A Thought for the Land Use Task Force

In the past few days, a number of Garrett Parkers have been in touch, to voice their opinions about land use issues. It’s gratifying to realize there’s a strong current of reasonableness in town—something that’s not always apparent in the contentious atmosphere of council meetings.

In their E-mails, several have mentioned difficulties negotiating the path to permissible building projects and the frustrations of running into restrictions they didn’t know about.

Garrett Park’s zoning regulations aren’t the easiest things to grasp. With historic designations, an overlay zone, and setback ordinances, it’s a tough slog to understand what’s legit and what’s not.

To his great credit, Harry Gordon, on behalf of the Setback Advisory Committee, gives generously of his time, meeting informally with residents and giving preliminary reads on their planned projects, before the homeowners begin construction or apply for a building permit.

But is the situation different when you’re new?

Like many, I was attracted to this town because of the historic homes, trees, open space, and sense of seclusion in a major metropolitan area. When I moved here, I will admit that I didn’t read the town charter or ask questions about setbacks and lot coverage. I was caught up in interest rates, contracts, and moving preparations. Looking back, it’s pretty clear that I should have done my homework.

So, where is the line? Should homebuyers in Garrett Park be more thorough, or should the town provide a helpful heads-up?

I think this small point is worth discussion by the new Land Use Task Force. Does the town have an obligation—practical or ethical—to inform potential new residents that its zoning regulations may be somewhat different than they assume? Is it feasible that real estate agents selling homes in Garrett Park might voluntarily include a brief statement in their fact sheets (something like: “Garrett Park prides itself on trees and open space. To preserve that unique character, the town has certain zoning ordinances that may differ somewhat from other communities. For more information…”)? Should the town send a courtesy letter to all new residents, summarizing the rules and notifying them whom to contact for advice and questions?

When you consider the land use issues on the table, this one’s pretty small. Then again, maybe it’s just this kind of attention to small points that really makes a community.