NIMBY America Archive

Challenge:  Who coined the word NIMBY?

Answer: Nicholas Ridley (February 17, 1929 to March 4, 1993) was a British Conservative Party politician and government minister*.  As Secretary of State for the Environment from 1987 to 1989, Mr. Ridley was credited with popularizing the phrase NIMBY or Not In My Back Yard for those who as a reflex opposed any building development.

It was soon revealed that Ridley opposed a low cost housing development near a village where he owned a property. The United Kingdom is currently experiencing a widespread epidemic of NIMBYism that recently led to the death of a farmer seeking wind energy for his property.

Be sure to check out the Slevin Group website.  Find out for yourself why Mr. Slevin is considered the best in the nation at helping corporations overcome costly community opposition.

Mr. Slevin can be reached at 850.906.9888 or email him at pslevin@slevingroup.com.

*  Source:  Wikipedia.org

Developers who believe they can just show up, ignore community input, and get approval for their applications need to Get Smart about NIMBY. It’s amazing how many applicants are still attempting to fly under the radar like a secret agent to avoid community detection.

Applicant representatives are spurred on by the notion that they have political cover and procedural acumen, not to mention, legal validation to proceed with a 007 like confidence.

This air of self-assuredness quickly evaporates when the community grapevine exposes their cover and sets them up for ambush during the public hearing with Jerry Springer type precision and timing.

NIMBYism in America isn’t a laughing matter, but we can learn some tenets for overcoming NIMBYism from Get Smart, an American comedy television series that ran from September 18, 1965 to May 1970.

Maxwell Smart

Mel Brooks, writer for Get Smart, assigned the character Maxwell Smart the title of Agent 86. The 86 comes from the saying “to eighty-six something.” Meaning, everything that Agent 86 engaged turned into a disaster. The rise of the NIMBY industry in America has seen countless real estate projects get 86′d. Land use professionals can learn how to prevent more disasters from the Get Smart series.

CONTROL and KAOS

CONTROL was the organization Max worked for as a spy.  In most states, CONTROL would be the notice and hearing process applicants follow.  Notice and hearings provide a legal, logical, and linear mechanism helping applicants navigate with confidence and control over their applications.   However, the process is inept in educating stakeholders i.e. diffusing the NIMBY factor.

KAOS, the organization representing evil led by Conrad Siegfried, empowers the NIMBY world.  NIMBYism is a political, emotional, and non-linear process causing chaos for land use professionals too beholden to the notice and hearing guidelines. When the time comes for elected officials to vote on a project, the political KAOS usually trumps the legal CONTROL.  This is most evident when commissioners are up for re-election and are counting votes in city hall i.e. NIMEY (not-in-my-election-year).

Cone of Silence

One of the show’s recurring gags was the Cone of Silence. Max would insist on following CONTROL’s security protocols (notice & hearing); when in the Chief’s office he would insist on speaking under the Cone of Silence — two transparent plastic hemispheres, which were electrically lowered on top of Max and the Chief —  which invariably malfunctioned, requiring the characters to shout loudly in order to be understood by each other.

The Cone of Silence can no longer keep the lid on development in the community. Land use professionals who try to keep their projects close to the vest are foolishly underestimating their opponents and usually empowering community grapevines.

Catchphrases

“Don’t tell me… I asked you not to tell me that.” Max didn’t want to hear about his mistakes, and applicants do not want to hear about citizen participation or worse yet, about citizens who are opposed to the project.  Land use professionals need to engage the community during the earlier stages of planning – well before the first notice goes out.

“The old (verbose explanation) trick…that’s the second time I’ve seen it this month.” When land use professionals do not engage in outreach during due diligence and early planning stages, they become subject to numerous NIMBY tricks including community petitions, theatrical public hearings, negative publicity, costly concessions, and possible political rejection of their projects.

“Missed it by that much.” How many commissions started with a majority supporting your application to voting against your project?  In most cases, NIMBYism tipped the scale against you.  It is within this context that investing in civic strategies on the front end secures and protects political capital on the back end.

