Consultant: Mixed housing developments in Grand Forks can bring down prices
November 13, 2012 at 3:59 pm in Grand Forks Herald
Rick Harrison presented his neighborhood planning concept of prefurbia a twist on the word surbubia to Grand Forks city officials and community members Tuesday night at City Hall. Continue Reading
“These neighborhoods were not built on a grid system, but rather with a method Harrison refers to as “coving.” Instead of confining infrastructure to rectangles, Harrison said allowing the neighborhood’s streets to meander and the homes to curve along the street are better for the development.”
Exactly and totally the OPPOSITE of what is needed. That’s not “better for the developMENT”; it’s better for the developER.
Curving streets and goofy property lines WASTE SPACE that could be put to productive use. Curving streets and cul-de-sacs are a nightmare for fire trucks.
Another bonehead that intends to inflict more problems than solutions. But then that’s pretty much the whole intent of the Blue Ribbon Commission. Tell lies, distort the facts, ASSURE PROFITS FOR REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS at taxpayer expense.
Mayor Brown really screwed the pooch.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I wonder why they always feel the need to hire consultants from other states to come up with boneheaded ideas like this? Put “affordable” housing in with higher end housing? That would basically drag the prices down on the more expensive properties. Why not put a few trailer parks and 48 plex apartment buildings in with the developments too? Yeh, that makes a lot of sense alright.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Wow, talk about negativity in the first two comments! With over 750 developments, Harrison probably knows what he is talking about. Curved streets and irregular property lines give a neighborhood a little character and beat the heck out of cookie-cutter straight street-rectangular lot designs. The older southeast corner of Grand Forks is a good example of neighborhoods that did this successfully 40 years ago, the like Clover Drive or Fairview Drive neighborhoods. In my opinion the biggest obstacle to affordable new housing in Grand Forks is the lack of competition. Nearly all of the new developments are in the hands of two companies. We all know who they are. In addition, most of the land suitable for developments has been gobbled up by just a handful of landowners. That is where the real problem lies, and I’m not sure it can be corrected.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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I’m with voices on this one. Pedestrian grid housing projects are about as appealing as being without electricity during the largest storm of the year during the playoffs.
As for Schurkey’s comments about cul-de-sac and fire departments, there are rules that govern that. I have been tromping into other people’s houses on emergency calls for a long time and never once did I have a problem with a cul-de-sac. I did have a very angry llama that had to be corralled before I could get into a house once, but never any problem getting into and out of a cul-de-sac.
If you look around town and wonder why we don’t have something that most everyplace else in the world does … “we never have done it that way” is at work. Meandering streets do not waste space, they increase developer profit by better using space. They put the houses closer together.
Catchment areas for rainwater that double as open space during the dry season? If anyplace ever needed them it is GF. Our sewage system is sub par at best. I have never seen a place with more water and less drainage. No wonder we have mosquitoes the size of flying monkeys carrying off our children every summer.
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This guy tried to sell his snake oil in Fargo.. They sent him packing.
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I think mixed use is the way to go, but that’s not what this guy is describing. Or what he’s building in Dickinson and Bismarck. Why don’t they build apartments/condos above the strip malls popping up everywhere? That’s mixed use.
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