ADVOCACY ISSUES
Urban Sprawl/Smart Growth

While BOMA is in favor of Smart Growth, we urge the government to take great care in its approach to limiting growth in rural areas. Simply stated, without growth, the economy does not grow. We believe the free market should dicatate where developments are placed and that incentives to farmers and others to discourage development is not the best use of state revenues. We understand, perhaps better than any other industry, the cost of infrastructure expansion, water and sewerage resources, power and related issues. The bottom line is people — and businesses — are going to go where they choose. We encourage the use of the Brownfield law for redevelopment of urban areas and adaptive re-use of obsolete buildings. We feel the restrictions of local zoning boards and planning commissions are adequate to deal with urban sprawl issues and, while we do not oppose state efforts at a cohesive plan for Smart Growth, we feel the best government in this case is the local government.

America continues to grow rapidly outside of its metropolitan centers, but often in an unmanaged fashion. This problem, described as "sprawl," can be traced to the convergence of several factors that promote development away from urban areas. The building of the interstate roadway system, zoning laws that restrict mixed development, single home oriented federal loan programs, and competition by municipalities for new tax revenues all combined to spark outward expansion. When this growth created new, more desirable suburban areas, city dwellers moved out of urban centers, often escaping high property values, tax assessments, and crime rates. Thus, in the decades after World War II, metro areas witnessed an outflow of businesses and communities to areas beyond their traditional boundaries.

However, after years of continued expansion, many regions are now witnessing the unintended consequences of unplanned and unchecked growth. Undeveloped "greenfields" are being consumed at voracious rates; outdated roadways are overburdened; and demands for newer infrastructure like sewage lines or electricity systems continue to mount. The combined stresses are, for many Americans, undermining the American suburban dream. At the same time, cities are finding themselves with smaller tax bases, less business interests, and fewer residents.

What is Smart Growth?

• Redevelopment of inner cities and older "first ring" suburbs.
• Strong community planning and regional cooperation between neighboring governments.
• Strict zoning and permit-granting, to limit further outward growth on suburban fringes.
• Restricted state spending on roads, schools and sewers beyond the current suburban fringes.
• Large tax credits and grants for farmers to discourage development of crop land.

A move is underway at the behest of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's drive to curb sprawl and development. The new Michigan Land Use Leadership Council is comprised of 13 Republican and 13 Democratic appointees and they have been given the charge of halting what they see as the devouring of farmland, draining of urban areas that they contend is reducing the state's economic competitiveness and quality of life. The $2 billion state deficit is another reason for attacking the “development issue.” In this environment, the costs of sprawl and the cost-saving promise of "smart growth" may gather endorsements from people generally in favor of free-market forces. BOMA Michigan believes the best government is local government on this issue.

Faced with the tangible ills of sprawl, Americans are now searching for ways to alleviate this problem. Some cities, such as Portland, have utilized centralized plans for several decades in an attempt to neuter sprawl and promote smarter growth. However, only in the past few years has the issue become a nationwide legislative concern. Dealing with sprawl's challenges is a top legislative priority for states such as New Jersey, Tennessee, Vermont, and Maryland, and elected officials nationwide, as high ranking as the Vice President, have offered their perspectives on the challenges of growth.

Recently, former Vice President Gore outlined a detailed plan by the federal government to aid state and local officials in handling growth. The program would make $2 billion in federal funds available for preserving undeveloped land, creating recreational space, and providing other assistance in response to sprawl's problems.

BOMA's members are encouraged to support Smart Growth initiatives that adhere to the association's principles of resolving sprawl at the local level and in ways that uphold fundamental private property rights. Furthermore, they are asked to promote the use of current federal programs, such as the Land and Water Conservation Trust Fund and Superfund's reclamation efforts, which might assist in resolving unwarranted or unwise growth.