Reply to How many people are getting sick of Takoma Park's high taxes and city gov't spending the city into the ground?

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Reply to "How many people are getting sick of Takoma Park's high taxes and city gov't spending the city into the ground?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Having learned nothing from the abysmal financial drain by the city for the Takoma Junction project, the city is embarking on an ambitious upzoning project to attract a luxury residential developer to build condos on the site of the Washington Adventist Hospital. First step is $60K spending by the city for planning a new streetscape along Maple Ave meant to make this project attractive to developers. What are the chances this can succeed in a way that can pay back taxpayers for the "investment"? [/quote]

The city roads can't handle the added traffic from developments like this.  Getting out of TP via Carroll to University is already a nightmare.[/quote]

I don't live in TP but arguing that a city should not develop a large vacant site in a prime location for fear it will create too much traffic is the kind of backwards thinking that kills local becomes and results in cities having to raise taxes and reduce amenities.

If a city isn't growing, it's dying. The key is smart growth-- advocate for a plan that will create more public transit resources along with this development, or improve existing traffic infrastructure. Look at what you can reasonably extract from a developer to assist with this.

But arguing the city should not build and new housing because of traffic congestion is just NIMBYism run amok. It won't work out how you hope.[/quote]

Right now traffic backs up a crazy amount around TP during rush hour.  It’s not a nimby issue; many of the people this will impact don’t necessarily live in TP.  And even if it is a nimby issue, what’s wrong with advocating for consideration of something like traffic problems that will impact everyone who uses these roads?  I assure you that these aren’t entitled rich people who will be most impacted.  Sometimes the reality is that the way roads are designed impacts how much traffic they can hold.  I’m happy to advocate for public transportation, but it is very naive to think that people will suddenly start taking busses and the like in mass numbers.  Plus, I find it classist to assume that people in a new development should be expected to use public transportation instead of cars.  [/quote]
These arguments all amount to basically circular, self-perpetuating NIMBYism. [/quote]

I'm sorry, but if traffic backed up and sat and sat on your road, you'd complain too.[/quote]
The traffic back ups originate from NIMBYism blocking road improvements. The circularity then comes from pointing to the poor road conditions that your NIMBYism created as the reason why there cannot be more housing. Thus the self-perpetuating NIMBYism. [/quote]

The traffic back ups originate from lots of people deciding to drive their cars on the same streets at the same time. Wider streets - which is what people usually mean when they talk about "road improvements" - don't fix that.[/quote]
There isn’t a Purple Line station at the only downcounty community college. That isn’t by accident. [/quote]

There isn't a Purple Line station at the only downcounty campus of Montgomery College because the only downcounty campus of Montgomery College isn't on the Purple Line.[/quote]
Which came first?[/quote]

The Georgetown Branch of the B&O Railroad.[/quote]

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