Racing To the Abyss

It is interesting to examine the following statements about rapidly growing communities. Some of the statements are intuitive. Others are not so obvious. However, backed by research and studies, each item listed is a true statement that explains what happens to a community when it grows: (The list is adapted from "The Twelve Myths of Growth" by Eben Fodor)

1. When cities grow bigger, local taxes go higher.
2. When cities grow faster, local taxes increase faster.
3. Bigger cities have a higher cost of living and housing.
4. As cities grow bigger, more people in that city are unemployed.
5. Crime rates are higher in bigger cities.
6. Police protection costs more per person in bigger cities.
7. Building more roads does not reduce traffic congestion.
8. Growth is expensive, and the added costs exceed the added revenues.
9. Undeveloped land produces more net revenues than developed land.
10. Subsidizing local businesses actually reduces prosperity for the residents.
11. Tough environmental regulation has a positive economic effect on a city.
12. If asked, most people support managing local growth.

In spite of all the evidence that growing too fast has a detrimental effect, some communities in Kane County continue to push for rapid expansion. Why are we in such a doggone hurry to grow? What's the rush? I understand that time is money to developers. However, to community leaders time is information, and information is power. Each day we don't annex land in Elburn is another day we get smarter and more sensible about growth.

The challenge is to calculate the "real" costs of growth and to incorporate those costs into development agreements that benefit our communities. We can't accomplish that task with a "pedal to the metal" mindset. If you don't want to put the brakes on growth, the least you can do as a public official is take your "foot off the gas."

It seems that some towns don't know where they are headed, but they can't wait to get there. I call it "racing to the abyss." Unfortunately, it's a one-way trip.