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Ashland resident,
Dr. Jeff Rheil |
To avoid sprawl, communities must plan carefully to ensure streets will be safer, air and water are less polluted, and parks, farms and open space protected. Here are some steps towns can take to make to avoid sprawl and the problems it causes:
- Enact growth boundaries, parks and open space protections which allow growth without creating sprawl.
- Plan pedestrian-friendly development and make public transportation available.
- Save taxpayers money by having developers pay impact fees to cover the costs of new roads, schools, water and sewer lines, and requiring property tax impact studies on new developments.
- Advocate for revitalization of already developed areas through measures such as attracting new businesses, reducing crime and improving schools.
- Prevent new development in floodplains, coastal areas and other disaster- prone areas.
- Enact town-serving zoning ordinances, requiring retail and service businesses to be a certain size and to primarily serve those living and working in the area. Use local ownership as one of the criteria to decide whether to grant a permit to a new business.
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