Sprawl costs our
communities lots of money.
When we build our houses here and there, without thought or planning, eating
up large blocks of land, always expanding outward, we strain our public
services and schools. The costs of sprawl are five-fold:
First, there are
the costs of roads and utilities to these new locations. Where one
mile of road in a planned community might service 30 homes, in a sprawl
situation, a township might have to plow and repair that mile of road for
only a family or two. The Study on the Costs of Sprawl in
Pennsylvania (January, 2000) conducted by nationally-recognized
Clarion Associates, Inc., found construction costs for roads are 25% lower,
sewer and water 20% lower, schools 5% lower with no savings to construction
costs for police, fire and ambulance facilities when a community grows under
a planned growth policy. Unplanned sprawl raised operational costs across
the board.
Second, there is the
cost of
transportation… longer bus runs for schools, longer trips for firemen,
ambulance crews and paramedics,
more accidents, increased wear and tear on vehicles, environmental costs of
pollution, waste, noise and parking.
Third, there is the
consumption of agricultural lands, natural areas and open space.
Who hasn’t lamented the loss of a beautiful view when a nearby farm has
been replaced with a treeless housing development? In just five years
(1992-1997), Pennsylvania lost over 1 million acres of cropland, forest and
open space. That was more than 35 acres of land for each new resident
of the state during that period.
Fourth, sprawl
concentrates poverty
and disability in our cities, towns and older suburbs, eroding the tax base
of our urban areas and raising prices in our rural areas. Look at the
percentage of rental units in Tunkhannock Borough as opposed to Tunkhannock
Township. Look at the median incomes and housing prices in our towns versus
our suburbs. Concentrating poverty in our town centers means higher tax
burdens, empty storefronts, and lack of affordable housing where jobs are
most plentiful.
Finally, sprawl
increases pollution and stress.
When a community is sprawled across several miles, walking to the store,
chatting with neighbors across a shared fence or riding bikes on the
sidewalk become things of the past. In a sprawl situation, every visit
involves a drive, commuting to work becomes a battle with weather and
traffic. The Chesapeake Bay Alliance found that moving from a sprawl
pattern of development to a more concentrated pattern of development could
decrease sedimentation by 2.3 million pounds, nitrous oxides by 1.5 million
pounds and water consumption by 38.1 billion gallons by the year 2020.
But, we need those new residents!
They pay taxes…
Development, even planned development,
costs money. Stewardson Township, Potter County,
found that when they compared their expenses to their revenues generated by
new residential growth, they were paying out two times as much as they were
bringing in. Carroll Township in Perry County, Pennsylvania found their rate was 1.03 dollars out for every
dollar in. Central Bucks School District reported in the Spring of 1994
that they were losing an average of $4600 per year for each new home built
in their district. (Cost of educating a student, $7300 per year. Average
real estate tax revenues and earned income tax paid, $2700. Shortfall
per year, $4600)
How does a Greenway generate $$
While there are numerous studies demonstrating that Greenways contribute
significant amounts of money to their communities, probably two experiences
would be of most interest to rural Watershed residents.
Jim Thorpe was a dying
community with just six viable businesses when it decided to promote a
constellation of attractions including The Switch Back Trail, rafting on the
Lehigh River and the Lehigh Gorge State Park. As a result
of smart marketing of existing resources, downtown Jim Thorpe grew from six
businesses to sixty businesses. This rebirth included restaurants, gas
stations and hotels, downtown merchants and artists which now contribute
significantly to the county tax base.
In the late 1980’s,
York County, Pennsylvania purchased an
abandoned rail corridor from the state. In 1990, the first mile long trail
was completed. Built in five construction phases, the 22-mile-long trail
was opened in August 1999. An all- volunteer Authority managed the
project. In a recently completed evaluation of the trail’s success, the
Authority was shocked to discover that the Heritage Rail Trail County Park
attracted 35% of their estimated 247,000 users from outside the county. 93%
of these trail users purchased additional hard goods (bike, supplies, shoes
or clothing) in York County as a result of their
trail visit (average spending per visitor -- $367.12). In addition, trail
users purchased consumables like drinks, snacks, sandwiches, ice cream, and
film etc. from local stores. These purchases generated an additional $8.33
per person per visit.
The Heritage Park has had such significant economic
impact on York County, the County Rail Trail Authority is in the process of
developing two more trails to expand the system.
So, you’re still not convinced?
