The Greensboro Planning Department is proposing an ordinance to impose landscaping requirements on property in the Central Business (CB) District, what most people call downtown Greensboro.
Since buildings in the CB zoning district are built lot line to lot line, there isn’t any room for landscaping, but the proposed ordinance will require new buildings or building additions in the CB zoning district to plant street trees in adherence with the city’s precise and lengthy regulations.
This could over time increase the number of trees in downtown Greensboro, but it will immediately make development downtown more expensive and cumbersome. It will create a whole new stack of forms that have to be filled out and boxes that have to be checked before anyone can begin a downtown development project, and more red tape before anyone can get approval to open a new downtown building for business. And it adds expense to any new downtown development.
Greensboro Planning Department Urban Designer Elizabeth Link sent the proposed ordinance to about 20 people asking for feedback. One of those was President of Downtown Greensboro Inc. (DGI) Zack Matheny, who noted in his reply the lack of downtown developers and major property owners on the list of those being asked for feedback.
The city constantly talks about the importance of input from “stakeholders,” but in this case it appears the city considers the stakeholders to be mainly the heads of nonprofit organizations and not companies involved in downtown development or major property owners downtown.
Matheny in his reply stated, “To arbitrarily place further burden on a potential project does not seem appropriate. What would seem appropriate is to work with the development to determine how the city, DGI, Greensboro Beautiful can complement future infill and not hinder.”
Matheny also states that to ask private developers to replace the street canopy “while the city is getting ready to completely redo the tree canopy along Elm Street, Davie Street, Bellemeade, Greene and Church seems counter productive.”
Matheny is referring to the major downtown streetscaping project that is supposed to get underway soon that will be paid for with 2016 bond money.
It is worth noting that the downtown streetscape project is supposed to be getting underway five years after the voters indicated their approval of the project by voting in favor of the bonds.
Johnny and Zachy back together again.. Two real men.
More from Queen Nancy.
Trees aren’t the problem-having your business destroyed by rioters is the problem. By the way-have any of the rioters from recent destruction been prosecuted or indicted??
Agreed. It was a disgusting display watching a line of cops standing at S. Elm and Lewis watching looters loot the 600 Block of Elm and still stood by when looters attempted to set the Mellow Mushroom on fire with the looted lacquer from within.
If the Far Left tree huggers in the Greensboro bureaucracy want more trees downtown, they are free to plant them. God knows, they have enough of our tax money to buy them. But they do NOT have the right to coerce small business owners into complying with their looney tune agenda.
Aren’t these people always claiming to be our “public servants”? What kind of servant orders you to do his bidding? They’re behaving like our Lords & Masters, not our servants.
These people need to be put in their place.
Please let these idiots be voted out in NOVEMBER 2021. And they can take their bureaucratic government employees with them.
So while the little guy has to plant trees, council gives Andy Zimmerman yet another grant. How much money (this time $250,000) has council given this guy so they can run every one but about 4 developers out of downtown? Let him plant the bleeping trees.
Ah, the history of the failures of central planning would fill many books. Remiinds me of LA Govermor Blanco telling NOLA mayor Nagin, during the Katrina disaster, to “Roll your sleeves up and make it look like you’re foing something.” , on a hot microphone.
You can guess their political affiliation.
That photo showcases the entirety of Nancy Vaughn’s leadership capabilities.
Yes, planting trees in sidewalks. . . . only to then hire people to pick up the leaves. . . .then hire people to trim back the trees. . . .and then to hire people to wash down the sidewalks where birds have pooped because of them living in the trees. Lord, please help us get rid of these “do-gooders” in local government with these inane ideas!!!!!!
If Cooper doesn’t soon eliminate the federal unemployment benefits, so able-bodied folks have to go back to work, some of these businesses won’t be around to plant anything. It’s just typical of those running this City to keep on with their feel-good projects when there are many PROBLEMS that need to be dealt with, first.