Hey Erie! As my campaign for Mayor of Erie gets off the ground, one question that has been coming up is my position on growth. I am pro-growth with guardrails that ensure:
Quality always
Housing diversity and choice
No harm to those already here
Development pays its own way
Quality always— As your mayor from 2004-2010, I led the effort to establish the first-ever unified development code (UDC), which includes quality standards. Over the years, quality standards have been lightened at the developers' request. It is shortsighted to compromise on quality standards. It is time to take a fresh look at what building quality should be in Erie.
Housing diversity and choice—This is the key to affordable housing. We need more townhomes, condos, and apartments in the right locations. We need housing opportunities in Erie for young professionals launching their careers and grandparents who want to live close to their grandchildren.
No harm—We have to set a higher bar for growth that congests our roads, overcrowds our recreational facilities, stresses our water system, and generally makes life more difficult for those already here.
Pay your own way—It is time to revisit developer impact fees, which pay for road capacity improvements, rec center upgrades, and our police facility expansion, to ensure we align impact fee revenue with impact expenses.
As in most things in life, you are either growing or dying, and municipalities are no different. We must grow, but we must do so with transparency and intention.
As a mayoral candidate, I care about what you think. Please chime into the discussion below!
Andrew
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