|
|
Community Facts and Figures
- Brentwood’s population is estimated to be 36,000 people, with projected growth to be over 45,000 by 2020.
- The current area of corporate Brentwood is approximately 42 square miles. The area that is outside the City limits but currently within Brentwood’s Urban Growth Boundary is approximately 7 square miles.
- Over 3% of our community
overall is in dedicated, publically accessible parkland,
including:
-
10 parks totaling 862+ acres;
-
More than 75
acres of greenways; and
- Over
14 miles of multi-use paths though-out the City.
- The Brentwood 2020 Plan Update supports the contention that the vast majority of citizens believe the preservation of more green space in Brentwood is important:
- “Management of Growth” and
Preservation of Open Space” were identified as the top
two most important issues. Specifically:
- 91% of our citizens ranked Growth Management as
“Very important” or “Important;”
- 61% thought that the Preservation of the
Remaining Farms and Other Large Open Space Tracts in
the Community should be a “High Priority” for
Brentwood. When combined with those that think this
should be at “Mid to High Priority,” the percentage
climbed to 81%.
Why Green Space Preservation is Important
- Green space is an essential component of the quality of life valued so dearly in Brentwood.
- Increased population will decrease the amount of available green space.
- Open space is an essential
ingredient in attracting and retaining businesses and
the work force they rely on. With more freedom to
choose a site, businesses often select a community with
a high quality of life in order to compete for young,
highly trained workers who value parks, open space, and
easy access to the outdoors.
-
Cost of Community Services
(COCS) studies show on average that residential
development does not cover its costs. For every dollar
communities realized from residential development, they
had to deliver $1.16 in services. From a purely
economic standpoint,
residential development is
a tax liability to communities, not an asset.
- Studies show that parks
can increase the value of surrounding land and
development. The increased value in land near parks is
passed on to cities in the form of higher property
taxes.
- Sustained increases in
energy costs underscore the need for alternative modes
of transportation. The need for a system of “walkable”
and “bikeable” trails that connect neighborhoods with
commercial areas will become increasingly important in
the future. Trails and greenways can be actively used
to augment transportation networks to link parks, public
facilities (schools, libraries, etc.) and neighborhoods.
Why We
Must Act Now
- We believe that time is of the
essence if our community is going to meet, or exceed,
the open space standards other competitive communities
have realized. Here’s why:
-
The confluence of
depressed land prices and the low cost of
capital create a “once-in-a-lifetime
preservation opportunity;”
-
Delays in green
space acquisition can be costly, especially in
light of the current economy;
-
Failure to act
raises the risk of increased costs to the City
and the loss of desirable green space that may
be currently available;
-
The need for an
aggressive timeline relates to the fact that:
-
Open space
disappears daily
-
Land prices will
escalate
-
The cost of capital
remains near an all time low
-
Community support
for open space acquisition remains very high.
Conclusion: The green space you see today is already zoned residential. If we do not act now to preserve Brentwood's unique rural character for our children and grandchildren, our green space will be gone forever!
|
|
