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Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Public Management Magazine Managing a boom town - 8/1/1985 Public Management August 1985 International City Management Association m~ m w F-c O M M E N T A R Y MANAGING A Boom TOWN Many local governments experience the pleasures and development, typically consist- ing of several dozen subdivisions at and pains of rapid growth. The following comments various levels of completion. This highlight how some administrators are planning for scale of development created chal- and meeting the challenges of this type of change. lenges in Buffalo Grove to ensure that all site work and improvements were in compliance with standards and completed in a timely manner. neighboring Rochester Hills, how- Our solution to effective subdivision Auburn Hills, Michigan ever, development control was the codi- we developed a plan whereby fication of our subdivision regula- Auburn Hills is a 17.5-square-mile primary police and fire protection suburban community located about would come from Auburn Hills, tions, rules and procedures, and while secondary protection-for manual of practice into a develop- 35 miles north of Detroit on Inter- ment ordinance and the provision state 75. On December 31, 1983, we emergency situations-would come of a written development improve- became a duly incorporated home from Rochester Hills. ment agreement (DIA) for all rule city and since then have taken The Michigan Department of property under construction in the strides forward in the organization Transportation and the Oakland Countv Road Commission have al- village. The principal objectives of and planning of city functions. The this control system are to: rapid growth of high-tech business, ready established preliminary plans industrial developments, and in- for accommodating traffic coming . Comprehensively document the creasing public services have from the Oakland Technology Park. standards of development in Buf- expanded demands on our city or- Community development block falo Grove ganization and caused some grants have supplied money for • concern among our administration. street and drain improvements. And Impose special conditions, such the Tax Increment Finance Author- as offsite improvements, on subdi- 1,Th800-eacOare Oakland parcel Technology of land being Park, de- a ity (TIFA), which was adopted visions veloped for high-tech industry, is under the provisions of Michigan . Enforce a schedule for comple- one of the most important develop- Public Act No. 450 and its related tion of public improvements ments in our community. amendments, has been developed Comerica, General Motors-EDS to prevent urban deterioration and • Provide a fail-safe system for the Data Center, Schostak Brothers encourage economic development periodic reduction and calling of by providing infrastructure. performance guarantees should Office Complex, and World Com puters are all under construction Other planned developments in- they be needed . The Chrysler Corporation and the clude hotel and office projects, . Provide for specialized inspec- shopping centers, and additions to controversial GMF-Robotics plant tions when needed are two other developments plan- our civic center complex. These too ning to locate within the pose problems, but none are new to • Ensure that all development goals park. During planning for the Oakland city governments. With adequate of the village board are satisfied Technology Park, concern was ex- planning and direction, Auburn within a reasonable time standard. pressed for attracting enough Hills will continue to boom, boom, Using our home rule powers, Buf- corporations to make the park suc- boom. falo Grove was able to go far cessful. This has not been a prob- -Craig W. Chappell beyond the scope of traditional sub- lem, however. Tax abatements, Intern division regulations to exercise existing water and sewer lines, and control over a variety of develop- a prime location have created inter- Buffalo Grove, Illinois ment-related issues that often est in our park throughout the state. thwart the best efforts of traditional Police and fire protection repre- The village of Buffalo Grove has ordinance standards. Our ordinance sented another concern. With experienced a high rate of growth provisions extend to the timing of Public Management/August 1985 15 improvements, broaden the areas of ing of a subdivision improvement conflict between residents resistant regulation (including private im- can be as important as the improve- to change and the need to provide provements), and permit us a ment itself. Road projects can essential services for a burgeoning breadth of control on projects suffi- quickly fail without the timely re- population, providing increasing cient to meet municipal policy ceipt of right-of-way. Likewise, levels of service in a cost-efficient objectives for each project. delayed improvements are a contin- manner, and managing growth pro- One such policy objective is Buf- ual source of frustration to the actively. falo Grove's strong commitment to residents served. Buffalo Grove has Chandler is addressing these con- aesthetics and durability of im- found the codified development cerns in many ways. provements. Through our develop- ordinance and development im- . Business, government, educa- ment ordinance procedures, private provement agreement invaluable tional, and community leaders and landscaping, parking lots, and vehicles in controlling subdivision drainage all fall within the scope of development, maintaining a high citizen representatives meet the public design standards and