Community Districts

Local governments around the United States should consider new regulations, guidelines, and entities when considering land development. One consideration is to defer some decision making to neighborhood associations. For instance, when it comes to historic preservation and the granting of variances, the people who live within that district have an interest in the decision. In most cases, the people who live in the neighborhood have working knowledge and experience regarding the overall future and direction of their respective neighborhoods. These neighborhood associations can provide background information to the governing board who makes the decision or the neighborhood association could ultimately make the decision. I know this is potentially a lot of power to give a nongovernmental body, but they are affected the most by the final decision. Neighborhood associations can provide flexible implementation which can be tailored to meet the particular needs of each distinct community.