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7 comments on A Letter from Marlena in Bethlehem, PA

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Brisztow on April 7, 2006 - 8:38am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Much of the land used in this development was privately own by one family (instead of a city/township), so how can the public control an individual's rights to sell his land as he sees fit? Perhaps this is more of an educational challenge for the community.
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Glenn on April 7, 2006 - 9:23am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
The family is completely entitled to sell it to the highest bidder, but they or the new owner is not entitled to do anything they want with the property.

This is where good zoning regulation comes in. The community at some level controls the level of development in the area as well as all the municipal services that these types of development require. Roads need to be connected. Electrical / sewer systems need to be integrated. There may be impacts like flooding to surrounding property owners if the development does not have a good drainage system, etc...

"Freedom", broadly defined, balances the freedom to do whatever you want, with the freedom from negative consequences to others around you.

Surrounding residents to a new development may have to pay higher taxes to build the new roads and maintain all the infrastructure to support it, not to mention the increase in quality of life issues like traffic, noise and loss of open space. But I doubt any of them were notified or asked before the bulldozers came.

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