Recently, city hall was embroiled in a debate with a woman whose driveway was too wide. Apparently she had been given permission to widen the driveway to provide vehicle access for her mother's wheel chair. Since the mother has now passed, city hall wants the lady to tear up the widened driveway and rebuild it the old way.

As I hear this story, two thoughts come to mind. Why are they picking on this lady, and why is city hall wasting it's time on this?

Empowered Communities

It is time for some of the responsibilities currently held by city hall to be passed to the neighborhoods. However organized, the purpose of neighborhood committees would be to oversee the development of the neighborhood, ensure compliance to community standards, and address differences of opinion between neighbors. City Hall would only get involved if a citizen desired to appeal a decision made by the neighborhood committee.

Structure and Guidelines

Community development should move towards the vision of clean living and an attractive environment. Safety and functional guidelines must be followed, but it is not necessary for every neighborhood to look alike. Business should be encouraged, and each neighborhood could be involved in vendor licensing.

Each neighborhood will be empowered to manage its own development. Of course the city will assist, and budgets will have to be determined. Ultimately, each neighborhood can celebrate its uniqueness while blending together to form a beautiful city.