All of the programs in Washington are designed to control growth. They are expensive and have a lot of people questioning the vast expense verses return. As we have struggled with the growth issues there seem to be two thoughts. Compact and smaller and social engineered is good. Or build anything I want, any were I want, any way I want.

The resolution lies somewhere in the middle. Smart growth originated as a program to advance redevelopment in the rundown areas of Maryland. It helped the builders and the cities by financing the large cost to rebuild targeted areas. Working with builders, governments were able to resolve toxic problems with old factory locations. This helped the cities improve the neighborhoods and brought life into the blighted areas.

It was an incentive based program to help grow a new town out of old. You could still build and develop in any area you wanted, but you only got help in targeted areas. Growth management has a concept of maximum use of ground. Building on the lots skipped due to market rejection or cost. We have seen the open areas being built on and changing the personality of neighborhoods. The phrase sprawl has been used to classify development in areas not conductive to max efficient use of infrastructure and ground.

The clash seems to be in the consumer driven desire for different types of housing. The rural PUD was one of the best uses for rural ground, consolidating infrastructure and minimizing environmental impact. This is not allowed by GMA guidelines. How will we resolve the infrastructure that will be needed as the circle of high-density housing grows and the rural areas are allowed higher density? We will not have planed for the density by only allowing one home per 5-20 acres.

Pre-GMA commercial development was the cash used to expand the sewer, water mains, power, and roads improvement. That has been cut out completely and only allowed to expand into developed areas. The problem is the cost to expand to the less dense zoning will be very expensive and risky due to lack of planning, and the layers of storm water and engineering required by GMA. This will drive up the cost of housing to the consumer.

In Kitsap County since the start of GMA as enforced, we have seen lot development drop to an average of 50 lots per year while home permits have been running 900-1100 per year. As consumers struggle with finding buildable and desirable lots for their homes, the county and others have just noticed the problem. We have the ground but the uncertainty of changing regulation on development has all but stopped development applications.

One concept that I have not seen is the basic idea of master planning. Rather than telling the buying public where the government thinks you should build and how, we plan for growth by using utilities and infrastructure to drive the development. This has been the key to successful regulation for years.

Power companies, gas, roads, sewer systems, internet and phone companies set down an integrated master plan for the entire county. This is the lifeblood of controlled expansion. Isn’t that the goal of all the growth management programs?

Developers can see the future of the county and use the plan for expansion of housing and commercial facilities. Parks and recreation facilities are planed at the same time. Schools and medical needs can be planned for as the plan becomes clearer. Incentives are given by government to direct growth in desired areas. The free market will do the rest.

With growth management, the government has to rezone yearly and guess where growth will occur. With master planning growth can happen as market dictates with a controlled use of infrastructure.

The bottom line is whatever the future holds we must plan for all housing types and needs. As we boomers get rid of the big homes, quality developments will be at a premium. And as always location, location, location, will rule.

(Editor’s Note: Rick Courson is the owner of Cedar Bay Homes and is nationally recognized as one for the leaders of the green building movement. He can be reached at R_Courson@msn.com.).