perfor- degree of confidence and credibility ally in a unique forum called the mance guarantees. Further, the in the community, and keeping us Chandler Tomorrow Conference, to municipality views with importance from getting burned by the unscru- discuss and form consensus con the development of parks and pulous developer. cerning city-wide issues. drainage areas well in advance of The reaction of the building com- . Separate council and department project completion. Through our munity to this control system has directors workshops are conducted DIA, Buffalo Grove typically re- been mixed. While we did enlist a to enhance working relationships. quires all improvements to be committee of builders to help us re- Consultants facilitate review of completed in 24 months, with parks view the proposed ordinance, many organizational performance and as- and open space completed within builders accused the village of sist with the goal-setting process. 12 months. This enables the village adopting unusual and excessive . Chandler was the first municipal- to place park systems into use dur- standards, increasing the costs of ing the initial occupancy phases for development, and providing exces- ity in the nation to use privatization the benefit of our residents and per- sive control and authority to the financing for the construction and mits the village the opportunity to village engineer. Further, argu- operation of a wastewater treatment evaluate the completed landscaping ments were advanced that the plant. This project will save an esti- while the builder is still active in agreement was impractical, would mated $1 million annually. the subdivision. Also, Buffalo Grove slow and harass development, and • Adoption of an expenditure con- requires access to performance was generally inconsistent with le- trol budget ensures that services are guarantees to solve problems gal rights and reasonable practices. provided in a cost-efficient manner, quickly rather than The program has been in effect Operating appropriations are in- inconveniencing our residents dur- for several years. Buffalo Grove has creased annually by population and ing and after construction. To enjoyed a remarkable level of suc- inflation factors. A percentage of accomplish this, Buffalo Grove re- cess in rate of development and unexpended funds is returned to de- quires both a cash deposit and a development control. In fact, our partments, thereby encouraging letter of credit to guarantee the past two years have been the most innovations in service delivery. De- project's completion. busy, historically, in terms of num- partmental control of resources is We further reserve broad access ber of active subdivisions. We have the key. authority to the cash and letter of kept a host of quality subdividers credit should a subdivider prove active in Buffalo Grove. We may • Improvements districts and sys- unwilling to quickly solve his own have scared away a few marginal tem development fees are used to problems or complete construction. firms, but on balance, we feel our finance the upgrading of the city's To ease the administration of our system of development control has infrastructure. These methods place performance guarantees, Buffalo been effective and well received. the burden of paying for growth on Grove requires notification from is- those causing the expansion of city suing agencies 30 days in advance -William R. Balling systems. Cost-benefit analyses and of the termination of a letter of Village Manager cost-of-services studies assist in credit. This greatly reduces the ad- determining the proper fees and as- ministrative burden placed upon Chandler, Arizona sessments. the village engineer for this essen- . Traffic circulation is being ad- tial activity. Buffalo Grove has also Probably the fastest growing re- dressed through an aggressive found it necessary, from time to gion in Arizona, the city of improvement district program for time, to require unique, offsite im- Chandler exemplifies the image of major roadways, acquisition of provements to complement the today's growth community. Chand- right-of-way for a new freeway and subdivision. We have also found it ler's estimated population is 62,000, expressway, and construction of a necessary to occasionally employ representing a 105-percent increase new interstate interchange. special consultants to assist in test- over the 1980 census. Population in ing and inspections. The DIA proves Chandler is estimated to exceed • Establishment of "super dead- to be an efficient means of address- 100,000 by the year 1990 and lines" between the manager and ing these concerns for the benefit of 200,000 by the end of the century. directors ensures progress is made the village. Concerns associated with Chan- toward completing important tasks We have found that often the tim- dler's growth include: resolving on schedule. 