REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-Land Use Town Hall Covers Local Issues

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Daily Real Estate News | November 16, 2009 | Land Use Town Hall Covers Local Issues
Associate broker Holly Mabery, ABR, with Coldwell Banker Mabery Real Estate in Cottonwood, Ariz., is concerned that a federal draft proposal to designate 160,000 acres of National Forest in Northern Arizona as a National Scenic Area would block future development of infrastructure, schools, and homes in the Sedona Verde Valley area.

With the legislation currently out for public comment until Dec. 1, Mabery presented her concerns to members of the Land Use, Property Rights & Environment Committee at the town hall meeting Friday morning.

“It could affect us long term, including the addition of new roads in the area,” Mabery said, if the legislation were approved.

National Scenic Areas are federally protected areas of land, resources, and open space, which can also place restrictions on surrounding development.

Session moderator Terrance Sullivan of Sullivan Realty in Spokane, Wash., offered to add Mabery’s issue to the committee’s public land strategic plan. “The system works,” Sullivan said, pointing to the committee’s direct response to Holly’s request.

Mabery said she was “thrilled” that the committee was able to offer support. “We need NAR’s help congressionally. We have a freshman congresswoman who is under tremendous pressure from these extremist groups in this area,” Mabery said.

Also at the town hall meeting, Donna Smith, CRS, GRI, CBR®, C-CREC, committee vice chair and broker with Prudential C. Dan Joyner Co. of REALTORS®, proposed the creation of a NAR water committee, that would specifically address issues such as the Clean Water Act, water-related legislation, flooding, levies, drinking water, and more.

Cathy Olson, CRS, with RE/MAX Masters in Albuquerque, N.M., agreed with Smith that a water-specific committee is needed. “Water is a huge issue,” Olsen said, who objects to New Mexico’s structure of governmental oversight regarding water issues.

Here are some of the other issues mentioned during the town hall:

Concerns over slated installation requirements of sprinkler systems in new homes.
Municipalities adopting International Maintenance Code requirements for residential homes.
Community engagement at the local level to draft development guidelines rather than the use of zoning code.
Cap and trade regulation vs. the Clean Air Act provisions.
Taxation on for-sale signs in two municipalities in New Mexico.