Season tickets and re-zoning

My season tickets to see the Tigers play came this week.  One of my favorite days of the year.  As soon as the seal on the envelope is broken, I just like to take a big whiff of the season ticket goodness.  Football season for the tigers is a mere 6 days 10 hours away, and I'm stoked. 

Also, on Monday, Jeni and I did something a little different.  We went to a public zoning hearing.  There is about 40 acres near our house zoned single family dwelling and they want to make it "planned development."  I thought initially that it would be very townhall meeting-ish and a bunch of angry townsfolk would irrationally and unintelligently oppose new development.  It wasn't quite like that.  The developer or developer representative and all those in favor get 10 mins to make their case and then the opposition gets 10 mins to make their case.  And then they ask for all those in favor to stand and be counted and then all those against to stand to be counted.  As someone who was the self proclaimed King of Sim City and invested hours in city planning across Sim City, Sim City 2000, Sim City 3000, and Sim City 4, I found the process and plans presented intriguing.  As Sim City mayor/dictator, I could rezone at will, and I wonder just how much City Counsel takes into account the thoughts of those presenting or if its all just show.  After all, there were 6 hearings on the docket that night, the most people present who disagreed with any on them was about 10.  And none of the arguments against were very good.  The same 3 things were cited in oppostion of each of the properties:  increased traffic, noise pollution, and light pollution.  My complaint (which I chickened out and didn't voice) was that the plans for the development near us looked like a 5th grader did them.  Seriously, crayon was involved.  I'm not against development in that location, I just want it done a little more formally and professionally.  As fas as the 3 standard complaints everyone brings up, first of all, there is a huge misnomer as to what a traffic study consists of.  People complained that obviously one wasn't done or they'd have noticed the deterioting bridge 1 mile away or the fact that it sometimes takes 5 mins to pull out of their subdivision or the that people drive recklessly around there.  I got news for them, none of those are in a traffic study.  Its simply a average number of cars per day and an average speed.  (Crash analysis and sight distance are the only other two things possibly considered). Road conditions and turn out time are not considered.  And should we really slow economic progress so people can get out of their subdivision quicker?  Shouldn't we consider ourselves blessed to be in an area that the economy isn't plummeting in and that new businesses do want to come? Same with noise and light pollution.  I'm sorry, but I'm all for a strengthing the economy in our area (esp during a recession) and if you don't like it, move outside the city.  Don't help the recession along by stifling growth.  Anyway, all that to say, if there is a zone hearing about a property that concerns/interests you, you should check it out.  I know in our case at least, it was good to hear the developers side of the case.  Often, the angry mob is all you hear.