Essay on Affordable Housing in Boone

Boone is definitely lacking when it comes to affordable housing choices. Solutions are hard to come by, but some have suggested such measures as inclusionary zoning where a certain number of affordable housing units are mandated in new developments. So, let’s apply this scenario to Boone. First off, most of the housing that is being built in Boone is for students. This makes sense because the university is here and the students should live close to campus so they are walking to class rather than crowding our streets. Now the question becomes: Can we mandate that a certain number of these units be set aside for “affordable housing?” This would be difficult because “affordable housing” is more for families and not for students (although I’m sure they would love to qualify). The next difficulty is that if you mandate that a certain number of units in these student apartments be set aside for “affordable housing”, you are setting yourself up for all kinds of conflicts. To put it bluntly: students and families just don’t mix. Students like to stay up late at night making noise and families have to get up early in the morning to go to work. To put it another way: if families and students mixed, why are there separate zones for single-family-housing and student-housing and why was there such a need in town for “Neighborhood Preservation Districts.” In sum, mandating that affordable housing units be set aside in student housing would be a nightmare.

The second scenario is this: The town enacts affordable housing measures for new subdivisions in town or in the ETJ (Extra Territorial Jurisdiction). Great! Now the question becomes: when was the last major subdivision planned in Boone? If my memory serves me correctly, there was the New Market Neighborhood about 15 years ago and then there was the Council Oaks neighborhood that caused so much controversy about 10 years ago. Since then, there have been a few proposed subdivisions, but usually once the developer realizes all the regulations he has to meet, he usually drops the project. He realizes that there is no way for him to make a profit—in fact he’ll probably lose his shirt. So there we are: growing demand for housing in Boone, yet the supply remains the same. The result: rising house prices. It’s simple economics. So back to the mandates for affordable housing in Boone. If developers can’t make a profit building new subdivisions, they won’t build them. So the result is this: Nothing. No new housing in Boone—including affordable housing even though that was the intent of the legislation.

So now the developer that was going to build in town goes into the county and builds his subdivision. Subdivisions spring up all over the county because there is still a strong demand for housing and because the developers can make a profit there—after all, the land is cheaper and there are less regulations. Some of these subdivisions are for the well-to-do seasonal clientele but much of it is for the permanent residents. Long and short, housing is still supplied, but not the affordable type, because the town’s jurisdiction doesn’t go out that far.

Now I’m sure some people like the result: No one else coming into Boone. My nice little town is preserved. But is that really the result they get? Think about it. Boone is the major shopping and employment center in the region. So all these people have to come into Boone to work and shop. So now we have traffic and parking problems. If you don’t believe this, go drive around town on any given afternoon. Is this the way you want your nice little town to operate?

 Second, let’s take the environmental point of view. Is it better for the environment to have houses spread throughout the county or is it better to have housing concentrated in town? I take the stand that it is better for the environment if houses are concentrated in town. Here’s why: a lot of resources are consumed when you spread out development—you’ve got roads, utility lines, gasoline to get to and fro, gas emissions into the air during the commute, and more wear and tear on the car which means you have to replace it sooner. In addition to these environmental degradations, you’ve got to tap into ground water resources for wells and you’ve got to clear out an area for your septic tank and drain field. In sum, a lot of natural resources are wasted due to spread out development. 

Now let’s look at development concentrated in an urban setting. First off, you don’t have to drive as much because your house is close to the places where you work and shop. This saves gas and reduces emissions into the air. Second you don’t have to disturb as much land because the roadways and utility lines are already in place or near by. Another reason why you don’t have to disturb as much land is because you don’t have to dig a well into groundwater resources or clear an area for a septic tank and drain field. In town, you connect to the city water and sewer system. The city's water comes mainly from a lake or reservoir (sourced from above-ground water such as rivers and rain water) and the sewer water is filtered through the town sewer system where the water is returned to a nearby river (environmental protection regulations are in place to ensure the quality of the returned water). To sum up here, resources are still being used but they are not being used quite as much. As an example, I live and work in town and I only have to fill up my car about once or twice a month. So although gas prices are rising, the affect has not been that devastating to me because my increase has only been about $20.00 to $30.00 more per month.

So back to affordable housing in Boone. I think, on the whole, the environment is better off if development is concentrated in town. Now please don’t think I want a concrete jungle. Cities need to be livable places with lots of greenspace. I’m just saying that we are all better off if housing is in or near town because there is less traffic, less environmental degradation, and more sleep. I say more sleep because your commute isn’t as long and I’m very much assuming that you don’t have noisy neighbors. (For how to eliminate noisy neighbors—see my suggestions on “Preserving Existing Neighborhoods”).

