Urban planners, including in Atlanta, claim that greater housing density is needed; that single-family zoning is bad; and that denser development has to be forced on neighborhoods through zoning change.
To get an idea of where the city is "coming from," the following is from the "Equitable Housing Assessment" for Atlanta, delivered to the
Urban planners, including in Atlanta, claim that greater housing density is needed; that single-family zoning is bad; and that denser development has to be forced on neighborhoods through zoning change.
To get an idea of where the city is "coming from," the following is from the "Equitable Housing Assessment" for Atlanta, delivered to the city in the Fall of 2018. Page 62 (of 106) is especially chilling as it describes and proposes "By-Right" development:
"Changes zoning and simplifies entitlement processes to allow for higher density multifamily development with limited community input in designated areas. This tool increases overall supply of housing in desirable neighborhoods ... decreasing 'NIMBY' (Not In My BackYard) influence."
The "Equitable Housing Assessment" was followed by "Atlanta City Design-Housing" in May of 2021. This "zoning supplement" to Atlanta City Design is where the Department of City Planning states: "End exclusionary single-family zoning."
Then add to threat the big money investors (think Goldman Sachs) and MARTA who want greater density near transit stations in order to cash in on federal funding to promote "transit-oriented" development (TOD).
TOD would apply to the 3 planned stops (light rail) for the Beltline Overlay District.
Politicians want greater density, too. The Biden Administration is dangling the carrot of federal transportation grants in front of cities willing to "reform" their zoning and land-use policies to spur more dense and diverse housing development.
These 3 forces: 1) city planners; 2) big money TOD; and 3) politicians create a threat to Atlanta's single-family zoned neighborhoods that's as great as "urban renewal" demolitions in 1950s and 1960s.
Note: denser development also removes trees and threatens the city's tree canopy.
Single-family zoning is NOT the threat.
The 2021 zoning "land grab" - by City Councilman Amir Faroukhi and then-head of Atlanta's Office of City Planning Tim Keane, stunned many residents of ALL intown neighborhoods.
But this incident was NOT a "rogue, one-off."
For a good summary of what happened, read: "Stealth plan would destroy Atlanta single-family housing" from InsiderAdva
The 2021 zoning "land grab" - by City Councilman Amir Faroukhi and then-head of Atlanta's Office of City Planning Tim Keane, stunned many residents of ALL intown neighborhoods.
But this incident was NOT a "rogue, one-off."
For a good summary of what happened, read: "Stealth plan would destroy Atlanta single-family housing" from InsiderAdvantage, 15Jul2021.
The three proposed ordinances were straight out of the Atlanta City Design-Housing document. It was the basis of Farokhi's proposal in 2021 to rezone near MARTA stations as well as to eliminate parking requirements for developers and to effectively reduce lot sizes by allowing more and more ADUs.
Note: these ordinances would have effectively ended single-family zoning in Ansley near transit.
Why? They proposed to give developers - regardless of our R-4 zoning - the right to develop structures up to 12 units (75% lot coverage) on formerly single family lots.
Or, as the AJC stated (12/13/21):
"The new laws would have rezoned over 2,000 single-family properties near MARTA stations to allow them to become small apartment buildings"
Atlanta City Design-Housing is the foundation for the City's rewrite of ATL's zoning ordinances. It is the first such effort in 40 years; it is a total rewrite; and is seen as the one big chance to push through these pro-density/anti-single family zoning ideas.
This rewrite of ATL's Zoning Ordinance, is happening NOW with an estimated completion date sometime in 2024 (atlzoning.com).
And on top of all this, nothing stops City Councilman Farokhi from simply doing what he did in 2021, only this time as Chair of the Transportation Committee (think MARTA/TOD) with potentially hundreds of millions of dollars of federal money behind his proposals to "increase density" near transit stops.
Note: with planned light rail stop(s) in the Beltline Overlay District at Ansley Mall and the Arts Center MARTA station, almost 80% of Ansley Park is threatened (because 80% of the neighborhood is within .5 miles of a "transit" stop).
Farokhi, in interviews after the ordinance changes were tabled (not defeated), said he will bring them back as early as this year:
“The housing challenge is not going away. The solutions that were put forth, still in my opinion good policy solutions, they remain on the table,” (Farokhi, AJC, 13Dec21).
