I am wholly supportive of a neighborhood that wants to impose rules on itself by consensus. I can even tolerate government trying to change things when streets are getting clogged or, worse, crime hot spots develop. But designing new cityscapes on top of existing tenants reminds me of the phrase, if you pardon my French, “Don’t should on others.”
The City of Asheville is in the process of trying out a form-based code on Haywood Street. When council gave the planning department the go-ahead, and decided Haywood Street was the best victim, it seemed like the planners needed something to keep them busy – sort of like a psychologist needing to do his thing in a well-adjusted, emotionally happy community.
Form-based zoning seeks to regulate how tall buildings are, the number of features like windows and doors they have, where they are located on a lot and how or whether they are screened from adjoining property.
Speaking of which, Doc, did I ever tell you the trauma that has scarred my life ever since I walked past that building that had three stories when it should have had two?
