Urban sprawl is the real problem To address climate change, elected officials must stand up to land speculators by Mark DeMpsey
for a few thousand dollars an acre, At the Global Climate Action Summit in then sell it to builders for hundreds of San Francisco in September, California’s thousands of dollars once the land is political leaders reaffirmed their approved for development. The Internal commitment to clean energy and Gov. Revenue Service doesn’t even tax these Jerry Brown announced the state would outrageous profits if the speculators achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. put the money into But they neglected income-producing to focus on walking or property such as malls biking. Developing more and apartments. compact, pedestrianIn Germany, friendly communities however, developers can reduce carbon must sell outlying land emissions, and also free to local governments people from having to at its agricultural land own a car. value, then buy it back Local officials at the development continuing to support land price. All that sprawl and land speculaprofit benefits the tion is not a hopeful public rather than sign, either. Sprawl a small plutocracy encourages longer Mark Dempsey of Orangevale is a of speculators. And commutes, and requires retired technical writer and real estate Germany has nice more highways and agent who served on a Sacramento infrastructure, a solar other infrastructure, County planning advisory council. program that’s ahead which costs twice as of schedule and free tuition even for much to develop in outlying developforeign students at its universities. ments than in compact infill projects. Sacramento apparently can’t Though the Sacramento region has handle homelessness, but our political 20 years worth of unbuilt infill land, class can produce a subsidy for land local agencies are moving to make speculators at the drop of a hat. Land even more outlying land available for use is the nexus of local political “greenfield” development. In February, malfeasance. In a betrayal of public the Sacramento Local Agency Formation interest, Sacramento County superviCommission voted 4-3 to expand Elk sors Susan Peters and Sue Frost voted Grove’s urban boundary by more than for the Elk Grove expansion as LAFCo 1,000 acres, despite plenty of vacant commissioners. land within the city’s current boundary. More of these sprawl-producing (Environmental groups have sued to stop developments are cued up for possible the expansion.) approval. The climate effects of sprawl Barbara Leary, a candidate this year are roughly double the pedestrianfor Folsom City Council, said local planning is so dysfunctional that even if friendly, mixed-use alternative. Believe it or not, the real estate Folsom abandoned its expansion south market actually pays premiums for of U.S. 50, land speculators would be able to get Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. But as long as we give speculators or the county to annex the land and get the money that might go into civic their developments approved that way. improvements, we get nearer to the Speculators can purchase (or more precipice of climate disaster. Ω likely option) outlying agricultural land
12.27.18
|
SN&R
|
13