FEATURE ANose for NIMBYs by Chris Robbins Don’t worry if you are missing something that’s a normal part of com- decision-making, for example: a previous your favorite science-fiction munity life. Perhaps they are beside owner put a covenant on the land that show to conduct a public hearing themselves because they moved to their restricts its use, or the project would current location to escape development damage a unique environmental at the Planning Commission. You may be that is now inexorably following them. resource. Sometimes there’s an alterna- lucky enough to see shape-shifters in real Perhaps they are secretly panicking at the tive that makes more sense. If these con- life. If you are considering a land use idea of outsiders in their territory, cerns have substance, respond to them; change that will affect a residential whether it be “those people” moving in don’t treat a project as a “done deal.” neighborhood, perfectly normal, rational down the block, or motorists driving past 3. Address concerns in a realistic way. people will grow fangs and acquire the their homes to get to another destination. The usual outcome of contentious pro- ability to spit fire. Changes in the neigh- jects is that the objections are addressed borhood spark a primitive reaction in through conditions or modifications to defense of home and family. As a plan- SAPLANNING A the project. This may not satisfy the ning commissioner, you need to keep COMMISSIONER, YOU NEED opponents, but it shows respect for their your cool when confronted by angry TO KEEP YOUR COOL concerns. You should insist on an neighbors, and recognize the difference WHEN CONFRONTED BY enforceable way to ensure that the condi- between legitimate concerns and irra- tions or modifications are actually put tional fears. You need a nose for NIMBYs. ANGRY NEIGHBORS, AND RECOGNIZE THE into place. Too often a bone is tossed to Here are some points to remember: the concerned citizens, only to be pulled DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 1. NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard) is away again as soon as the project is human nature, but sometimes you need to LEGITIMATE CONCERNS under way. rise above it. The most common neigh- AND IRRATIONAL FEARS. 4. Don’t let your own emotions get the borhood concerns are: “Don’t increase better of you. It’s easy to feel sorry for the traffic past my house. The children will beleaguered neighbors and do something be at risk.” “Don’t allow smaller lots or that’s not in the interest of the communi- Your job is to look out for the whole smaller homes in my neighborhood. My ty as a whole. It’s also easy to react the community: townhouse and apartment property value could decline.” “I was other way and dig in your heels in dwellers as well as single family resi- told that this street would never go response to annoying and pushy people, dents, and people living on through through, this land would never be devel- just to show them you can’t be bullied. streets as well as those who want to live oped, etc. How can you betray these Try to separate the personalities from the on dead-ends and force the traffic onto promises?” substance of what they’re saying. other streets. Ask questions or have staff Concerned citizens are right to be With a good nose, you will be able to find the information you need to evalu- alert to neighborhood threats, but tell when people cease making legitimate ate the concerns. Is the traffic going to be NIMBYs carry it to an extreme, exagger- points and slide into NIMBYism. Make greater than the standards for the street? ating the threats or refusing to accept a note of the good points, and ignore Is the proposed land use so noxious that the rest. ◆ it would reduce property values, or is it Glossary: simply something different from what‘s Chris Robbins has been there? Were the “promises” made by a a member of the North- NIMBY: Not in my city representative or by a realtor? If the field, Minnesota (popula- back yard concerns don’t hold up, don’t feel guilty tion, 17,000) Planning Commission for the past LULU: Locally unwanted land use about voting in favor of the project. NOPE: Not on planet earth four years. She is an envi- 2. NIMBYs can have their positive side. ronmental planner who has GOOMBY: Get out of my back yard No one else is so highly motivated to worked for consulting NIMEY: Not in my election year do research into the issues and the his- firms and non-profits in the BANANA: Build absolutely nothing tory of the area. Sometimes in their past. Chris is currently an environmental planning anywhere near anything quest to stop a project, people will intern for the City of Minnetonka, a suburb of uncover information that does help your Minneapolis.
