This is the third of my communications responding to the questions posed to candidates by Editor Allen Johnson of the News & Record. This one is about City planning.
Business Management and Public Administration training courses all emphasize the importance of PLANNING as a key element of operating any organization. Planning involves setting goals and objectives concerning what is to be accomplished, determining what specific actions need to be taken to accomplish those goals and objectives, determining how to pay for the performance of those actions, using the plans to periodically evaluate performance toward reaching the goals and objectives, and then revising old plans and making new ones.
Cities utilize different types of plans for meeting different needs. Annual budgets provide plans for income from taxes, fees and other revenues as well as spending for city services and operations in the coming year. Capital budgets address plans for making major building and infrastructure improvements that often require selling bonds that will have to be paid off by use of future tax revenues. Business development plans deal with strategies for recruiting outside businesses to relocate or encouraging existing businesses to expand and new businesses to start up in the city. Land-use (Zoning) plans deal with planning city infrastructure to meet the needs of the citizens, but also restrict citizen’s use and allow them to plan how to use their property. All of these planning areas must be addressed in a rational and systematic manner and communicated to the people on a timely basis.
In my view, annual budgets should flow from the monthly, quarterly and semiannual reviews of the variances that occur between actual and budgeted income and spending. These reviews should point out what areas are in need of increases and which ones can stand reductions. Every five years, the entire budget should face a “Zero-Base Review.” This would require each department and program to justify itself as if it were a newly proposed program. The review could be staggered so that all of the city’s programs would be covered in each five-year period.
Land-use planning (zoning) is one area of city planning that often generates heated disagreements between various elements of the community. City zoning sets limits on how private property located in the city can be used by the owners. It is undertaken to provide for an orderly development of land and to protect certain property owners (particularly single-family home owners) from having undesirable uses located in their neighborhood. Once a piece of property is zoned in a particular category, the owner can use that property for the zoned purpose without consulting the neighbors or city planners or city council. (Of course, if any structures are erected, they must meet building codes, etc.) Neighbors can also use their property assuming that no undesirable use will be allowed to take place on neighboring property.
But what if a property owner wants to use his/her land for a purpose other than that for which it is zoned? Then the owner must seek a “zoning variance” or a “rezoning” before the property may be used for the desired purpose. The process is spelled out in the city’s zoning ordinance and involves a formal application procedure, notification to neighboring landowners, public hearings, votes to approve or disapprove by the planning commission and finally City Council. Until recently, Greensboro residents were at a disadvantage, compared to residents of other cities in North Carolina, when they tried to oppose zoning changes, because, no matter how strong the opposition from neighbors, rezoning could be approved by a simple majority of the City Council. Now, if neighbors sign a protest petition in sufficient numbers, a super majority of City Council is required to pass the zoning change.
Greensboro is currently nearing the end of a long process of adopting a completely new “Land Development Ordinance (LDO).” The draft proposal is available free on line at the city’s web site and in hard copy for $22. The City has had two public hearings to show its contents. The public comment period will begin soon.
I attended one of the public hearings and was impressed by the amount of work that has gone into the process. The new LDO has many good features. In my opinion the method and the amount of time required for notice to be given by a property owner requesting a rezoning to neighboring property owners is not sufficient for the neighbors to be able to mount an effective objection to the rezoning.
I strongly urge all concerned citizens to look at the proposed LDO, attend the public comment sessions, attend the public hearing at the City Council meeting, and express their opinions on the ordinance before it is adopted.
I encourage your comments.
Please visit my web site at www.boyettforcitycouncil.com.
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