted land retains some economic use, such as agriculture.VI. Alternatives to Urban Growth BoundariesC.A.R. supports many of the goals that the supporters of UGB?s purport to promote: infill development, mixed use, higher density housing near transit corridors, conservation of significant naturalresources and revitalizing inner cities. However, in light of the drawbacks of UGB?s, C.A.R. encourages REALTORS® to emphasize any one or more of the many land use planning tools already available to local officials as alternatives to UGB?s: General Plan
VII. What Can REALTORS® Do?As the economy and development pick up speed, the popularity of UGB?s is certain to tap into peoples? penchant for open space and growth control. The Greenbelt Alliance?s effort to promote UGB?s is likely to catch on in many communities. This does not mean that REALTORS® are helpless to prevent this. There are many things that you can do to ensure that your local officials adopt sound policies that accommodate growth along with the need for open space. Here are some suggestions: A. Stay Informed--There is no substitute for being knowledgeable about politics in your community. This is the only way to know in advance if a UGB is being considered in your community.B. Be Proactive--Thealternatives to UGB?s take more time and consideration than UGB?s. (Remember, simplicity is one of the most attractive things about UGB?s.) If activists begin to circulate petitions for a UGB in your community, you may have already lost the battle. C.Stay Involved--This is the best way to be proactive. REALTORS® who sit on planning commissions, city councils or other bodies, or who just have a visible presence in the halls of their local government, are much more effective in conveying the concerns of the REALTOR® community than those who show up at the eleventh hour. But what do I do if an urban growth boundary proposal catches on in my community? The response to a UGB is very much the same as to any other issue that REALTORS® oppose but which becomes popular locally. The first thing to do is organize the local REALTOR® community and reach out to other constituent groups to form acoalition. For example, local building industry associations, labor organizations, chambers of commerce and property owner groups should be approached. You will also want to communicate your position to the elected officials and the voters in your community. Finally, your response will depend on the circumstances in your community that allowed the UGB to become popular. For example, if traffic congestion is the problem, REALTORS® may argue that leapfrogging to other communities will further exacerbate thesituation. REALTORS® will want to respond directly to those issues in any of the published informational materials they distribute in response to the proposal. (See attached.) C.A.R.?s Public Policy Division has other published materials to help you organize a campaign should a UGB become an issue in your community. Please call (213) 739-8311 for more information. You can also e-mail C.A.R.?s Senior Policy Analyst Rick Laezman. |
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