16 Public Management/August 1985 • Developers are held to high stan- vated professionals to work for the comers and the longer term dards through well-established city. The special challenges that a residents. It means defending ex- codes that ensure quick processing boom town faces require a special penditures and supporting taxes to of plans while creating quality group of government professionals pay for improvements that the com- projects. -individuals who have the fore- munity does not need now. It • Current plans for the city center sight and vision to lead the way means constantly attempting to focus on redevelopment of a central through virtually daily decisions visualize what the community plaza, revitalization of the central that would shape the community should look like 5, 10, 20 years business district, expansion of for many years. Individuals who from now, since your decisions will municipal facilities, and parallel re- had been serving the community in make it that way. But most of all, development of a historic hotel. various management positions, for me, it meant sharing in an excit- These projects are financed jointly while hardworking and dedicated, ing adventure that's the closest I'll through Municipal Property Cor- did not have the training educa- ever come to knowing what our poration bonds, grant funds, and tion, or experience to meet the country's pioneers must have felt private sector funds. needs of the organization in this about the communities they settled. critical period. Thus, we were faced -Donald D. Brown with attracting new individuals to -Leonard A. Matarese City Manager the city work force and, at the same Business Administrator time, attempting to retrain or relo- Orange, New Jersey, and cate other, long-time employees of former City Manager COCOnLit Creek, the city. Coconut Creek, Florida Florida 3. Embarking on a hell-designed, Eagan, Minnesota Coconut Creek, Florida, was, dur- long-range capital improvements ing my tenure as city manager, the prograin. Florida is filled with exam- The city of Eagan, Minnesota, is a fastest growing city in the fastest ples of communities that did not rapidly developing community lo- growing county (Broward County) build for their future needs and are cated approximately 10 miles south in the country. From 1982 to 1984, now suffering the consequences. Of- of the Minneapolis-St. Paul down- the population grew from approxi- ten, improvements were so inade- towns. Population has increased mately 9,000 to 20,000. This as- quate as to be obsolete at the time from 10,000 during 1970 to 20,000 tounding growth rate was expected of completion. We were committed in 1980 and is currently estimated to continue through the next de- to avoiding the same mistake and so at 33,000. Due to its proximity to cade, bringing the population of the built projects designed for future these urban centers and being adja- municipality to 85,000 by the year population needs or structured to cent to the Twin Cities 2010. accommodate expansion, economi- International Airport, Eagan has tra- Upon my appointment I was con- cally, at a later date. ditionally experienced pressures for fronted with, in effect, creating a 4 growth. In the past five years, the new city. I decided that my ap- . Designing an organization that could grow with the community city has enjoyed the opening of no proach to this challenge would without th fewer than three major thorough- require at least four separate efforts. the need for constant re- organizations. We had an opportu- fares, including two interstate 1. Convincing the community that nity to create a streamlined, "flat" highways. This rapid expansion of it faced special challenges as a fast- organization, since we were inhib- high-speed access to the rest of the growth city and creating a sense of ited little by the existing structure. metropolitan area has resulted in urgency about meeting those chal- Accordingly, we consolidated activi- still greater levels of residential and lenges. This meant sometimes ties within larger departments that commercial growth than was ex- forgoing immediate community might not be possible in older com- perienced before. needs to meet the long-range re- munities. This helped to drastically This level of development and quirements of the city. It also reduce personnel requirements, growth has created a broad range of meant convincing elected officials providing monies for capital items. public policy issues such as the fi- and the general public that the Good examples of this were our nancing of public improvements, community was in the fast-growth fully consolidated public safety de- the maintenance of quality and mode. Although this may seem to partment and a community development, and an appropriate be obvious, for many residents it development department that con- mix of uses. With the population was not. The older inhabitants con- tained all elements of growth doubling at each decennial census, tinued to see their city as the cozy management as well as the build- Eagan's deliberately growing city hamlet it had been, while the new ing, code enforcement, and government has had to draw on its residents often knew little about engineering functions. best resources through team dy- their new home. This education namics. Teamwork is practiced process, convincing all concerned Accomplishing these goals did among and between numerous de- that immediate action was required not come easily. Managing a boom partmental and volunteer levels of to meet the growth needs of the town means being constantly in the the local government. Due to state city, was critical to our success in center of the hundreds of decisions statutory constraints on the ability other areas. that will shape the ultimate commu- to raise revenues, appropriate staff- nity. It means allocating limited ing levels are not allowing adequate 2. Attracting competent, rnoti- resources fairly between the new- planning and maintenance for de- Public Management/August 1985 17 livery of services. However, by ton business and industry market. development process to ensure it using outside consultants, tempo- In 1983, the town faced a $7 mil- equitably achieves the town's over- rarv labor, and internships through lion utility debt and the prospect of' all goals and objectives. state-wide educational institutions, an additional $2 million bond issue the city has