Straight from the Mike: The Missing Middle

A recent column penned by a friend and well-respected zoning guru, Ron Sifen, really caught my attention and caused my public policy antenna to signal a warning. So, I have decided to offer another side of the coin.

It has long been said, all progress means change, but all change is not progress. However, when it comes to growth, particularly, smart growth, change is good. Of course, there are countless citizens in this country who do not want change; the status quo is just fine, in their world. A hard fact is, in most cases, there is the opportunity for an individual to even change the opening of one’s aperture, as long as an open mind willingly exists.

How else can one explain a reluctance to review our existing zoning laws in a county that has experienced and continues to experience exemplary growth? How can one deny the changing demographics, the shrinking middle class, and yes, greater segregation? By no means, we are hardly in the predicament of several areas of the country that are faced with shrinking population. They’re a number of areas that are offering cash incentives with the incentive amount as high as $15,000 in one instance.

I rest a good part of my position of being in full support of a zoning law review on the history of how we got in this predicament in the first place. It started with the federal government and good old Levittown, NY. Redlining started, and versions of it exist to this day. 

The United States Postal Service recently celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the implementation of Zip Codes. One wonders if they had any idea, at that time, of how much a social engineering determinant those five digits, now even nine digits, would become. Banks, insurance companies, employers, and, yes, politicians utilize them to help serve as a screen. It reminds me of the settings on my coffee grinder. Simply put, the finer the grind, the stronger the coffee and vice versa. Where one lives is significant, in so many ways.

Unfortunately, what has occurred in our community today is the missing middle. You have the renters and the homeowners. The regulating gauge now, since the federal government debacle, are our zoning laws. So much so that it leads one to conclude that if you want an honest, straight up shot to wealth under the current set, you need to fight the rules, not the refs.

Let me be clear. A zoning law review could conclude exactly what Ron opines in his article. I could reluctantly accept that recommendation. It would be due in large part to the effectiveness of the prescribed process in the consultant contract that allows for transparency, full discussion, and input from voices, like mine, who like to advocate for the widening of our scope, looking at livable options such as tiny homes (anchored; not on wheels), and ADU’S (accessible dwelling units). This exercise, along with a serious discussion on the creation of a Land Bank and even a Land Trust, could prove to be quite fruitful.

Sure, it could well be that my hue and cry for more diverse housing along with better utilization of spaces such as blighted properties and dark strip plazas, is against the grain of the suburbanites. Hey, I have lived in the suburbs all of my adult life and would hardly even consider the urban lifestyle. I’ll take our view of the ‘Western Gateway’ showing the City of Atlanta skyline any day of the week. It even looks good when it only shows its silhouette at night or on misty days.

The bottom line is this. God is not making any more land. He expects us to use what we have to the fullest, for the moistest. And, no one has been given a key to lock the door of opportunity for those who seek a better quality of life, the middle ground. A slice of what many of us enjoy, thankfully. 

And finally, let me share data fresh from ARC’s Region of Possibilities breakfast.  There are only two cities in America growing faster than Atlanta, they are Dallas and Houston.

Moreover, the real bombshell for me was the revelation that the life expectancy of a resident of Vinings is 25 years longer than a resident of Vine City. You would not have to ask me twice, where would I rather live?

Until next time…

Michael Murphy