[pooh]

Originally Posted by NJblue

Some good points in this thread. I definitely see the point about TV being a money making venture that benefits not only the developer but also the residents and the local economy. I have no questions there.

However, I wonder if any outside-the-box thinking went into the planning for this development. Assuming that this will be residential of some sort (I highly doubt the bowling alley theory - I can't imagine prime, waterfront property being wasted on something that would not take advantage of it), I wonder if the developer considered deviating from his normal model for residential areas and considered making a pocket park around the trees. Yes, he would lose revenues from the land devoted to the park. However, the addition of a small park, especially if it had a water view, would increase the value of his remaining plots, possibly to the point that his net profits increased. This would have been a win-win for everyone.

The land is zoned for a particular purpose. Any changes might need approval by the land use permit providers, correct? It's not always feasible to change horses in mid stream.

The park would be lovely, but again, I'm not sure how easy it is to change the proposed and approved use.

[NJblue]

Originally Posted by pooh

The land is zoned for a particular purpose. Any changes might need approval by the land use permit providers, correct? It's not always feasible to change horses in mid stream.

The park would be lovely, but again, I'm not sure how easy it is to change the proposed and approved use.

I doubt that any zoning board would ever object to a park that benefits the community. (Usually it is the zoning board which grants a request for residential use only if a park or something to benefit the community is included.) However, my comment still applies. When the original zoning was applied for, the outside-the-box planning by the developer would already have been done and the zoning request would include the park.