Before the flood waters in Houston had even stopped rising, calls for more land-use regulations to reduce flooding were being voiced. As one example, Bill Balleza on KPRC questioned the wisdom of allowing development near Addicks and Barker reservoirs. In the Chronicle, Bill King wrote, “We will need new, no tolerance development rules prohibit new building from making the situation worse while requiring some positive improvement.” Chronicle columnist Mike Snyder wrote an entire piece devoted to the perceived need for tougher development regulations.
Snyder writes:
“This is one of those events that will precipitate change,” said Jim Blackburn, a Houston attorney specializing in environmental matters. “To some extent the question is, how open are our elected officials going to be to hearing messages that in the past they have not wanted to hear?”
Messages like the need to apply tougher rules not just to new developments, but also to redevelopment of existing properties. Or to consider the impacts of climate change on flooding. Or to preserve the flood-absorbing wetlands and native prairies that haven’t already been paved over.
Failure to act boldly, Blackburn argues, could imperil Houston’s future. Worldwide images of a paralyzed city, with terrified residents plucked from rooftops by rescuers, could make it harder for vital industries to attract skilled workers.
“This is the time,” said Blackburn, “that we can make or break the future of Houston.”
The pro-zoners are taking Rahm Emanuel’s words to heart: “You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.” Statists–including zoning advocates–will seize upon any opportunity to expand their power.
We’ve heard these predictions of impending catastrophe before. Indeed, in the early 1990s, advocates of zoning predicted that the absence of comprehensive land-use regulations would spell economic doom for Houston. Zoning was defeated, and Houston’s economy boomed.
In the wake of Harvey, many will welcome any proposal that promises to avert a repeat of the extensive flooding the region has experienced. And draconian regulations controlling development could undoubtedly reduce future flooding. But those regulations will come with costs: housing costs will increase, the cost of doing business will rise, and Houstonians will lose more of their freedom.
Before we latch onto a solution, we should carefully examine all of the alternatives, as well as the pros and cons of each.