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Hello, Bad Development. Goodbye, Quality of Life
Published Saturday, July 13, 1996

It’s obvious that tasteless, unthinking unmanaged commercial development doesn’t add value to the community.  It blights the community.  It’s equally obvious that sensible regulation adds value and sustains our quality of life.
 
Any change in the size or color of a mole or wart is a possible sign of cancer.  Well, our little county is acquiring a growing collection of development moles and warts.  Here are some of the warning signs:
 
Do you like Grass Valley’s imposing new edifice on Freeman Way?  It’s Liberty Motors, a building which brings a certain Roseville Auto Mall look and feel to our county.  Are you inspired to buy a car there?  I think it sucks.
 
I’m sure you are equally inspired by the Pine Creek shopping center.  Consider its good looks, clever layout, and great traffic patterns.  Normally, one would have to go to L.A. (or at least Auburn) to see a strip mall of these proportions.
 
The unplanned development of the Glenbrook basin (AKA Burger Basin) is a disaster, but (like the K-Mart center) it’s an old cripple.  We can scream and bear it.  Besides, half the stores are empty.  Lastly, the proposed Wal-Mart and the build-out of Raptor Ranch are tumors that didn’t grow.
 
Each of these developments is a failure, first in terms of serving customers, and then in terms of siting, traffic, design aestethics, environmental factors, public relations, and mix of businesses.  They are tolerated, not welcomed, by the community.  We have a sense they could have been done better, but were built fast and on the cheap.
 
The Union’s June 25th editorial said, “But these busy shopping areas exist to meet the needs of Nevada County residents.  Many of the businesses and developers at both sites have gone to great expense to make their workplaces and stores attractive.”  Yes, the developments are “intended” to meet our needs, but that’s no excuse for traffic jams and blight.  No, the businesses have done nothing to make the stores more attractive, because they can’t do anything in a mall besides hang a sign.  The interiors don’t count.
 
So is there a solution?  Yes, of course.  The community should impose its will, firmly and fairly.  It should say to developers and national chains, “Yes, we want your business, but you will not treat us like a banana republic.  You will be our partner, not our exploiter.  Agreed?”
 
This agreement works in Arlington, Virginia, where a beautiful, white brick McDonalds is located downtown, among the 300-year-old structures.  It works in Pomona, where the Howard Johnson’s does not have an orange roof, because it’s against the law.  Yet HoJo’s survives.  It also works in Rancho Bernardo, in San Diego County’s north area, where the commercial centers are constructed mainly of beige stucco with red tile roofs.
 
By contrast, there’s Greenback Lane and Sunrise Boulevard, where blight meets blight, both day and night.
 
Tough choice, huh?  Make some reasonable rules or become the Cesspool of the Foothills.
 
We rarely object to regulation when we perceive it’s in our best interest.  We expect our houses are built to code and that a building inspector has looked at them.  We also welcome zoning, if it prevents a manure factory from being built next door to our home.
 
What’s needed for reasonable regulation?  Given that the general plan and zoning proposals are a green light for development, we need a great big red light as well.  We need some serious anti-blight ordinances, real regional planning, design review and an intelligent Planning Department that will both restrict and guide developers in turning their projects into reality.  Then we’ll have developments that the community will welcome instead of loathe.
 
Previews of upcoming columns.  Schedule limitations prevented Scott and me from using these funny items.  Maybe next month.
 
Let Them Eat Cake.  The County Supes show themselves to be masters of political astuteness.  They prove there is no budget crisis by voting themselves a richly-deserved salary and benefit increase as a reward for their brilliant work.
 
Geeks vs. Freaks.  The Nevada City City Council explores the wonderful world of civil liberties lawsuits (and a possible spot on CNN) by planning a Law Against Funny Looking People.  The first long-haired tourist who gets rousted by the cops will probably be a millionaire software designer with an excellent attorney.
 
Barry Schoenborn is a technical writer, and a nine-year resident of Nevada County. You can write to him at barry@wvswrite.com. The opinions of columnists are not necessarily those of The Union.
 

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