This is why rezoning won’t go away. It’s not just written into the plan. It is the plan.
Ansley Park needs a lasting form of protection against this never-ending threat that doesn't rely on Ansley's purported "political clout" or neighborhood volunteers who are outgunned at every turn by developers and city planners and elected officials.
Read this important article written by Michael Dobbins, Professor of Practice at GaTech's School of City and Regional Planning and former Commissioner of Planning and Development for the City of Atlanta.
Some quotes:
"It (zoning overhaul) will exacerbate the housing affordability crisis, destabilize neighborhoods and gut the NPUs ability
Read this important article written by Michael Dobbins, Professor of Practice at GaTech's School of City and Regional Planning and former Commissioner of Planning and Development for the City of Atlanta.
Some quotes:
"It (zoning overhaul) will exacerbate the housing affordability crisis, destabilize neighborhoods and gut the NPUs ability to shape their neighborhood’s future ...
"The city is marketing its program vigorously, deceptively, and divisively. Claiming that the proposal will improve affordability, instead it does the opposite ...
"First, the city bases its proposal on false population projections. It assumes a 2040 population of 1.2 million people. The Atlanta Regional Commission, with its team of professional demographers aided by sophisticated digital technology, predicts that the city will have 800,000 people by 2050, so 400,000 fewer people than forecast by the CDP 10 years later ...
"Second, as it takes form in zoning proposals, the densification strategies focus on single family and duplex residential neighborhoods on the one hand, and MARTA rail stations on the other. Both strategies are in direct conflict with the 'Atlanta City Design" policies adopted by the Atlanta City Council in 2017 ...
"Far from conserving neighborhoods, the effect of the proposed CDP and attendant zoning ordinances on both types of neighborhoods would be to destabilize and deforest them, randomly and unpredictably, according to meeting investors’ and developers’ acquisition strategies ...
"It seems clear that the impetus and the urgency for moving the ordinances forward is to remove the barriers that current zoning and NPU processes might raise ...
"In sum, the ordinances as proposed are in direct violation of the framework that the city’s adopted “Atlanta City Design” policies recommend. As written, they echo the positions that the libertarian Cato Institute has been advocating and marketing for some years, with some effect."
Bloomberg, August 8, 2022
“Research on the greater Boston area by economists at the U. of Warwick, the U. of Toronto and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston found that the number of housing units rises sharply when density constraints are relaxed — whether by allowing more multifamily buildings, relaxing height limits or simply allowing bui
Bloomberg, August 8, 2022
“Research on the greater Boston area by economists at the U. of Warwick, the U. of Toronto and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston found that the number of housing units rises sharply when density constraints are relaxed — whether by allowing more multifamily buildings, relaxing height limits or simply allowing building on smaller lots.
"Rents in multifamily buildings fall as much as $144 a month for each new unit added due to the new rules.
“The problem is that the value of single-family homes also falls, in part because the added housing weighs on perceived neighborhood quality: House prices drop by 9.17% per unit when density regulations are relaxed and multifamily homes are allowed.
“While lowering housing costs through zoning reforms may help first-time homebuyers and lower-income renters,” the economists wrote, “it comes at the expense of ... current homeowners.”
From USA Today, April 14, 2021
"President Joe Biden wants cities to put more apartment buildings and multifamily units, such as converted garages, in areas traditionally zoned for single-family housing. As part of his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan, cities would allow for smaller lots and for apartment buildings with fewer than six unit
From USA Today, April 14, 2021
"President Joe Biden wants cities to put more apartment buildings and multifamily units, such as converted garages, in areas traditionally zoned for single-family housing. As part of his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan, cities would allow for smaller lots and for apartment buildings with fewer than six units to be built next to a traditional house.
"Current zoning laws that favor single-family homes – known as exclusionary zoning – have disproportionately hurt low-income Americans. Many of them can't afford to buy a big lot of land, leaving them trapped in crowded neighborhoods earmarked in the past for Black and brown residents, while white families were able to move to single-family areas in the suburbs.
