09-22-2012, 04:48 AM
The "community development plan" is apparently incapable of fixing the underlying "zoning problem"; the PCDP is really no different/better than the old SUP, it just has more "process". Governments love "process", because it means "committees", which translates into "no decision, no responsibility".
Example: CV zoning is contentious because "we can't control what happens after the zone change" -- some of the people involved have discovered that you can't, in fact, restrict activities that are outright permitted by a particular zoning.
Simple fix: create a restricted CV zoning, or enact an "adjacency clause" that constrains border parcels (height limit, quiet hours, no "manufacturing" uses, more setbacks on the boundary with adjacent non-commercial zoned properties, etc). This seems to be what the PCDP is attempting to accomplish, but it would be far simpler to define NIMBY in the zoning code so that it's fair and equitable to all.
Long-term, if you make the development process difficult/expensive/opaque enough, you will only attract large corporate interests who have plenty of money and lawyers to engage you. Walmart has started building "neighborhood" stores; they could probably install one in downtown Mountain View if they wanted, even if the nice folks down at Planning managed to drag their feet for a few months.
Example: CV zoning is contentious because "we can't control what happens after the zone change" -- some of the people involved have discovered that you can't, in fact, restrict activities that are outright permitted by a particular zoning.
Simple fix: create a restricted CV zoning, or enact an "adjacency clause" that constrains border parcels (height limit, quiet hours, no "manufacturing" uses, more setbacks on the boundary with adjacent non-commercial zoned properties, etc). This seems to be what the PCDP is attempting to accomplish, but it would be far simpler to define NIMBY in the zoning code so that it's fair and equitable to all.
Long-term, if you make the development process difficult/expensive/opaque enough, you will only attract large corporate interests who have plenty of money and lawyers to engage you. Walmart has started building "neighborhood" stores; they could probably install one in downtown Mountain View if they wanted, even if the nice folks down at Planning managed to drag their feet for a few months.