“Would you believe. . .?” Max used this routine whenever he found himself in a tight spot and hoped to bluff his way out of it. For example, Max would say: “You might as well surrender, because at this very moment, you are being surrounded by 5,000 crack Swiss troops.” – “I find that very hard to believe, Mr Smart.” – “Oh. Well, would you believe 150 Tyrolean skijumpers?”

Once the NIMBY genie has left the bottle and stirred up trouble in the news and city hall, you have forfeited the strategic high ground and any possibility of mediating solutions inexpensively.  More importantly, city hall has now been pulled into the conflict and your credibility is under question due to the effective campaign by the NIMBYists.

“Sorry about that, Chief.” After causing yet another disaster for the Chief, Max apologizes.  The chief is the elected body.  Elected officials do not like surprises, high-profile conflict, and expensive lawsuits.  The developer who generates community goodwill and demonstrates he cares about community concerns will avoid having to apologize for a vocal minority effectively antagonizing city hall.

More often than not, land use professionals simply dismiss the threat of community opposition relying upon their reputations or “political contacts” to overcome the vocal minority.  This thinking is dangerous and is what fuels a NIMBY syndrome that generates thousands of headlines and cost corporations billions of dollars in losses every year.

You can learn more about our civic affairs services by going to our comprehensive services page on this website.  You are encouraged to call Patrick Slevin directly to see how his specialized services can help your financial interest. A 10-minute phone call will show you why he is considered the best in the nation at neutralizing NIMBYism.

By getting smarter about NIMBYism i.e. adopting civic strategies and engagement practices, you can successfully prevent KAOS from eighty-sixing your project.

Phone 850.906.9888 or email pslevin@slevingroup.com to take the KAOS out of your strategic growth plans.

Entitlements, site plans and rezoning applications for new development have dramatically dropped across the nation due to the financial crisis and recession. Understandably, many executives have assumed that the rate of NIMBY activism has also declined.

Nothing can be farther from NIMBY reality. Even though applications have decreased, there has been an increase in community conflicts and activism across America.

Here is a small sample of NIMBY conflicts reported in local papers from around North America in the last few weeks:

• Homeowners in CA opposing a new baseball stadium for the Oakland A’s
• A hotelier’s rezoning request in Boston area is overrun by NIMBY opposition
• Residents in Tampa pressuring their commissioners to deny a new gas station
• Environmentalists have banded together to oppose new reservoirs for Atlanta
• Citizens are rallying to defeat a new gravel pit application in Arizona
• In South Carolina activists are opposing a new recycling center
• In Connecticut 600 homeowners recently mobilized against a new car wash
• In North Carolina residents are also opposing a new car wash
• Activists in AL are accusing city officials of fraud after they approved a shopping center in Mobile

Despite a historic recession, NIMBYism is growing. No corporation or developer is safe from this surging NIMBY phenomenon. Need proof? Just ask Donald Trump who unsuccessfully tried to “fire” a NIMBY group called the SoHo Alliance in Manhattan. His Trump Soho condo hotel project is currently under attack and is one of countless projects exposed to citizens opposed to development.

So what’s happening out there? We believe that when the market was hot a few years ago, development applications were overwhelming communities in volume. Citizen activists would NIMBY higher profile applications, much like a bear snatching salmon migrating upstream. Now with the number of applications for development decreasing, corporations are finding themselves more exposed to NIMBYism then ever before.

How can this be happening? In the last 2-3 years, community opponents have become more sophisticated with the use technology and grassroots models. Instead of operating as self-organizing entities, vocal groups are now establishing websites, forming PACs, hiring lawyers and consultants, backing anti-growth candidates, and passing ballot box NIMBYism. The next corporate application that enters the community will be like low-hanging fruit ready to be picked off by community opposition.

What this means for corporate leaders is when the economy eventually bounces back, they will find their vertical, horizontal and infill projects plagued by entrenched NIMBY and BANANA (Build-Absolutely-Nothing-Anywhere-Near-Anyone) resistance.