"Biden’s proposal would award grants and tax credits to cities that change zoning laws to bolster more equitable access to affordable housing. A house with a white picket fence and a big backyard for a Fourth of July barbecue may be a staple of the American dream, but experts and local politicians say multifamily zoning is key to combating climate change, racial injustice and the nation's growing affordable housing crisis."
For the full article, click here.
NY Real Estate News, Dec. 10, 2021
State bill would allow up to four units on lots, ban exclusionary policies
"State Sen. Brad Hoylman introduced a bill this week that would allow multifamily construction on almost all residential lots, eliminate parking requirements in cities and villages, and stop larger localities from requiring large lo
NY Real Estate News, Dec. 10, 2021
State bill would allow up to four units on lots, ban exclusionary policies
"State Sen. Brad Hoylman introduced a bill this week that would allow multifamily construction on almost all residential lots, eliminate parking requirements in cities and villages, and stop larger localities from requiring large lot sizes for homes.
"The legislation would prohibit cities and villages from setting minimum lot sizes larger than 1,200 square feet. It would also bar them from requiring off-street parking.
"In cities, landowners could build four-family dwellings on any residential lot, or up to six-family buildings within a quarter mile of a train station.
"In villages, builders could construct duplexes on any residential lot or six-family dwellings near transit stations.
"The bill also addresses towns, setting a maximum lot size of 20,000 square feet, or 5,000 square feet if the parcel has access to sewer or water infrastructure.
“We need to end the policy of exclusionary zoning that disadvantages lower- and middle-income New Yorkers,” said Hoylman. “The affordability crisis is best addressed statewide.”
For the full article, click here.
Note: Bills Pending in NY To Be Re-activated in 2022
"Proposed S.4547 would override local zoning to permit the construction of ADUs as small as 550 square feet on residential property for the purposes of rental. Municipalities would be prevented from imposing barriers to the units, including parking requirements, setbacks, or allowable residential density.
"Proposed S.7574 would create statewide standards for local zoning, legalize duplexes and four-unit buildings, and allow housing to be built without off-street parking.
"Proposed S.7635 would create an "anti-snob" law, which would allow the development of qualified affordable housing in any community where less than 10% of the housing stock is below market."
From the L.A. Times, Sept. 16, 2021
SACRAMENTO — ”California single-family neighborhoods could see existing parcels split in half to build new housing under a bill signed Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a plan more modest than far-reaching housing efforts in recent years but sharply criticized by officials in some cities as an overreach on
From the L.A. Times, Sept. 16, 2021
SACRAMENTO — ”California single-family neighborhoods could see existing parcels split in half to build new housing under a bill signed Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a plan more modest than far-reaching housing efforts in recent years but sharply criticized by officials in some cities as an overreach on decisions that should be left to local communities.
“Newsom also signed a bill allowing more housing density in areas near public transit. Both bills will take effect Jan. 1 but neither is likely to produce the supply of new housing that experts have said California needs to erase years of pent-up demand.
“The housing affordability crisis is undermining the California dream for families across the state, and threatens our long-term growth and prosperity,” Newsom said in announcing his approval. “Making a meaningful impact on this crisis will take bold investments, strong collaboration ... and political courage from our leaders and communities to do the right thing and build housing for all.
“The most controversial of the new laws, Senate Bill 9, will allow up to four new housing units on a single property in certain neighborhoods that are currently zoned for standalone houses only. The law places limits on new construction in neighborhoods designated as historic. Tenants in existing homes would also have legal protections from being displaced. For lots that are split into two parcels, a homeowner must agree to live on the premises.
“Newsom also signed a bill by Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco easing the way for local governments to rezone neighborhoods near mass transit for up to 10 housing units.
“Wiener made his bill optional in response to opposition, but the advocacy groups California YIMBY and California Community Builders still hailed its passage.
“It shouldn’t take five or 10 years for cities to rezone, and SB 10 gives cities a powerful new tool to get the job done quickly,” Wiener said.
“Newsom said in a signing message that “certain provisions may have unintended impacts,” so he ordered housing officials to monitor its progress.”
(SAP.org: the above from Newsom may be the understatement of the decade.)