been able to meet and to fund a sewer plant expansion. In many ny areas, • , Leesburg g having is haviAsng properly maintain growth objI"et- order to manage the rapid growth is tives. Volunteerism is important, around the town and expand its tax turn to the private sector for tance the city council has responded base, Leesburg sought the annex- porta in ensuring an effective trans- and through the creation of several ation of seven square miles of a computerized system. The town utilizes committees and commissions, each largely undeveloped land. Despite a computerized transportation im of which has special objectives re- the fact that Loudoun County op- pr t district system to lated to community development. posed the annexation, several allocate ate pro rata road improvement The establishment of city council months of difficult negotiations re- costs to undeveloped parcels. Pro workshops on a monthly basis al- sulted in an amicable annexation rata developer contributions are lows city staff and volunteer agreement-a rarity in Virginia. committed through rezonings and commissions/committees to prop- The keystone of this agreement Paid into an escrow fund at the erly plan growth-related objectives. was a comprehensive development time of development. In this way, they can protect the plan for the annexation area, which . Land development fees-Invest- constant delivery of public services established specific policies for land ment in professional staff to effec- while planning for improved and use, housing mix and density, capi- tively assess development proposals expanded services within the city. tal outlays, transportation, utilities, is expensive, but it is essential if Citizen participation through and environmental protection. The communities are to encourage volunteerism has marked the suc- annexation agreement was so suc- quality development. Leesburg cess of recent bond referendums to cessful that the town and county completed a comprehensive fee build fire stations and a new munic- received the 1984 Virginia Munici- study based on a pro forma analysis ipal center and to expand park land pal League Effective Government of typical development applications acquisition and development. The Award, evidencing that competing and adopted a revised fee schedule community is involved as a strong interests can be reconciled in a for rezonings, development reviews, voice in the future development of manner that promotes quality and inspection fees that more Eagan. growth and development. closely reflect the cost of staff re- -Thomas annexation found Leesburg view and inspections. Thomas L. Hedges initially ill equipped to address City Administrator and mounting development pressures. • Planned development regulations Jon Hohenstein With only two planning proses -Leesburg found it necessary to Administrative Assistant sionals, inadequate development adopt planned development regula regulations, and an outdated town tions to encourage the unified de- Leesburg, Virginia plan, the town recognized the im- velopment of large parcels of mediate need to establish an effec- undeveloped land. These regula- Leesburg, Virginia (current popu- tive growth management program, tions provide a mechanism for lation 12,000), has been able to while at the same time encourage allowing innovative mixed-use formulate an effective planning pro- economic development. Leesburg development not available through cess that successfully balances the has now initiated the following pro- conventional zoning, as well as den- sometimes competing objectives of grams in order to manage its rapid sity bonuses-an opportunity to growth management and economic development: encourage the dedication of open development. The town, founded in space and other needed public facil- 1758, is built around a downtown e Strategic planning-As part of the ities. comprehensive planning process, that preserves some of the finest ex- Leesburg has taken a strategic look • Marketing local assets-Leesburg amples of 18th century architecture at where it wants to be over the has invested in a marketing gro in Virginia and is located in rolling long term, detailing the town's gram, not so much to attract eco- countryside, nationally famous as goals and objectives, assessing its nomic development (it is coming "hunt country." Yet, at the same time, Leesburg is within easy tom strengths and weaknesses, and anyway), but to promote quality developing an action plan to en- development consistent with the muting distance of Washington, courage quality development. town's historic character and to cul- D.C., and the rapidly growing em- tivate the tourist trade generated by ployment and high-tech centers of • Consolidated development review this character. Northern Virginia. In spite of the -Leesburg chose the planning de- tremendous growth pressures sur- partment, whose responsibility it is -Jeffrey H. Minor rounding it, Leesburg has been able to coordinate and guide both devel- Town Manager to preserve its small-town charm, opers and town officials through the maintain low taxes, and lower its complex development review pro- crime rates (as recently cited in the cess. The engineering and public Due to the number of comments popular book The Safe Places for works departments act as referral that were sent to PM about rapid the Eighties). At the same time, it agencies. The manager's respon- growth experiences, this "Boom competes effectively in the rapidly sibility is to foster economic Town" commentary will be contin- expanding metropolitan Washing- development and monitor the ued in the September issue.-Ed. 18 Public Management/August 1985