PLANNING COMMISSIONERS JOURNAL / NUMBER 51 / SUMMER 2003
1 Dealing With NIMBYs “Some of our most dedicated and educat- NIMBYs are Not ed planning commission members and Environmentalists activists became involved originally because Be a Leader “I’ve been in planning for 33 years, includ- of neighborhood issues. One thing about ing a few years as a planning commissioner. “The most important point in dealing with having something in your backyard is that The media has a tendency to call all NIMBYs NIMBYs is to look at the big picture and it forces you to become well versed on all ‘environmentalists.’ My experience has been what’s in the best interest of the community sides of the issues. You get to see how your that many NIMBYs are people who do not as a whole. It all boils down to appointing government really operates. Einstein once wish to see any form of change in their and electing ‘leaders.’ Too often NIMBYs get stated that ‘In the middle of difficulty lies immediate environment, especially if the their way when it wasn’t in the best interest opportunity.’ I like to think that NIMBYs change represents a threat to their proper- of the whole just because people without have ultimately led to improved govern- ty’s value or to their personal ‘quality of conviction are making the decision.” mental processes for citizens in my county.” life.’ They use environmental arguments – Maureen France, City Commissioner, City – Chris Mueller, Dearborn County, Indiana to support their primary opposition to a of DeLand, Florida particular project, but I would hardly consider them environmentalists. The real Opportunities “An old timer in the ways of local politics once offered me some simple advice: ‘I want environmentalists are those citizens who “Sometimes NIMBYs are the citizen’s first my enemies right next to me and my appear before public bodies to debate issues exposure to planning and zoning. While friends in the audience.’ Sometimes, when related to community-wide planning the best time to be first involved would time permits, a challenge to the NIMBYs to policies.” have been back when the community plan become involved in the process can help. – Paul Wack, AICP, San Luis Obispo, was being developed, NIMBY situations can Once involved they sometimes are able to California nevertheless be viewed as an opportunity see things from a wider perspective. Not for citizen involvement. something that can be done every time, but Legitimate Concerns v. NIMBYism Quite often, interested citizens will stay occasionally it works.” involved after the issue involving the “My background is as a non-profit afford- – James Q. Gulnac, AICP, Planning Director, NIMBY goes away. If they are reasonable able housing project coordinator and cur- Sanford, Maine people, an attempt should be made to rently as a child care facilities development recruit these interested citizens into the consultant. In affordable housing circles Consistency system. Also, bear in mind that planners there has been a move to avoid using the don’t have a monopoly on common sense. “As a County Commissioner I faced a lot NIMBY phrase. It is instantly accusatory We should at least make an effort to listen of NIMBYism. What I’ve found most impor- and tends to put people on the defensive to those citizens who take the time to tant is that the process for including public rather than opening up the door to real appear before us.” opinion must be fair and consistent with communication. past policy. You’ll find that people will My second thought is that there should – Tim Anderson, AICP, Principal Planner, accept a disagreement in the end, but if be a distinction made between neighbors Region 2 Planning Commission, Jackson, they feel like it was shoved down their who have legitimate concerns related to Michigan throats, it will be a disaster.” traffic, parking, drainage, etc. and those who are basically objecting to ‘those kinds – State Representative Bill Hinkle, Cle Elum, of people’ moving in next door. For people Washington
Not in my back yard Locally unwanted land use Not on planet earth
PLANNING COMMISSIONERS JOURNAL / NUMBER 51 / SUMMER 2003
2 with legitimate concerns the task then lems, existing traffic congestion, chopped … and Call Your Lawyer becomes a balancing act to look at both up streets, and so on. As a trade-off for “I’m sure you’ve all heard of the phenome- immediate local negative impacts of a pro- increasing the density under less than non of NIMBYism – Not In My Back Yard ject and the greater community good of favorable conditions, the municipality ism. Every time a new building is proposed providing the housing or services that will should be prepared to give something back absolutely anywhere in America, you can help build a stronger more sustainable com- to the neighborhood such as upgraded guarantee that somebody or some group, munity. infrastructure, additional street trees, more will file a lawsuit against it. Nobody wants There is often a very strong contingent of intense code enforcement, or the imposi- anything new. Well, sure. Every new thing neighborhood opposition that very trans- tion of stringent design review and land- we’ve gotten over the last 50 years has parently is simply opposed to the particular scaping requirements for the new housing. made our lives worse: the new housing population that will be living in the pro- A less legitimate reason for infill NIMBY- development down the road, the new strip posed project. In public hearings that are ism is the assertion that the neighbors were mall, the highway improvements that turn a addressing these kinds of projects it is given an express or implied promise by two-lane road into a six-laner, the corporate important that some house rules are out- planners or council members that their office that looks like the mother ship from a lined early on that make it clear that legiti- existing zoning would not be revised and UFO movie. The new school that looks like mate concerns about impacts will be the there would be no changes to their present an insecticide factory. The new motel that focus of the meeting and that derogatory living environment. Increasing the density looks like a medium security prison. The language or statements about the kind of in such neighborhoods is often viewed as new mall with a parking lot the size of people who will be living in the project will nothing less than treason. But one council Rhode Island. We don’t want anymore of not be tolerated. Again this is an education- cannot tie the hands of another and local this. And isn’t it understandable? Look at al process that is challenging our often still governments have neither a legal nor ethi- the misery these things have produced. It’s strong belief that neighborhoods have the cal obligation to uphold expectations of perfectly reasonable – given our experience right to be exclusionary.” continued low density zoning. over the past half-century. You see the guys – David Foster, Planning Commissioner, Santa In implementing public policy, planners with the yellow hard-hat out in the cow- Cruz, California and council members must take into pasture and, by reflex, you reach for the account changing demographics, values phone and call your lawyer.” and needs. Indeed, the underlying justifica- “NIMBYism is a serious problem as – James Howard Kunstler, author of The communities seek to allow infill tions for infill development, such as the avoidance of sprawl and the provision of Geography of Nowhere [the above is development in or near established excerpted, with permission, from an address neighborhoods. Protesters will often speak affordable housing, are real and, one might say, ethical concerns that override any delivered by Kunstler, available at: in favor of infill as a desirable planning
Get out of my back yard Not in my election year Build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything
PLANNING COMMISSIONERS JOURNAL / NUMBER 51 / SUMMER 2003
3