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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Another height limit update

The Huntsville Planning Commission will keep the 10 story height limit in place in order to "protect the integrity" of downtown. However, they also plan to raise the height limit near residential areas from 2 stories to 6. And in a bit of irony, the commission continued Huntsville's suburban sprawl by approving "several large subdivisions."

Huntsville Times article

Something tells me they are going to regret this decision. This is a terrible move on the city's part. What would you rather see, a parking lot or a 24-story condo tower? A run-down mall or a vibrant entertainment district? Ten years from now, don't be surprised to see our "historic" downtown become dilapidated and blighted. Those historic homes we tried to save from "shadows" and "noisy ventilation systems" will be worthless. People, this isn't Charleston or Savannah. Huntsville isn't known for its historic downtown. It's known for its ability to progress and change. We need to get out of this small town mentality and think like a major city. Because, ready or not, we're fast becoming one.

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