A suite of zoning changes under consideration by the Tacoma Planning Commission provoked its "most well-attended" hearing in decades.
"Several hundred people packed a Tacoma meeting room [August 18], and for more than four hours told the city Planning Commission in no uncertain terms that its ideas for building more types of housing were bad," reports Kathleen Cooper.
"Person after person lined up to demand a change to the law that allows six-story buildings in neighborhood business districts. In about equal number, people protested the idea of allowing single-family homes to be turned into duplexes and triplexes, particularly in historic neighborhoods."
The public outcry came in response to the Planning Commission's consideration of annual amendments to the city's Comprehensive Plan. Tacoma residents have seized on to the example of the Proctor neighborhood, which already allows six-story buildings. A neighborhood group is organizing to reduce height limits there, and one speaker at the August 18 hearing described a new building in Proctor as a "six-story monstrosity" that "destroyed the character of that part of town."
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What Is Cambridge’s Affordable Housing Overlay?
A controversial policy is helping create more affordable housing units in the Massachusetts city, but fears of overwhelming density are likely unfounded.
San Diego Planning Commission Rejects Voluntary State Density Law
The density-enabling mechanisms of the California law Senate Bill 10 are too much for San Diego’s citizen planners.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.
Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
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