Karen, I wrote a long and (sorta) snarky comment after you posted about the stateʻs proposal to increase housing density along transit corridors. I didnʻt post it because I though, upon letting it age, that it would add heat buy no light.
There is a principle in government call The Subsidiarity Principle. In simple language, it means the guy with the problem is in the best position to solve it (Donʻt pass federal laws governing permissible house colors). There is no evidence that the legislators for state of Colorado or the Federal Government have ever encountered such a wild and crazy idea.
I think that the state, by requiring such high density near transit corridors, is trying to solve climate change and maybe the affordable housing issue. Those maybe noble goals (even if I believe that the Colorado trying to offset the pollution created in China, India and sub-Saharan Africa is like spitting on a forest fire), but there are, or should be, other priorities:
- What do the people in Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, etc want? Are we interested in being a city of 100,000? Do we want our various viewscapes blocked by apartment towers? Do we want commutes like those in LA or Houston?
- What about water? Colorado has every drop of water weʻre going to have absent divine intervention. Our water rates are already burdensome.
- Lafayette has passed ordnances committing, in the not distant future, to:
1. Zero waste -- I thought of this today when I opened the plastic packaging around my dental floss (or the ultra-dusters I bought from Amazon) and the clothing I bought online. Actual zero waste is a foolʻs errand.
2. Having 100% renewable energy. I havenʻt even found out what that means. Does it mean the city will be using only renewables? Will the city require all commercial businesses to be 100% renewable? Howʻs that going to work with four and five story residential buildings being built?
You correctly pointed out that the city canʻt properly update our zoning code without consulting our Comprehensive Plan, but it seems that Colorado is viewing every initiative though the soda straw of that initiative stand-alone -- kinda like Denver residents were happy to introduce wolves on the Western Slope, but now that those wolves are "oozing" over the mountains to realms in which tasty chihuahuas frolick, it ainʻt so grand.
Like you, I encourage Lafayette-ites to engage, because it is your view of the mountains thatʻs going to find a building in the way, and itʻs your commute that will done with 25,000 of your closet friends, and your life that will revolve around the public transit schedule.
Thanks for all the work that you do in keeping the rest of us informed.
For anyone who wishes to point out that Iʻm a Neanderthal, I already know that.
Thanks for the comments Guy! What the state has done by passing that bill is to throw a wrench in the works after we just finished a multi-year comp plan update to the tune of a big chunk of change.
You ask a lot of good questions. The people of Lafayette did say what they wanted via the comp plan so how does that vision become reality now that the bill has become law?
What I want to look at are the potential penalties for not complying. I was going to write about that but then this came along so I will have to come back to it. But it looks like it might be that we won't be eligible for some potential grant funding for affordable housing. As Ralph said in a previous post it might cost less to not comply than it would to do what the state is demanding.
Karen, seems to this engineer's mind that specs and zoning docuemtns are critically important to geet right. For exmpale, if you think that 72,000additional domicles is absurd, that opinoin become more of an arguable principle if you have a forward llloing zoning plan that accomodates the economics of a sustainable city accounting for revenue and the like. If you agree then I will put something forward to the Planning Secretary.
One thing I have been trying to point out when I can is how it is all interconnected. Revenue stream, number of houses/people, amenities, and city services all play a role and relate to each other. However it doesn't matter if I agree with you or not, I think you should send your input for consideration! 😊
Karen, I wrote a long and (sorta) snarky comment after you posted about the stateʻs proposal to increase housing density along transit corridors. I didnʻt post it because I though, upon letting it age, that it would add heat buy no light.
There is a principle in government call The Subsidiarity Principle. In simple language, it means the guy with the problem is in the best position to solve it (Donʻt pass federal laws governing permissible house colors). There is no evidence that the legislators for state of Colorado or the Federal Government have ever encountered such a wild and crazy idea.
I think that the state, by requiring such high density near transit corridors, is trying to solve climate change and maybe the affordable housing issue. Those maybe noble goals (even if I believe that the Colorado trying to offset the pollution created in China, India and sub-Saharan Africa is like spitting on a forest fire), but there are, or should be, other priorities:
- What do the people in Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, etc want? Are we interested in being a city of 100,000? Do we want our various viewscapes blocked by apartment towers? Do we want commutes like those in LA or Houston?
- What about water? Colorado has every drop of water weʻre going to have absent divine intervention. Our water rates are already burdensome.
- Lafayette has passed ordnances committing, in the not distant future, to:
1. Zero waste -- I thought of this today when I opened the plastic packaging around my dental floss (or the ultra-dusters I bought from Amazon) and the clothing I bought online. Actual zero waste is a foolʻs errand.
2. Having 100% renewable energy. I havenʻt even found out what that means. Does it mean the city will be using only renewables? Will the city require all commercial businesses to be 100% renewable? Howʻs that going to work with four and five story residential buildings being built?
You correctly pointed out that the city canʻt properly update our zoning code without consulting our Comprehensive Plan, but it seems that Colorado is viewing every initiative though the soda straw of that initiative stand-alone -- kinda like Denver residents were happy to introduce wolves on the Western Slope, but now that those wolves are "oozing" over the mountains to realms in which tasty chihuahuas frolick, it ainʻt so grand.
Like you, I encourage Lafayette-ites to engage, because it is your view of the mountains thatʻs going to find a building in the way, and itʻs your commute that will done with 25,000 of your closet friends, and your life that will revolve around the public transit schedule.
Thanks for all the work that you do in keeping the rest of us informed.
For anyone who wishes to point out that Iʻm a Neanderthal, I already know that.
Thanks for the comments Guy! What the state has done by passing that bill is to throw a wrench in the works after we just finished a multi-year comp plan update to the tune of a big chunk of change.
You ask a lot of good questions. The people of Lafayette did say what they wanted via the comp plan so how does that vision become reality now that the bill has become law?
What I want to look at are the potential penalties for not complying. I was going to write about that but then this came along so I will have to come back to it. But it looks like it might be that we won't be eligible for some potential grant funding for affordable housing. As Ralph said in a previous post it might cost less to not comply than it would to do what the state is demanding.
Karen, seems to this engineer's mind that specs and zoning docuemtns are critically important to geet right. For exmpale, if you think that 72,000additional domicles is absurd, that opinoin become more of an arguable principle if you have a forward llloing zoning plan that accomodates the economics of a sustainable city accounting for revenue and the like. If you agree then I will put something forward to the Planning Secretary.
One thing I have been trying to point out when I can is how it is all interconnected. Revenue stream, number of houses/people, amenities, and city services all play a role and relate to each other. However it doesn't matter if I agree with you or not, I think you should send your input for consideration! 😊
Thaaank Yooou!!
I like that enthusiasm!