By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
FEB. 3, 2023 | Have you ever considered that there ought to be a special place in hell for people who come up with the ideas of locating housing for people next to major thoroughfares? Adjacent to such roads you see many developments of apartment complexes, townhouses and condos, and even single-family subdivisions.
Those behind such real estate projects adjacent to highways affect people far into years to come, as these residents have to put up with the continual noise from the roadways, breathe the pollution from the fumes of the road, and have their lives disturbed merely by the location of their housing. Once multi-family housing, or even one-family homes in subdivisions are built along highways, such units stay and stay and stay.
The sad part is that while some people must live in these housing areas, they have to put up with the noise from the roadway 24/7 if they are retired, or don’t work. Then come nightfall, sleep here is overlaid night after night with the rumblings, sirens and continued whine of vehicles.
“Oh,” but you say, “People don’t have to live there.” Not entirely so. For some, it’s the only housing they can find. And look at how many units are near roads. The number will stagger your mind.
Also in that special place in hell ought to be a lot of space for the public officials, elected and appointed, who gave approval for land to be developed for housing along roadways. Yes, besides those elected officials who stamp their final approval on the land use, we’re talking about spineless members of Planning and Zoning boards, who give their early signal that such housing along the always-busy highways is OK for their community. And no wonder these Planning and Zoning people rubber-stamp such projects, for these boards are often pre-loaded with people who, shall we say, are “developer friendly.”
But you also throw up: “But shouldn’t a landowner be allowed to determine what goes on his land?”
Poof! Property rights go so far. Landowners ought not to be allowed to disturb their neighbors. Public officials can work for the common good of mankind by making sure that the rights of everyone are protected, not just landowners. That’s why Planning and Zoning boards were introduced, along with public hearings. (In reality, the elected officials often use the P & Z board to protect themselves from making decisions on land use. The elected officials pass what can be a hot potato to the P&Zs. It’s politics.)
What can a good planning and zoning board do to provide adequate housing for an area? First, keep such housing distant from major roadways. Then approve not so many apartments in any area, but require condos. That means that the new homeowner is just that, an owner of the property. Owners take far more care of units than renters. In addition, though we are no champion of homeowner associations, these collective groups tend to discipline owners, to make sure that the property is maintained and kept clean at a high standard.
You want an example? A reader recently sent to GwinnettForum this photograph of trash and debris in a complex less than a mile from the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. That’s what can happen in apartment areas if enforcement provisions are not in place. You no doubt can cite other trashy examples like this near where you live.
Building housing adjacent to highways is downright wrong. Use the land for warehouse, commerce and manufacturing, not for people’s homes.
We warn those approving housing near highways to prepare themselves for a mighty hot future.
For those of you who note such items, today can be marked as 2-3-23.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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