Cottage home neighborhood : impacts of zoning on an Indianapolis neighborhood

Background"When first introduced, zoning promised to fulfill goals at once simple and majestic. Through its height and setback controls, zoning would ensure sufficient light and air at street level so cities would not be labyrinths of dark and dreary canyons. Through its use controls, zoning would prevent incompatible uses from locating cheek by jowl so residential neighborhoods would be protected from factories. Through its density controls, zoning would guarantee congestion-free central business districts and the ability of municipal infrastructure to keep pace with growth. In short, zoning would help create the City Beautiful." (Haar, 1989)Why, in many cases, have these things not occurred? What has brought the problem of incompatible land uses and congestion about? Are these activities even considered problems to some? Would changes allow again a chance for the "City Beautiful"? Do people want the "City Beautiful"?These questions are all puzzling and not exclusive to one geographical location or social group. Zoning originated, in part, as a means of protecting the health and safety of inhabitants of major cities. Since the introduction of height and setback restrictions, beginning at the turn of the last century, the question of how much control the governing body should have over development has never escaped analysis or debate.Problem StatementA review of the history of zoning, reveals that the process is not flawless. Today, in American cities, towns, villages, and neighborhoods, the problems with zoning are eminent. Fast food restaurants push their way into residential neighborhoods. Where the lower cost of land results from a declining neighborhood, industrial activity is often encouraged, which increases the potential for the neighborhood decline. Residents fight against a rezoning measure that could improve their neighborhood, because they fear property tax increases. Newly constructed houses are set back 25 to 30 feet from the street, while all other houses in the area are only set back 10 feet. These zoning related problems occur in different areas and in different forms, but they exist virtually everywhere. In spite of these occurrences, there are unfulfilled opportunities for zoning that can improve a community's quality of life. Currently a number of different ideas are being used in an attempt to solve the problem with zoning. Performance zoning, transfer of development rights, and planned unit developments are some of the alternatives to conventional zoning. Performance zoning attempts to combine good design with protection of the land and existing development. Transfer of development rights is a concept which evaluates each piece of property as having specified development rights, while considering these rights transferrable to another site. Planned unit developments attempt to combine all types of land use in the creation of mini-communities within a municipal or county area. These ideas are implemented in response to a particular situation in a particular area, while a traditional zoning ordinance follows the same form in many cities across the country. These alternatives match sound planning theory, because there are no generic solutions and no generic problems.Currently a neighborhood in Indianapolis is experiencing difficulties with its zoning classification. The Cottage Home Neighborhood is located directly adjacent to the eastern portion of downtown Indianapolis. The neighborhood consists of approximately 150 residential structures and 12-15 light industrial activities. Because the entire neighborhood is zoned for industrial use, anyone wishing to build a house, or even a garage, must first obtain a variance from the city. The variance application is assessed a fee of $300-$500. In addition to this financial burden, there are extreme time delays and annoyances associated with a variance application. Because of this, the appeal of constructing or even owning a house in the Cottage Home Neighborhood is diminished.Hopefully, through this project, I have formulated a workable solution to this problem for the neighborhood. With a combination of research of effectively zoned communities and careful analysis of the area, four alternatives were designed to address the current situation. After thorough analysis of the alternatives, in consultation with the neighborhood, the "best" alternative was chosen for implementation.When visiting the neighborhood, I met with the presidents of Cottage Home's neighborhood association and the local business association. Through these meetings, I learned that, while there is some willingness for cooperation, each group wants what they believe is best for their organization. I believe the problems can be remedied. In analyzing the neighborhood, and eventually developing a solution to the problem, it was imperative to keep a good working relationship between these organizations. They have worked together in the past, and this will hopefully continue.A situation such as this is difficult for both the residents and the businesses. Solutions that may be best for one group may create negative effects on the other. However, the major problem still remains: an area that is primarily residential is zoned industrial. Inherent to that, any type of residential development is subject to variance proceedings.Significance of the Goal AddressedThe existence of the Cottage Home Neighborhood predates the zoning ordinance. In practice, the ordinance has a discriminatory effect upon the residents of the neighborhood. Manufacturing facilities can enter the neighborhood without going through the bureaucracy of a zoning variance. Residents, however, must apply for a variance even if they wish to build a garage. Besides the additional cost associated with a variance application, there are numerous trips back and forth to the City County Building, public meetings, and forms to be filled out. But, the residents and the industries are both components of the neighborhood. Solutions should be formulated that improve the situation for both components, while providing an equitable plan for new development. The research done will be used as the basis for formulating the solutions.Before solutions could be formulated in the Cottage Home Neighborhood, zoning and its alternative techniques were researched. While different techniques were looked at, the emphasis of comparison and analysis was placed on performance zoning and conventional zoning. The conclusions of this comparison provided an understanding of how zoning techniques work, and why in certain situations, one method works better than another.When zoning changes occur, it is imperative that the impacts of different scenarios are considered. The alternatives developed will look at all the the options which could be logically applied to the neighborhood. These alternatives were analyzed in terms of impacts, assets, and liabilities. After this, the "best" alternative was chosen for implementation. This decision will be based on input from the neighborhood and the results of a goals achievement matrix. A program for efficiently implementing the plan was then developed. It is important to to outline the governmental process which will have to be followed to enact the alternative. Finally, the entire process was reviewed, with the final goal being a problem solving scenario for areas experiencing zoning difficulties.Examples of how performance zoning and other alternatives have positively affected communities today are evident in different areas, not only in the country, but throughout the world. It is through the success of these schemes that efficient alternatives for the Cottage Home Neighborhood were developed. The "best" alternative should be used as a tool to improve the quality of the neighborhood.