ATION of DEMOCRATIC VALUES (LANDOWNER's RIGHTS), ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS, and IMPLICATIONS for DEVELOPMENT: a Case Study of Columbia, Missouri
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THE DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENT AN INVESTIGATION OF DEMOCRATIC VALUES (LANDOWNER'S RIGHTS), ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT: A Case Study of Columbia, Missouri. by Daniel O.Crews B.S., Civil Engineering University of Missouri-Columbia, 1991 Submitted to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology May 1993 @Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1993 All rights reserved Signature of Author Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering May 7, 1993 Certified by Professor FAd Moavenzade. Director, Center for Construction Research and Education Thesis Supervisor Accepted by Eduardo Kausel Departmental Committee on Graduate Studies THE DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENT AN INVESTIGATION OF DEMOCRATIC VALUES (LANDOWNER'S RIGHTS), ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT: A Case Study of Columbia, Missouri. by Daniel O. Crews Submitted to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering on May 7, 1993 in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering ABSTRACT Any constructed process or facility changes the environment in an irrevocable way. Various regulations and guidelines have been enacted at federal, state, and local levels to control development. The sociopolitical atmosphere in the United States differs from that found in the European and Pacific Rim countries in that local groups and the average citizen doesn't necessarily believe that centralized government and its experts always act in the best interest of their town, county, or even state. The tendency to want to be in control of one's own fate at the grassroots level will be examined. Additionally, the tendency to treat environmental questions as strictly a scientific challenge will be examined with the concept that many, if not most, of the questions surrounding the environmental movement arise from a social viewpoint rather than from scientifically established concerns. It must be recognized that such emotional attachments for environmental concerns are not secondary to scientific realities since the decision makers in government and industry have the same emotional feelings and definitely listen to the opinions and comments of their constituents and peers. Central Missouri, and particularly the town of Columbia, will be used to illustrate environmental concerns found in rural America, where the idea of grassroots movements seems to be alive and well. The reliance on local initiative, implementation, and administration for regulation and control of land and property will frame an approach to understanding environmental concerns in the rural and developing United States. Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh Title: Director, Center for Construction Research and Education Acknowledgments I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Moavenzadeh, for his confidence in me in developing this narrative style thesis. I also am grateful to my advisor for stimulating my research interest in the social issues aspect of the environmental movement. Heartiest thanks are extended to the Center for Construction Research and Education (CCRE) and its staff and to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Thanks to the University of Missouri-Columbia for support and a place to hang my hat while doing research for this thesis. I would especially like to thank Dr. James Baldwin and Dr. Jay McGarraugh for their help and kindness. In my office... Thanks to Scott Phelan, Feniosky Pefia, Erik Swenson, Brant Liddle, David Ford, Len Albano, Judah Richman, and Tom Davies for helping when they could and distracting me with the politics of the day when they couldn't. Special thanks to Andy Hoffman, officemate and friend who provides a willing ear and thoughtful advice on matters from the environment to the symphony and everything outlying and in-between. My roommate Joel Johnson receives my greatest thank for putting up with my crazy hours, offbeat ways, and general personality for the past two years. He is a great friend. Suitemates Calvin Ma and Todd Tamura, receive my thanks and appreciation for their friendship. A special thanks to my friend Paul Boyajian for his help and kindness and to his family for giving me a feeling of "home away from home" each year at Thanksgiving. I thank Lauren Kucner for putting up with my occasional grumpiness; for patiently dealing with my long one-sided discourses on life in generat for not simply supplying me with answers I want to hear all of the time; but most of all, for being my friend. I thank my other hosts of friends: Monica Choi, Larry Hsu, Rich Yeh, John Keene, Bruce Normand, Paul Fieguth, Dominique Chapelle, Michel Kahan, Alain Curodeau, Ilya Lyubomirsky, and all of the Fifth Floor Ashdown residents