Garczynski

In the January-February issue of Sierra magazine, the organization’s executive director, Carl Pope, accuses the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) of hypocrisy because of its opposition to anti-growth ballot initiatives in Arizona and Colorado.

“Despite their smart growth rhetoric, the home builders successfully squashed both smart growth ballot measures, making Colorado and Arizona safe for continued sprawl, “ he wrote.

“Apparently, there are still significant differences between our definition of smart growth and the Sierra Club’s definition,” said NAHB Vice President/Treasurer Gary Garczynski. “We felt quite strongly that these measures were bad public policy that would not have solved the growth challenges in those states.”

Pope’s article does not mention the AFL-CIO, Habitat for Humanity, the Arizona League of Cities and Towns, the Arizona Farm Bureau or the many other organizations that opposed the Sierra Club initiatives. Nor does the article mention that 70 percent of voters rejected the measures in both states.

Garczynski lamented that the Sierra Club seems not to have noticed that builders and developers are embracing smart growth and working to overcome barriers to innovative land use techniques.

“NAHB has developed a set of forward-thinking principles on smart growth, and our builders are making a difference in the communities they build by applying those principles,” he said. “NAHB members and staff are reaching out to organizations, including the Sierra Club, in an effort to build consensus and find real solutions to difficult problems.”

Across the country, in cities like Washington and Atlanta, home builders are working with government, business, civic and environmental interests to find common ground. As an example, Garczynski cited the Greater Washington Smart Growth Alliance, which includes the Urban Land Institute’s Washington District Council, the Metropolitan Coalition of Home Builders, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

“These collaborative initiatives are an important step forward,” Garczynski said. “This nation is going to grow. If we deny that fact and fail to plan for it, then we will continue to see more sprawl-related problems. But if we work together and plan for growth, then we can make a positive contribution that will be enjoyed for generations, “ he added.