There is still time to give your input on the zoning for village centers. The feedback tool will be online for only a few more days. It’s been online since Sept. 1st but you still have time. It doesn’t take long to complete.
To me one of the important aspects of this process is for the city to hear how we think about our villages. It’s very straightforward. They ask our opinion about each village on whether it should have one zone allowing relatively smaller buildings; should it have two zones with both smaller and medium size buildings; or should it have three zones with smaller, medium and larger buildings.
Allowing more people to live in or near our villages is good for:
- The environment – less driving and lower car ownership since you have more walking and transit options and therefore less carbon emissions; also new buildings could be in places that are already paved vs. clearing land and cutting down trees to make way for development.
- Affordability – you can save money if don’t need a car which can cost up to $10,000/year; units can be smaller in multi-family buildings costing less than a single-family home (plus smaller units are better for the environment); and the more units in a building, the more deed-restricted affordable units the city requires.
- The local economy – if people can walk to stores and restaurants more easily, there would be more regular customers and diners in our villages with more vitality and chances for building community (especially if there are also more outdoor spaces).
I believe we should allow a little more height in our villages because of these benefits. This would give more people the opportunity to live in our villages. I believe that we can and should welcome more neighbors in our villages.
Kathy Pillsbury
