Thursday, November 1, 2012

Flood Protection and Takings, This Ought to be Interesting

Just sitting here in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and thinking back on a court case I recently read about. Back in June the New Jersey Supreme Court decided it would review a lower court case that determined that dunes blocking the view of the water from a first floor dining room constituted a taking valued at $350,000. The Borough of Harvey Cedars, New Jersey, exercised eminent domain to secure easements to construct dunes to protect the Borough from floods.  The Borough determined that the taking was valued at only $300 the court felt the impact on view was worth far more.  The mayor opined during the court proceedings, "what's more important the view or the house?"

Hurricane Sandy, and the devastation it caused in New Jersey got me to wondering how this community fared.  If the articles I have read are accurate,  the Borough of Harvey Cedars and its dunes did not fare well.  "In places where the island is only a few blocks wide, such as Harvey Cedars, the ocean met the bay over the borough's streets. Dunes were obliterated, and sand blanketed parts of Long Beach Boulevard, the 18-mile-long island's main drag."

A portion of Harvey Cedars on Long Beach Island, N.J., was underwater Tuesday, 
a day after Hurricane Sandy blew across the New Jersey barrier islands.

I cannot help but wonder, whether the house that was impacted by the dune was constructed to meet flood zone standards, with the first floor constructed to be above base flood elevation.  One would think that, if it was constructed to flood standards, the view would only have been minimally impacted.

In the wake of the destruction, it will be interesting to see what happens with this court case.


Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The Power of a Positive Public Image: Or What Not to Blog

In the competitive world of attracting new and growing businesses to a community a positive public image is quite important.  Here on Cape Cod there are those who get it, and those who don't.  The advent of so many ways of communicating to the world creates many challenges.  Before blogging, Facebook, Twitter and all the others we all had to rely upon our local print and broadcast media to determine whether a message was important, and from what angle they were going to cover the story.  Now we all have the tools at our disposal to communicate directly with our audience, and, communicate the message we desire.

From an economic development point of view communicating the good things about your community is essential.  On the Cape, it might be the great natural resources we have, our beaches, or the welcoming atmosphere a town may bring to attracting new jobs to the community.

Of course this gift at our disposal also becomes a double edged sword.  All these tools also allow for anonymity, and therefor, the ability to get negative without normal societal mores coming into play.  These situations make our jobs as planners all the more challenging as comments get posted about a community that paint an image of that community that will make potential investors shy away.  After all, who wants to go to a community where key citizens, whether in elected positions or simply a part of the town, are being anonymously criticized.

The simple probability that anonymous naysayers exist out there, makes it even more important for local planners and economic development specialists to put forward the good things about there community.  A relatively high unemployment rate, becomes a readily available labor force.  School spending issues bring out improvements in SAT scores and other recognition the schools have received.  General government spending issues perhaps reflect high quality beaches, recreation facilities and other infrastructure investments.  However, it is not engaging the anonymous bloggers head on.  Its all about identifying your message and sticking to it.

At work I have been blogging for nearly four years now.  Discussing town issues such as standardized test scores, changes in housing values, and unemployment of course.  But, we are also talking about what we are doing zoning changes, land acquisitions and public improvements that enhance the town image.  The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Both from within the town, and from outside the town.

Yes, we have had our interesting debates, but by staying on message we have managed to promote the positive image everyone ultimately desires.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Roll Up The Sidewalks

It was a beautiful day here on Cape Cod. Nice enough for many people to take an after work stroll through the village where we live. Yours truly included. Stopped at a local Mom and Pop coffee shop only to find they close up, this time of year, before the year-round residents get home.

This got me thinking, if the Cape truly wants a year-round economy, we need to remember we need to serve  our year-round residents. I preach this daily where I work, and the businesses are responding. We need it here where I live as well, or everyone will be forced to visit the chain fast food businesses who are more than happy to take our money and ship it to their off-Cape headquarters.