How did you like what Houston did to itself with Harvey? Poor planning and a wild west attitude along with poor regulation are blamed for much of the disaster impacts. A poor understanding of flood plains has been cited. With global warming, the past is no indicator of future flooding.
The Underhill Town Plan is full of deference to Nature and language to protect natural resources and natural areas. The town has zones named "Soil and Water" and "Water Conservation", which give a plain summary of the conservation orientation that town planning has had for decades.
So, with Harvey in Houston and all of the clucking about the role a lack of zoning had on the resulting floods, one would hope that the latest revisions to the town's zoning regulations, in addition to shortening, clarifying and simplifying the document, would lessen flooding risk and mitigate the impacts of flooding.
But they've done it again. Despite having previously been turned away by voters, our planners have proposed upzoning in Underhill Center.
Keep in mind that crude hammer of zoning has become a tool of giving and taking, love and hate. Down zoning takes away value from a property, while upzoning is a free gift from the town to the lucky land owner. The Sinex Burlington Town Center project is a first-rate example of rent-seeking and rent-getting, with a $20 million cash boost and big increase in total buildout versus the established zoning.
Here in Underhill, the planning commission is busy giving and taking, while doing exactly the opposite of conserving and protecting. Yes, they have come again at the voters with another upzoning proposal. And it is virtually a repeat of the last time, when voters said no thank you.