"Several Sacramento neighborhood groups argued that Wiener’s bill would keep more lower- and middle-class residents as perpetual renters because it encourages apartment building ownership by large financial organizations. They also objected that it undermines local control and environmental protections.
"Sacramento officials aim to make California’s capital one of the nation’s first to eliminate traditional single-family zoning. Portland, Ore., and Minneapolis have passed similar ordinances in recent years. The state of Oregon passed a law eliminating traditional single-family zoning statewide."
From the Oregonian, Aug. 13, 2020
The headline pretty much says it all. Read the full article here.
Remember, with the Farokhi proposed zoning changes of last year, for those areas within .5 miles of a transit stop (75% of Ansley), you can build up to a 12-unit apartment building.
From the N.Y Times, Dec. 13, 2018
"In a bold move to address its affordable-housing crisis and confront a history of racist housing practices, Minneapolis has decided to eliminate single-family zoning, a classification that has long perpetuated segregation.
"The Minneapolis City Council voted last Friday to get rid of the category and ins
From the N.Y Times, Dec. 13, 2018
"In a bold move to address its affordable-housing crisis and confront a history of racist housing practices, Minneapolis has decided to eliminate single-family zoning, a classification that has long perpetuated segregation.
"The Minneapolis City Council voted last Friday to get rid of the category and instead allow residential structures with up to three dwelling units — like duplexes and triplexes — in every neighborhood. Minneapolis is believed to be the first major city in the United States to approve such a change citywide."
For the full article, click here.
From Douglas Newby, a prominent realtor in Dallas:
"Density is the Holy Grail of New Urbanism, from creating new zoning for granny flats, rooming houses, townhouses, duplexes, fourplexes and backyard two-story rental houses in established neighborhoods to encouraging dense mixed use development on undeveloped or redeveloped land. The adva
From Douglas Newby, a prominent realtor in Dallas:
"Density is the Holy Grail of New Urbanism, from creating new zoning for granny flats, rooming houses, townhouses, duplexes, fourplexes and backyard two-story rental houses in established neighborhoods to encouraging dense mixed use development on undeveloped or redeveloped land. The advantage of urban density and the idyllic effect of density has been the battle cry of urbanists and city planners for decades.
However, very little has been said about the destructive force of density. For this reason I have made a list of two dozen ways adding density to a neighborhood diminishes and ultimately destroys a neighborhood one house at a time.
Hopefully, if our City Council, planners and thought leaders are aware of the potential destructive force of density, they will pull back from the current call to blanket every neighborhood with more density.
For the full article, click here.
From Slate, Jene 28, 2021
"... Four years later, Winston is a city councilman and one of the most vocal advocates for the policy that Charlotte approved last week: abolishing single-family zoning. Charlotte’s Comprehensive Plan prescribes legalizing duplexes and triplexes citywide, giving more people more access to more types of housing in
From Slate, Jene 28, 2021
"... Four years later, Winston is a city councilman and one of the most vocal advocates for the policy that Charlotte approved last week: abolishing single-family zoning. Charlotte’s Comprehensive Plan prescribes legalizing duplexes and triplexes citywide, giving more people more access to more types of housing in more neighborhoods, and undoing a policy originally intended to circumvent the Supreme Court’s ban on racial zoning by keeping renters out. “When you learn about land use, what you can put where, you see the way the map has been set up to intentionally suppresses the supply,” Winston said. “Single-family zoning is one of the chief weights put on the scale to ensure the de facto segregated city that we live in.” ...
For the full article, click here.
From Bloomberg, August 9, 2022
"The city commission recently voted to go ahead with the changes, despite vocal opposition.
"Just before midnight last Thursday, a fatigued Gainesville City Commission voted to advance zoning changes that would allow duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes to be built on land currently zoned for single-family homes
From Bloomberg, August 9, 2022
"The city commission recently voted to go ahead with the changes, despite vocal opposition.
"Just before midnight last Thursday, a fatigued Gainesville City Commission voted to advance zoning changes that would allow duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes to be built on land currently zoned for single-family homes.
"That puts Gainesville — home to the University of Florida — on the verge of becoming the first in the state to end single-family zoning, a development that could have significant implications for other college towns, particularly in Republican-led states."
For the full article, click here.
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