Redlands Conservancy Proposes New Land Use Ethic - Part 4

Summary

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According to conventional wisdom about land values, a property's "best use" is usually considered as residential developments, which, so the thinking goes, generate property taxes and house more consumers to spend money in the community. Almost always, the cost- benefit analysis from a city's planning department for a proposed development shows a positive balance.

This thinking may be changing, according to the Redlands Conservancy's Land Trust Cabinet, the committee that manages the organization's open lands. Perhaps land as open space has more value to a community than land as a floor for hundreds of look-alike houses. Perhaps land as open space, whether agricultural, recreational or natural land and habitat, can generate more money for a community than can land used for warehouses and tilt-up office buildings. Perhaps land as open space can actually save a community millions of dollars in services. These are the ideas proposed by the cabinet.

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Extract

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Redlands Conservancy Proposes New Land Use Ethic - Part 4

This series of articles will explore the complex issues involved in a community's decisions about how land will be used, and the potential for Redlands to benefit from its open lands.

Part 1: The background of open space issues and cost conflicts.

Part 2: Cost benefits of preserving...

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