who, if they do nothing else, provide the day to day comic relief necessary to keep one's sanity around this place. Acknowledgments 3 Acknowledgments, continued I thank my Mother and Father, Merrilyn and Jim Crews for bringing me into this world and helping me be who I am today. I thank God for making all of this possible (and for finally getting this thesis signed). I thank you for reading this thesis and helping allay my fear no one outside of MIT (and possibly not that many people inside) will get to listen to my account of The Developing Environment, set in my home state, the SHOW ME state, Missouri. Daniel O. Crews May 7, 1993 Acknowledgments 4 I dedicate this thesis to my Mom and Dad. Thanks for everything. Dedication 5 Forward I would like to thank everyone who made this thesis possible. I interviewed many people, read many reports, and made some friends along the way. I regret not being able to use quotes from all of my interviews and not being able to cite material from all the books, brochures, and fact sheets provided to me. It in no way diminishes the value or importance of that information. The average Columbian may believe my information to be lacking in detail in some instances, in relating the true flavor of Columbia. It may be, but I have been as objective as possible and ask the reader to remember that it was written for a wide audience. Any comments or questions are welcome. I hope you enjoy the story. Daniel 0. Crews May 7, 1993 MIT, Room 1-241 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 (617)253-3880 Forward 6 Table of Contents Title Page 1 Abstract 2 Acknowledgments 3 Dedication 5 Forward 6 Table of Contents 7 Chapter One Environmental Concerns in Rural America A Drive Down a Country Road 11 Farming as a Way of Life 13 A Typical Farming Community 17 Trying Times for Rural Towns 21 The City's View of the Country 23 The Town's Mark of Success 26 Is there Equity for Small Town America? 29 Views of Rights as Property Owners 32 Attempts at Land Use Regulation in Missouri 35 Ruralists Feel Conditioned Towards Self-Reliance 37 Implications for Regulation of Development 40 Chapter One Footnotes 42 Chapter Two The Tipton Terrorists and NIMBY An Environmental Issue in Rural Missouri 43 A Community Split by the Environmental Issue 47 Rural American Perspective on the Environment 53 Technical Direction of Thesis 59 Chapter Two Footnotes 66 Table of Contents 7 Chapter Three Columbia - The Liberal Aberration in an Otherwise Normal, Motherhood and Apple Pie State The Tree Cop 67 A Return to Basics 76 Initial Effects of Land Preservation Ordinance 77 Grassroots Democracy at Work 79 Information About the Columbia Community 82 Columbia - The 2nd Best City to Live In in the US 88 Columbia's Economy 90 Regional Economic Development, Incorporated 92 Cultural Opportunities 93 Recreational Opportunities 95 Environmental Initiatives in Columbia 98 The Wetlands Issue 99 The Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Trail 100 Land Preservation 101 Municipal Solid Waste Concerns 102 Energy Issues 103 Strategic Planning for Columbia 104 Chapter Three Footnotes 106 Chapter Four Wetlands, Sewage, and the Town's Water Signs of an Inadequate Sewer System 107 The Most Cost-effective? 110 The Emotional Side of the Issue 113 Further Studying the Wetlands Alternative 118 The Environment as a Political Issue 121 Concerns of Landowners 125 Water Supply Issues 135 Innovative Negotiations in Wetlands Project 138 Chapter Four Footnotes 142 Table of Contents 8 Chapter Five Rails to Trails and the Development of the MKT Linear Park Buffering the Nature Trail 145 Just How Much Is the Buffer Worth? 150 Taking Land for the Trail 156 Normal Citizens Join Environmental Movement 158 Opposition of Rural Landowners 160 Problems with Land Purchase 164 Why Buffer the Trail? 169 Precedence for MKT Trail 173 Chapter Five Footnotes 177 Chapter Six Why Columbia, Why Environmentalism, Why Now? Is Environmental Concern Really New? 179 Jobs and the Environment 183 Municipal Solid Waste and Recycling Issues 190 Household Hazardous Wastes 199 Commissions and City Government 200 Initiatives in the Water & Light Department 204 Columbia's Parks and Recreation Department 207 Statewide Programs in Environmental Arena 209 All Encompassing Nature of the Environment 213 Chapter Six Footnotes 215 Chapter Seven Grassroots Environmental Movement: Implications for Development Columbia -- Does the Story Need a Moral? 219 Empowerment of Environmental Movement 222 Columbia's Need to Be on the Cutting Edge 227 Columbia as a Model 229 Will Grassroots Environmental Values Coalesce? 231 Conclusion 235 Chapter Seven Footnotes 237 Table of Contents 9 Table of Contents 10 A 9r1'e Lown a Country,Road Chapter One Environmental Concerns in Rural America .A Drive Down a Country Road Driving east from Sedalia, Missouri on US Highway 50 is like taking a step backwards in time, at least as far as the landscape and scenery is concerned. The speed limit is 55 miles per hour and is occasionally enforced by a lone highway patrolman.