RE: Tucson, AR and Orange Co, CA

[Robert Hoffmann <escape@alt-escape.com>]

>"Sierra Club calls urban sprawl 'inescapable'", is a CNN feature at:
>
>http://www.cnn.com/US/9809/09/sprawl.environment.ap/

Here is an idea that Easterners have kicked around a little, and I would
like for local residents to also consider.  This comes under the rubric of
saving a community's rural or down-home nature.

When dealing with real estate, certain considerations can be bought and
sold independently of the overall ownership.  For instance, you can own a
piece of property, and sell the mineral rights to another person, while
retaining the general title to the land.  This could also be done with
"development rights."  If people in Moscow could raise money, they could
purchase development rights from farmers and other rural land owners.  This
would give the farmers extra money, they would retain title to their lands
while lowering their taxes, and they would be free to sell their land.
However, a developer could not buy the land and "develop" it (build lots of
housing).  The land could be sold for farming or other uses.  This could
ensure that there is always plenty of open space for the pleasure of
residents and animals.

Any thoughts on this?


Robert Hoffmann                      115 N. Jackson St., Suite D
Alt-Escape Adventures                Moscow, ID  83843  USA
http://www.alt-escape.com            Phone: (208) 883-0642
	             Fax:   (208) 883-8545