So how are we going to get housing closer into town and how are we going to make it affordable? And, don’t forget, how are we going to do it without destroying the natural beauty of the area?

There is land available in or around Boone without building on land that is too steep or too visable. I know because when I was looking for a house, I became so discouraged that I got out of my car and just walked around the neighborhoods--looking for vacant land. (I’m a city boy and living out of town was NOT an option for me). Believe it or not, I actually found quite a bit of vacant land. Land that wasn't too steep or too visible. (I’m not very keen on having all of Boone leering at me all the time). I approached some of the owners, but most of them didn’t want to sell or they were afraid to develop because of all the town regulations. Finally, after 2 years of looking, I finally found a house that fit my needs, but the point is that there IS vacant land available for housing—maybe even affordable housing.

Now the question becomes: how do we turn that vacant land into much needed housing? Whether it is real or perceived, developers are reluctant to build family housing in Boone because they believe the rules are too restrictive and they feel the profit, if any, wouldn’t be worth their while. If this is the case, maybe we should reduce some of the restrictions. (Environmentalists please don’t jump down my throat because I feel I’ve already made my case about why it is more environmentally friendly to have housing in town rather than out of town).

Maybe we should reduce setbacks, maybe we should reduce certain curbing and guttering requirements, maybe we can find cheaper alternatives for storm water management systems. For an example, take the Grand Blvd. neighborhood—one of Boone’s most charming. This neighborhood probably would not meet half the regulations that are on the books today: The houses sit on ¼ to ½ acre lots, set backs from property lines are probably 5 to 10 feet, storm water management is a gutter downspout that leads to the yard, and if I remember correctly, there is no curbing and no sidewalk. Furthermore, much of Grand Blvd. lies in the infamous Viewshed Area (even though the neighborhood isn’t really that visible from King St.) and, if the map had passed, it would have mostly been in the “Moderate Hazard Zone.” To be realistic, I’m sure homeowners along Grand Blvd. have had their share of maintenance problems--this is, after all, one of Boone’s oldest. But even though it wouldn’t meet today’s requirements, it is still an incredible neighborhood that adds so much to the fabric of this community. Many of the people who live here not only volunteer at local charities and events, but they also help save our environment—both locally and globally. You see, many of these Grand Blvd. residents walk to their place of work—either at ASU or on King St. And by doing so, they are not only saving gas, but they are also reducing Boone’s traffic congestion. And believe me, all of Boone thanks you for that.

My point from here is that maybe a neighborhood doesn’t have to meet all the requirements of today’s regulations to be a good neighborhood. Maybe let a few things slide just so we can get some much needed housing here. I know so many people who would rather live in town than where they do now—a 20-minute commute away--out in the county.

I don’t know if we will ever get truly affordable housing in Boone. Mandates may or may not work, it depends on local economics. But let’s give something a try. Maybe we can start by prioritizing our needs in neighborhoods. The top priority may be affordability, the next may be storm water management, the third might be landscaping and the fourth may be viewshed concerns. In this case, we allow cottage-type housing on small lots with enough greenspace to absorb as much storm water as possible and enough trees to protect the viewshed. Maybe we don’t need to meet every item on a wish list to make a neighborhood viable. I have never lived in a neighborhood with elaborate storm water measures, nor broad tree-lined streets, nor sidewalks. I’m sure it would be nice, but I think I am doing OK despite the fact. In fact, when I was looking for a house, all those items were not even part of my criteria. As for storm water management, maybe we don’t need elaborate systems to achieve our goals. Maybe all we need are practical and relatively inexpensive solutions—such as rain gardens and properly designed ditching systems.

To finally come to an end, I would love to see some new housing options in this town. And I know I am not the only one. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a new neighborhood in town that was connected to the greenway system. And wouldn’t it even be better if the new houses that were built in this new neighborhood incorporated some of today’s sustainable development techniques. [If you have ever been on one of the local solar home tours sponsored by ASU’s solar club (ASUSES), you know what I’m talking about]. These houses could be state-of-the-art in energy efficiency, water conservation and solar technology. So even if your mortgage payment was high, you could at least save money on your utility bills!

Boone could actually become a model town for sustainable development and even better, we might be able to provide employment for local residents--including some of the energetic students from ASU’s technology department who could help design and build these cool neighborhoods. Let’s get started. Let’s do something to make this happen!