By Kado Downs
“Call me Ishmael” may as well be the first sentence of Logansport’s comprehensive plan. Much like Melville’s ever illusive great white whale, our future vision for Logansport seems to be as unobtainable.
Often I’m driven to distraction whenever the basic needs of the community are met with less than reverent actions by the city government. Recently, the Logansport City Council made a choice to supersede a decision of the planning commission to disallow the development of a strip mall adjacent to a densely populated residential area. The planning commission decision was based on the comprehensive plan’s outline to abate urban sprawl.
Abating urban sprawl is undoubtedly one of the most important issues that every community will face. Every urban economist will champion the fact that to sustain a community, you must build up, not out. This basic way of thinking helps to reduce the need for new infrastructure, and helps to alleviate the tax burden on the community.
A community must foster an atmosphere that strengthens its existing commercial districts, with kind respect to existing residential areas.
Many of the city council members believe in the credo: “A successful community is a community that is always growing.” Edward Abbey said it best, “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” This quote seemingly rings true in regards to the situation at hand.
This community does not currently have a demand for new commercial space. In order to fill vacancies within new commercial developments, existing commercial storefronts must be vacated. This, in turn, weakens our existing commercial districts, and propagates the further deterioration of our community’s fabric.
The argument has been made that there will be increased tax revenues generated by this development. I wonder how much of this tax base increase will be offset by the subsequent lower property values brought about by this development?
New development must work with the community, not against it. New development must become an addendum, not a detraction. Development must be able to complement adjacent property values, not decimate.
Even though the location of the new Super Walmart and its subsequent parasite developments were not the best of ideas, the time has come to allow some reality to set in. Like it or not, the decision has been made. Now it’s time to look forward, and thwart any future negative impacts this development may impose.
In the haste of railroading this new development, many basic criteria were not taken into consideration. Being that this development is adjacent to a densely populated residential area, pedestrian friendly elements must be incorporated into the project.
Sidewalks, curb extensions, traffic-calming street design and pedestrian-scale street lighting are a few of the elements that are essential when integrating a commercial development into a residential setting. The subsequent increase of light pollution from the sea of parking lots, will mean that landscaped buffer zones must exceed the minimum requirements. All freestanding commercial signage must be monument signage, so as not to impose a visual blight within the neighborhood.
Much can still be done to help ensure the quality of life of the residents in this area.
Much can still be done to insist that the city council live by a basic fact of life: “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.”
• Kado Downs is a resident of Logansport.
