Douglas County Board 3-2 Against Land Use Changes

Parker Chronicle article

Chris Michlewicz, Aug. 4, 2015

Note that  Douglas County is one of over 1,200 localities targeted by HUD’s new AFFH rule.

It’s the responsibility of local elected officials to use judgment in making decisions on the use of property based on a process of first determining that permit applications are compliant with the zoning laws, participating in public hearings, and finally casting a vote based on considering what’s desired by and best for the community.  That’s how we do it in our democracy.

This process by local governments repeats itself over and over, and just this week the Douglas County Planning Commission narrowly voted to recommend denial of a controversial amendment that would place requests for new housing proposed south of Parker under its jurisdiction voting 3 to 2 against proposed high density housing for Parker.  The board sided with home owner arguments that the proposed high density housing would lower property values, increase traffic congestion, and burden the existing infrastructure.

Regardless of the results, the Douglas County Planning Commission exercised personal judgment on the use of property considering what’s desired by and best for the community.  Contrast our democratic process with HUD’s plan, its new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, AFFH, rule.  HUD plans to override local zoning laws outright and not just build high density, but force low income government subsidized housing and promoting the infrastructure to go with it.