Example of how poor planning, etc can cause economic and cultural harms.

[Joshua Szulecki]

An example of how poor development planning and argicultural practices can destroy a way of life and a cultural icon that hits my heartstrings with an iron crab mallet. Maryland was ahead of the curve on community planning, so this should serve as a strong warning of what is to come in Alabama if development continues at the current pace...

http://ap.google.com/arti...wT7Lp_DWBU3hk_CQD91UTB3G2

[Nalgene Ninja]

Yeah I tried to order crab in Annapolis 4 years ago, they didn't have them. 

[Joshua Szulecki]

Jay,

That was pretty much my point. Maryland DID have elected officials trying to steer development, and even had growth plans in many areas, and it STILL got out of hand. The local governments fought the smart growth initiatives tooth and nail, and even actively ignored them in some cases, because the local benefits blinded them to what was happening. Worse still, now the limited development and high land prices are driving commuters for DC and Baltimore as far north as Pennsylvania, where houses cost HALF as much. Now the farms of PA are being paved and boxed for sale, and there will be no stopping the pollution from PA, because as far as I can tell, they don't care. It isn't their bay after all.

If a state that was actually trying to stop the problem couldn't do it in time, what chance does the Cahaba have? None.

Now, to avoid sounding overdramatic, a lot of the development controls in Maryland were at the county level, so they didn't have the impact they should have. Baltimore County (which does NOT include Baltimore) had one of the first real development plans, and you can see it in the way they have preserved specific areas while allowing development in areas adjacent to previous development. Northern Baltimore county is pretty well preserved, although it didn't hurt that the land is owned by rich horseowners. Nearby counties took advantage of those controls to draw developers, shifting, but not controlling, the development. By the time the counties and state all figured out what was happening AND had the will to do anything, it was too late.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Except that most of the development isn't new industry or commerce projects, but sprawling housing projects that only provide a single-opportunity worksite. Now I understand that new housing is required to draw workers for new industry, but that doesn't mean that the development can't at least be done with some thought behind it. 2,000-3,000 sqft houses on 1/4 or 1/2 acre lots are just not smart growth. Too much runoff, too much lawn fertilizer, and too much septic seepage running into tributaries.

[Joshua Szulecki]

But is any of it being ACTED upon?

The really upsetting thing occurs when they STOP development, but developers rush the office in anticipation of the action to file for permits, and so huge developments get grandfathered in. It makes building moratoria almost a moot point, because if you discuss one, you've already destroyed the chance of having one until you develop a real plan.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Sounds like a plan. I'm eager to hear what's going on, because some of those mega-developments are RIGHT on the Cahaba.