A large subdivision in Nebraska is generating controversy over a zoning change that allows the developer to avoid paying for road improvements and maintenance. Residents fear this will open the door for other developers to find the same loophole.
A development in Washington County, Nebraska, is causing a major upset to county residents. The 50-lot subdivision has been approved after the developer brokered a last-minute deal in which eight 10-acre lots would surround 42 smaller lots. The deal was completed past a deadline and has been challenged as illegal. This rezoning of the land removes any requirement for the developer to pay for road improvements to the nearby county road.
"County resident Burke Petersen spoke against the development, saying there was no legal basis to having two different zoning classifications within a single subdivision. The developer is asking for the two zoning classifications as a way to appease concerns that future landowners of the larger, 10-acre lots will further subdivide their lots, project engineer Mark Westergard said. County Planning Administrator Doug Cook said these types of multiple zoning classifications are done routinely in the county."
"Petersen also said if the planning commission accepted this plat, all developers in the county will want to surround two-acre lots with 10-acre lots as a way to get out of paying to improve county roads up to the entrance of the development."
FULL STORY: Planning commission OKs plat despite objections of neighbors

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)