Winnipesaukee Forum - View Single Post - What are/aren't we short of in the Lakes Region area?

jrc · 11-17-2007, 05:02 PM

The big problem with zoning laws is that controlling growth and controlling sprawl conflict with each other.

Lets say you have a 1000 acees in town, and you use zoning to set a minimum lot size of 2 acres. You meet you goal of limiting growth to 500 houses, but you force those 500 houses to spread to every corner of the acerage, that's sprawl, no area is left undeveloped. It you could allot some area to much denser housing and leave a bunch of the are totally untouched you could accomodate 500 houses without destroying the open land we love. Plus the 500 families in those houses would be closer and more of a community rather than 500 families that never meet their neighbors.

11-17-2007, 05:02 PM	#39
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	The big problem with zoning laws is that controlling growth and controlling sprawl conflict with each other. Lets say you have a 1000 acees in town, and you use zoning to set a minimum lot size of 2 acres. You meet you goal of limiting growth to 500 houses, but you force those 500 houses to spread to every corner of the acerage, that's sprawl, no area is left undeveloped. It you could allot some area to much denser housing and leave a bunch of the are totally untouched you could accomodate 500 houses without destroying the open land we love. Plus the 500 families in those houses would be closer and more of a community rather than 500 families that never meet their neighbors.