Inflammatory statements offer little …

Spectrum by Jeff Dillon

Southcentral Alaska is growing up. The small-town feel and rural lifestyle so valued by residents is being displaced by suburban sprawl, box stores, long commutes and vanishing open space. It was for these reasons that I attended the Open Space Workshop held at Hatcher Pass to hear what could be done to become something other than "anyplace USA."

The workshop brought more than 100 individuals together with a wide range of beliefs, and it was an opportunity to have an open and honest discussion about growth in the Valley. Unfortunately, the luncheon speaker, Mr. Randall O'Toole, used a mix of inflammatory statements and misleading statistics to fuel the fires of those who did not want to talk about real issues affecting their community.

This type of rhetoric appeals to people's fears but does little to provide for a lively debate of real solutions to problems.

The message from Mr. O'Toole was that it is impossible to plan for the future. His outrage for planning and planners might be overlooked if it were not for the zealous way he described the current issues and planning strategies of the so-called "New Urbanism." Some of his false assumptions include the following:

Myth: New Urbanism wants to force everyone to live in high-density housing and to abandon the suburbs as terrible places to live.

Fact: Suburbs are nice for some people, and some people want to live there, but it's all we've been building for 60 years, so there's plenty of supply for the demand. On the other hand, there is a huge back-order for walkable, dense neighborhoods.

Myth: Government by homeowner associations, as proposed by Mr. O'Toole, is the only way to provide local involvement.

Fact: For better or for worse, governments are the only institutions we have right now that can look out for the long-term interests of all residents. There are two main arguments against O'Toole's proposal: First, it disenfranchises all non-homeowners -- kids, many older people, all renters, all homeless people, most students and all visitors. Second, homeowner associations are very local and have no overall perspective.

Myth: O'Toole argued that Houston, Texas, is a positive example of what happens when you have no land-use controls at all. He ignored the fact that Houston still has land development regulations. They just aren't written as a planning code or enforced by code compliance staff. They are, instead, written and enforced through the city of Houston's legal department. The city participates as an equal contractual partner in all covenants. Which method do you think is more expensive or more intrusive in your private lives?

Myth: O'Toole believes the free market and economic pricing is the best way to establish community character.

Fact: Allowing the free market to determine what our communities will look like provides no protection from the corporate world that will do little to preserve small rural communities and their unique values. Wal-Mart spokesman Peter Kanelos of San Diego recently commented on concerns that the big box stores they built in Anchorage did not respond to community standards by saying, "We build our stores to meet community characteristics…. There is no one standard design."

Myth: To preserve open space in Portland, Mr. O'Toole claims that planners are forcing owners of prime farmland inside the urban-growth boundary to sell their land, even if they would rather continue farming.

Fact: The city was not forcing them to sell but rather removing publicly subsidized tax breaks from farms that were no longer economically viable.

What was most disappointing about Mr. O'Toole's presentation is that he failed to mention any positive ideas about growth that could have benefited the workshop participants. In review of his writings and policy statements, he does have some thoughts that are worthwhile to consider, including:

Make people pay the full costs of their activities, such as charging tolls for driving during peak hours and requiring development impact fees on new development.

Using tradable development credits, deed restrictions and conservation easements in conjunction with conservation subdivision, to preserve the critical natural areas while allowing higher density development.

Carefully design facilities and develop innovative transportation systems that minimize congestion and pollution and discourage the use of cars.

In "New Incentives For Rural Communities," Mr. O'Toole recommends that new development should provide four basic goals. They must be environmentally sensitive, protecting scenic beauty, water quality, wildlife, the rural character of the area, and provide other amenities that residents appreciate.

They must be socially fair and equitable, not leading to enormous benefits for a few at the expense of the many.

They should pay their own way and not be subsidized by state or federal agencies.

They should allow residents to make their own choices to as great an extent as possible.

There are a number of very good rural land planners across the country that could have contributed a great amount of valuable information to the discussion at the Open Space Workshop.

These individuals provide a broad base of information to support sound development and growth while preserving the rural character so valued by local residents. Whether you call it New Urbanism, rural development or some other name, they all share the following key ingredients to making good communities:

Provide a sense of place and connection to historic roots.

Build to the human scale. Places should be built for people, not for cars.

Provide self-contained neighborhoods that have a mix of uses within walking distance.

Provide for diversity: including people of all ages, economic means, and racial backgrounds.

Provide for transit-friendly design.

Preserve historic uses as well as the scenic and natural character of the area.

Conserve open space that provides valuable environmental functions and is connected to neighborhoods, schools, parks, and shopping areas.

Now is the time to pursue some of these choices if the Valley is to continue to grow while preserving the very things that made people move there in the first place: the rural lifestyle, access to open space, and the small-town atmosphere.

Jeff Dillon is a community, park and recreation planner and principal with Land Design North. This Spectrum is in response to Mr. Randall O'Toole's presentations to the Open Space Workshop Feb. 22 and the Anchorage Federation of Community Councils on Feb. 23.