Land Preservation
One area of concern that I have for Harrisburg is the shrinking amount of natural spaces. Whether it be wooded areas, farm land, or wetlands, the constant stream of new developments are eating up that space at an alarming rate. Yes, our current UDO does require developers to create open space or contribute to parks and greenways, but that still means developing the land and altering its natural beauty and habitat. The disruption to any wildlife currently residing in the area is immeasurable.
I am proposing that we establish a Land Preservation Fund that will be financed through property transfer fees. What this means is that every time a property is purchased in Harrisburg, a tax will be collected and put in this fund that has the sole purpose of the town purchasing land that will either remain in its natural state or improved as a passive park area. Either option will prevent another housing development from being built.
There are many ways the tax can be structured and exemptions do exist, one successful example of a Community Preservation Fund tax from Southampton, Massachusetts is paraphrased as follows:
The CPF tax is a 2% transfer tax on all real property in the Town of Southampton. The first $100,000 of a vacant, unimproved parcel is exempt from the tax and the first $250,000 of an improved parcel is exempt from the tax. There are several specific tax exemptions, in addition, there is a first-time home buyer exemption.
We all moved to Harrisburg for that “small town feel”, which for the most part, still exists today. But if we keep using up land, a limited resource, that feeling will cease to exist. These types of funds have been successfully administered in other communities, resulting in thousands of acres of land being preserved and undeveloped. Obviously, Harrisburg is on a smaller scale than most of the communities it’s been used in, but the same principals apply.