How do you define the character of communities in conflict?

• Alex Weinhagen email@address.com
• Chad Giesinger email@address.com
• Tordis Ilg Isselhardt
• Neil Curtis
• John Eddy
• Rebecca Sanborn Stone
• Tristram Johnson
• Gary Hill
• Marilinne Cooper
• David Allen
• Eric Young

Conflicts in group member's communities:

Alex - Hinesburg, VT - Has many entrenched agricultural landowners who rely on development rights as their retirement savings, along with many conservation-minded citizens who want to remove rights. There is a lot of strong environmental protection in the area, but not all citizens agree on how or how much to have. Sense that new arrivals and government are telling people what to do on their land.

Chad - Washoe County, NV - Has community character area plans for all unincorporated areas, where traditional agricultural uses and rights are often coming into conflict with new landowners. Landowners want right to have animals and maintain way of life, but new arrivals don't want to deal with smell, noise, etc.

Neil - Vergennes, VT - Class issues between bicycle riders and film goers, coffee shop clients vs. blue collar workers, etc. Many type of people havecoexisted for a long time, but newer residents also come into conflict with more entrenched groups.

Tordis - Bennington, VT - Conflict between people who want Wal-Mart to expand and those who don't. Town has limit on square footage, but big campaignby Wal-Mart beat that. Many citizens want to see Wal-Mart expand; issue is now stalled at state permitting level. Class issues are central.

John - Williston, VT - Going through rapid changes in development (especially chain development). People who have lived there for a long time are seeing character disappear with arrival of new citizens and development. No economic cross-section left - high-income residents are driving property values up and taxes up, which are causing problems for lower income residents of community. Farms are disappearing, along with way of life.

Rebecca - Bennington, VT. Also interested in Catskill area, where long-time agricultural landowners are being forced out due to rising property taxes. Conflict between older agricultural owners, NY DEP, which is buying up land to protect New York City's watershed, and newer second home owners coming in from city. Issues are class-related.

Marilinne - Bethlehem, NH - History of grand hotels that burned down 30 years ago. Town had to redefine itself and is starting to come back to life. Represents Rural Entrepreneurial Network. Conflict in town is between long-time residents and new arrivals, though all residents love town. Landfill on outskirts of town has completely divided town - older residents involved in landfill and newer residents oppose because of toxic landfill. Town involved in years of litigation.

Gary - Carlsbad, CA - Works with Gemological Institute, where fires are located now. 10 years ago charged with relocating institutes headquarters. Built campus on hill surrounded by open space (agricultural fields). Last year developer got options on the open space. Conflicts between residents who want to see agriculture, vs. residential units, or other types of development. City needs to use broad public process now to decide what should be on the property.

Tristam - Townshend, VT - More an issue of apathy than conflict. Boards seem to be apathetic or protect status quo rather than being proactive.

NOTES

• When emotion is involved, it can be positive in drawing people out, but can also make people so entrenched that they won't hear other opinions.

• Citizens have narrow visions for opportunities and need to be provided with view of what other opportunities are before they can choose between appropriate visions.

• In Washoe County, most people agree on community identifiers (what the character is) - what they disagree on is how to move forward. Conflict between people who don't want change and those who support property rights.

• Issue is often with new people coming in who don't do due diligence in buying property - don't look to see what the zoning or master plan will allow.

• Solution in Washoe, County is to pass policies clearly defining the character of an area and forcing developers to disclose to prospective landowners what the character is like.

• In Pownal, Vermont, a potential racetrack re-development project invited people come in to show what alternatives were. Public assumed that those alternatives meant that decisions had already been made, so the visuals in part harmed the situation.

• Character evolves over time, so residents may not agree on how fast or how much it changes.

• Landscape is one defining piece of character, usually agreed upon by most people in the community. Landscape is often larger than communities themselves, though, and a town's character may depend in part on landscapes outside of its borders and beyond its control. Natural features and built features can be most important.

• Does historic districting sometimes destroy character because guidelines are so stringent that they force businesses to develop on the outside of town?

• Need to address the trust issue - often in Carlsbad community may not accept decisions just because they come from the city government. Bridging the trust gap would allow citizens to work together with government. If community can at least understand the different perspectives that will go a long way toward building up trust.

WRAP-UP

• An effort to maintain the natural and built features that everyone does agree on may be a good place to start.
• Can't assume that people coming in don't respect the history or existing culture of a community.