We built our house almost 2 years ago in a nice rural-ish area. We love our neighborhood; it's friendly, well-kept, and quiet. We're surrounded by other nice neighborhoods, farmland, and a couple of nurseries and other innocuous businesses.
I'm sure you can see where this is going.
Just north of us, a big open field has been zoned heavy industrial. What the?? No one has bought it yet, but I'm sure it's a matter of time. I found out tonight that the lovely wheat field across the street has been zoned heavy residential, and is slated for a huge, huge apartment complex.
There has been an upsurge in our town of gang violence. It's almost always near these super apartment complexes. So that brings the crime, which was on the other side of town and pretty much staying there, near us. On top of that we'll have some nasty factory or who-knows-what. All of this adds up to plummeting home values, even more overcrowding in the schools, and HORRID traffic.
We moved away from our other house to get away from terrible traffic. This could very well be so much worse than what we left behind. That is a huge stressor for my husband and that alone would be enough to drive us away from our house that we love so much, and our wonderful neighborhood and ward.
SO. . . do you think it's possible to successfully lobby against such things? We'd be fighting against the almighty dollar, and people with lots of it. It seems kind of hopeless, but there is a meeting coming up and I'm willing to go around collecting signatures.
I'm just so darn mad. We can't afford to go where we want to, we like where we are, and this just stinks.
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"There is order in the way the Lord reveals His will to mankind. . .we cannot receive revelation for someone else's stewardship." L. Tom Perry
Is it possible? Yes. However if the city is hurting for cash, they'll likely zone for the highest tax-base usage. Just hope you're not zoned that way or your taxes may also go up.
Personally, I'd first go to the city hall or county and find out what and if any permits have been pulled for the 2 properties in question. If you find that the rumors are true, even if you really like your house, I'd consider selling and moving again before the house went down in value and/or the taxes go up.
I keep telling you to move to Kuna! Hear the little voices: Kuuuuna, KUUUUUUUUna! We live in an absolutely wonderful neighborhood that is closed off and can't have stuff like that built nearby because there's a school right across the street. But of course you know that because you've been here. Still, it's a lovely town....
They reconsider zoning all of the time, but usually the motives related to such reconsideration have everything to do with money or influence, and nothing to do with quality of life.
Now, if you got all of your neighbors together and raised a huge stinky stink, they might fix it.
But, as we discovered in the Healthcare thread, people would rather talk about puppies and Harry Potter or anything mindless than actually do something hard like taking part in real life.
I keep telling you to move to Kuna! Hear the little voices: Kuuuuna, KUUUUUUUUna! We live in an absolutely wonderful neighborhood that is closed off and can't have stuff like that built nearby because there's a school right across the street. But of course you know that because you've been here. Still, it's a lovely town....
That's one of our top 2 choices. The problem is selling our house. Houses in our neighborhood just aren't moving. Plus we still need to do the finish work on the bonus room, and put in the backyard.
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"There is order in the way the Lord reveals His will to mankind. . .we cannot receive revelation for someone else's stewardship." L. Tom Perry
To answer the rest of you. . . I will call city hall, thanks for the suggestion. If this is true, I'll pack the girls up in the stroller and hit every house in this neighborhood with a petition, and talk to everyone else I know in our ward and otherwise. This area is so beautiful, and they're going to ruin it. :(
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"There is order in the way the Lord reveals His will to mankind. . .we cannot receive revelation for someone else's stewardship." L. Tom Perry
You're property values might not totally go down... I don't know. This is hard. Seems like a losing battle... But yeah, I'd get involved - who knows what connections or possibilities might be out there? You won't know unless you at least try... Usually these places have a couple options for sites and you might just convince them to choose the "other" one.
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
There is always a couple things to consider when buying / building a new home out in the "rural" areas of a growing community... 1. Caveat Emptor. It is the buyer's responsibility to find out what the master plan is for the land in the area is. Realtors should be asked to do due diligence with you, but ultimately, it is still your responsibility to follow through. 2. A change in zoning will be challenged in courts by the land owner if the land owner is not able to sell the land as a result. Some land can be so restrictive in the zoning that it amounts to nearly a taking by the government. City government is not responsible for keeping property values high or for keeping them going higher EXCEPT in cases of egregious poor zoning and city planning. NIMBYs are going to exist everywhere... hence the concept of gated communities for those with their noses in the air...
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It seems to me the only thing you've learned is that Caesar is a "salad dressing dude."
You make some good points. I wish we had looked more into what would happen with the land around us. Luckily the industrial-zoned property hasn't been sold yet, and the proposed apartment mega-complex hasn't had the zoning completely approved. There's a meeting at city hall next week, but I'm not so sure they're interested in the opinions of citizens as much as they're just going through necessary motions.
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"There is order in the way the Lord reveals His will to mankind. . .we cannot receive revelation for someone else's stewardship." L. Tom Perry
I'd bet they'd be interested in your opinion if you got enough people there. If you fill the room with angry residents and get the local news media there I can bet that they might back down.
Jen, that is too bad. I have worked in zoning, got my B.S. in City planning, worked in the law department of a city dealing a lot with this and studied it in law school as well as getting screwed by it.
City councils are generally corrupt or stupid or both, generally both, remember they are politicians. Zoning board members usually don't care or go wherever the wind blows. It is all about the money and who helps them. Most do not care. It generally goes to how much money/benefit is obtained by the city or the council members, and then who becomes the biggest thorn in their side.
This is only part of the problem. See, apartments are considered low income housing, usually, and thus not allowing them in a city can be seen as discriminatory and can open up a city for lawsuits, usually state or federal or activist groups.
You should get a group together in your area, find out who your councilman is, and then lobby the crap out of him. Of course if he stands to benefit, it will not go well, leaving a suit as the only option. Generally, in these zoning matters, an attorney might be needed, and could mean court.
I once tried to get a variance to do occasional gun sales out of my house for special orders, no stock or anything. Now it was okay for a doctor's office, barber shop, psychiatrist, jewelry, art sales, etc, but no guns. I sought a variance and a bunch of mothers showed up. I didn't get it from the board due to such well-worded and thoughtful arguments, such the streets in the little town would run with blood, or my favorite "some one could get a gun from you, hide in the bushes at your house, and shoot kids walking past on the way home from school", or "I don't want guns around my kids. But I don't know you or your kids and I already own guns as does my neighbor. I just don't want guns around my kids!!!"
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Lo, there I see my mother, my sisters, my brothers Lo, there I see the line of my people back to the beginning Lo, they call to me, they bid me take my place among them In the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live...forever
Jason, that is what I was trying to do. To get the FFL I had to have a city license.
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Lo, there I see my mother, my sisters, my brothers Lo, there I see the line of my people back to the beginning Lo, they call to me, they bid me take my place among them In the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live...forever
