Thursday, June 16, 2005
Urban-growth boundary drives up consumer costs
Portland's urban-growth boundary is adding millions of dollars to the costs of homes and businesses, and not just because of the scarcity of land that it creates. Today, about the only developable land left inside the boundary is brownfields, steep slopes, wetlands, or other lands that a few years ago would have been considered too expensive to develop.
Now developers are spending millions of dollars extra to use these land. This often includes funds needed to go through the regulatory processes to get approval to use them, including fighting local residents who want to preserve their "scenic views" of an old quarry or other undeveloped area. Naturally, they pass these costs onto homebuyers and other property buyers.
Although Metro, Portland's regional planning agency, has added a few square miles to Portland's urban-growth boundary, most of that won't be available for development for five to ten years. This is because cities need to zone the land and provide water and other infrastructure. Of course, without all of Oregon's regulation, such infrastructure could have been added in a few months.
Now developers are spending millions of dollars extra to use these land. This often includes funds needed to go through the regulatory processes to get approval to use them, including fighting local residents who want to preserve their "scenic views" of an old quarry or other undeveloped area. Naturally, they pass these costs onto homebuyers and other property buyers.
Although Metro, Portland's regional planning agency, has added a few square miles to Portland's urban-growth boundary, most of that won't be available for development for five to ten years. This is because cities need to zone the land and provide water and other infrastructure. Of course, without all of Oregon's regulation, such infrastructure could have been added in a few months.
Comments:
OH... I know just what they need. Why Portland should just build a 30 lane freeway and that will fix everything up! That freeway will create a big slum and urban blight that no one on earth will want to live there. It will result in all the jobs moving to the burbs and out of state while increasing taxes, polution and crime. That will certainly drive down consumer costs!
What's happening to Portland scares those American Dream Coalition advocates because they want you to think the cities are dead and dying. Just the opposite. The majority of the population will be living in a cities within 30 years because living in the burbs has become cost prohibitive. In fact, the cost of owning in single family home in the burbs often equals or exceeds the cost of home ownership in the city.
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What's happening to Portland scares those American Dream Coalition advocates because they want you to think the cities are dead and dying. Just the opposite. The majority of the population will be living in a cities within 30 years because living in the burbs has become cost prohibitive. In fact, the cost of owning in single family home in the burbs often equals or exceeds the cost of home ownership in the city.
