Surrealism reigns in Jefferson County as the November 7 vote on zoning approaches. The County Commission, which has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and over eight years of effort on the new ordinance, has refused to work for its approval.  If that isn’t enough, the most hard-over, anti-regulation land developer in the county is joining influential anti-growth leaders in the active “vote NO” effort!

I have been sharply critical of the new zoning ordinance, particularly its over-reaching into the fine details of every land use.  It is probably 200 pages too long.  That said, I think the responsible course for Jefferson County voters is to approve the new ordinance and put it into force.  Here’s why:

The current ordinance has been a dismal failure in shaping development in the county to preserve our quality of life.  Coupled with a well-written Transfer of Development Rights ordinance (which we have the authority to implement), the new ordinance would give land-owners in the county a predictable framework for realizing their life’s investment while protecting open space.

Anti-growth activists don’t like the new ordinance because they say it would theoretically permit too much growth in the county.  They have discovered that simply by adjusting the required LESA score downward in 2005, the County Commission effectively blocked any development beyond the current Residential Growth area, so they now like the status quo.

Residents need not fear that county bureaucrats will suddenly turn up to determine whether they have used the right species of trees in their landscaping, or some other niggling requirement.  The burden of the extra 200 pages of rules will fall on developers, who will quickly develop boiler-plate to satisfy these requirements.

Once the new ordinance is in place, there will be a well-defined process for amending it.  The alternative is starting over, which nobody should want.

Whatever way you vote on zoning, don’t abdicate your responsibility by staying home.  That will ensure that the nay-sayers win.  I hope you’ll vote “YES” – I know I will.

Pete Smith of Middleway is a retired NASA manager, 15-year resident of the county, and founder of the Jefferson County Telecenter and of OJ.