Land Use Decisions

Published on December 26, 2003 By whosisohw In Politics

When you're thinking about nothing at all, lots of crap floats into your head.
I live in a small town with 60,000 other people.
None of us wants to watch other people starve to death.
None of us wants people to have to live under bridges or in cardboard boxes.
Some of us think we should all take care of each other.
Some of us think we should all take care of ourselves.
This is a rant about land use.
All of us live where there are rules about land use.
There are area requirements and height requirements and setback requirements and hillside exceptions and state and local subdivision rules which often conflict with state and local zoning rules.
Some of us think there are better uses for land than to have 8,000 square feet per house.
Some of us who live in the 8,000 square foot zones don't want houses on 4,000 square feet.
Some of us who live on multi-acre estates think the 8,000 square foot whining NIMBYs should happily accept 4,000 square feet per home.
Some of us who live in 8,000 square foot zones think the estate elite should leave us alone.
Some of us just want a place to live.
Merry Christmas.

Comments

Machiavelli_incorporated

on Dec 26, 2003

when i clicked on this article i thot it was gonna be another save-the-rainforest type things. Im not trying to offend u or ne thing but exactly wut is the point? (i could be the only one missing it)

whosisohw

on Dec 26, 2003

Chia Inc., I deal with factions. Everybody mixes idealism and social conscience with make-a-buck. I want a way to accommodate everybody; after all, everybody is part of the system, owes something to it, and is owed something by it. All I want to know is, "what?"
Every answer counts. That's the point.
As for saving the rain forest, I've got people after me to do that, too; i.e., Stop Global Warming by Reducing Greenhouse Gas Production. I'd welcome an answer on that one, too.

GemCityJoe

on Dec 26, 2003

Seems like everyone has a place to live but you're still not very happy...I know what you're saying though, (I think) something like along the line that people are too materialistic? Did I get it right? Do I get a gold star? lol j/k GCJ

whosisohw

on Dec 26, 2003

GCJ, I'll be happy when everybody else is happy. You absolutely do indeed get a gold star, if that makes you happy.
I don't know that people are too materialistic. Or that they're not. What I know is that people look around and see that what everybody else does affects eveybody including them. So people want other people to act in a way that benefits (or is perceived to benefit) themselves. It's the reversed/inverted Golden Rule.
But that's all subjective moralistic crap (see my first post). I want to sidestep that stuff and do the following: make decisions that work out for the best for all concerned. Too idealistic? Maybe. Impossible? If I thought it was impossible I'd have to quit trying. Ho ho ho.

EMacy

on Dec 27, 2003

Never quit trying.
It's sad when you can't do what you want, even on your own property.
But I read: Fascist US government.

Machiavelli_incorporated

on Dec 27, 2003

well... if we did then there would be alot more spieces goin extinct, alot more polution, and that nice hole in the ozone is gonna get ALOT bigger. I dont believe the government should control ur land, but sum regulations r needed.

whosisohw

on Dec 28, 2003

Nah, it's not the "fascist US government."
It's the "neighbors." It's "You."
"You" is sometimes the owner who wants to do whatever they want, and
"You" is other times the neighbor who doesn't want to live next to a brand new housing development. Or a brand new hog confinement.
So what happens is "You" makes rules that govern how land can be used, and then "You" wants to use your land just like the rules say you can, but "You" still don't like the change or the new stuff or the added people.
So the elected government folks (also "You") try to interpret rules or change rules so everybody's at least happy enough that they more or less accept the results.

OccultPizza

on Jan 01, 2004

I think if you own a piece of land it should be yours. I can only think of one exception to this rule, and that is if you bring down the property value of others there should be consequences. Because everyone lives by the almighty dollar MAMMON except GCJ ~grins~ I am very much like you in that aspect and I am not a christian or known religious faction, and I do not need precious or materalistic things over and above: Shelter, Food, Water, Air and some good budz. Would I like some nicer things? Sure! But apparently not bad enough to sacrifice what morals/virtues I have to raise myself above the other joneses ~chuckles~ I would like a Gold Star too LOL jk ~winks~.

whosisohw

on Jan 01, 2004

Good, you own a piece of land it should be yours.
Well, there's the rent you pay the government for the privilege of owning the land (property tax), but other than that it should be yours.
And then there's the notion that what you do might bring down the neighbor's property value. So other than you can't bring down the $$ value of other people's land, and you have to pay taxes, your land should be yours.
You might add other things that people value, such as sunlight (don't build something that casts a shadow over your neighbors) and The View (anything you build changes that) and there are drainage issues and water table issues and the spread of noxious weeds and access and
before you know it you have a whole set of laws that deal just with what you can and can't do with your land which you own and which ought to be yours.
Anything else?

messybuu

on Jan 02, 2004

People should be able to do whatever they desire with their own land, but as is said by many here, there are reasons why their usage of their own property is regulated, although it might be ridiculous to demand that property owners follow certain guidelines concerning saftey, environment, etc.

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