When the market was at its hottest, a corporation had 1 in 10 chance of encountering NIMBYism. This was due to safety in numbers cover and unsophisticated opposition. However, in today’s recession, corporations have a 1 in 3 (greater in other markets) chance of encountering NIMBY opposition.

The first step to successfully neutralize potential NIMBY conflict is to acknowledge that citizen activists have become more adept in demonizing projects and intimidating elected officials. The vocal minority of activists have appointed themselves as the gatekeepers of and spokespeople for the “silent majority.” They have the political capital, the national polling, and strategic high-ground to back it up.

The second step is to embrace sustainable civic engagement practices to educate and recruit key stakeholders, allies, and surrogates before the NIMBY genie leaves the bottle. The few corporate executives who employ civic engagement procedures, policies, and practices will protect their finite investment capital, market share, and shareholder values.

NIMBY America and its primary sponsor, the Slevin Group, will provide corporate leaders the insights, innovations, tips, and practices needed to avoid and mitigate costly community conflicts in any economic climate. Be sure to read future publications of our monthly newsletter to stay one step ahead of your competition and local opposition.

To find out more about adopting civic engagement practices to protect your bottom line priorities visit www.SlevinGroup.com or contact Patrick Slevin for a confidential discussion. Phone 850.906.9888.

 

© All Rights Reserved, Slevin Group, Inc.

The information contained in this NIMBY America story is the intellectual property of Patrick Slevin and the Slevin Group, Inc. Any replication or use of its contents without prior written permission is prohibited.

The NIMBY dragon has at least four heads representing the four different types of profiles in NIMBY America, which Patrick Slevin of the Slevin Group has termed Guardians, Crusaders, Machiavellians, and Godfathers.

The NIMBY Guardian® is responsible for approximately 70 percent of community conflicts experienced by corporations. Guardians are the defenders of the status quo and the “quality of life” that they feel defines their community. Guardians are mostly civic-minded homeowners who take pride in their community and make time to participate in their HOAs, civic groups and other community activities.

The Guardian is usually a first-time NIMBY opponent who becomes a factor as the public hearing approaches. The sooner the Guardian is reached and engaged by the developer’s allies a.k.a. surrogates, the better the odds for coalition building, inexpensive concessions, and dispute resolution, which in many cases is mutually beneficial.

The NIMBY Crusader® views herself as a champion of a moral cause that’s rooted in the belief that the environment or the character of the community must prevail over economic development. Unlike Guardians who are motivated by fear of change and gossip, Crusaders are motivated by their own moral beliefs and the need for self promotion.

The majority of Crusaders are comprised of environmentalists, conservationists, and preservationists who believe the cost of development is too high a price to pay. Crusaders are interest groups that represent dues paying constituents who want to see motion, which is spurred on by news headlines, grassroots lobbying, and public conflict. To keep dues coming in, Crusaders will even attack sustainable, green projects to stay relevant for their members.

The NIMBY Machiavelli® is politically ambitious and adept at exploiting community anxieties to promote their selfish agenda. They seek to keep their profile in the media so they can vie for a seat in the next local election or some other high-stakes event.

Machiavellians reside in every community and sometimes they are former Guardians who liked the media spotlight and seeing their name in the newspaper. In other cases, a NIMBY Machiavelli® may be a Crusader who is a first-time candidate or a citizen who is a self-appointed “throw the bums out” activist who has run for office in the past and lost!

The NIMBY Machiavelli® usually leaves his or her fingerprints on the community and should be identified, so as to avoid inflammatory voices in the wilderness reaching the media and antagonizing public officials. It’s worth noting, public officials appreciate developers who proactively preempt and manage Machiavellian agendas, which gives elected officials the cover they want from these political opportunists. However, be careful! In some cases, a NIMBY Machiavelli® may be an agent secretly working for one of the elected officials who wants to defeat the mayor, who supports your project, in the next election.

The NIMBY Godfather® is one of the prior three dragon heads who has now made the big time and has established a syndicate of activists. This syndicate is typically a coalition of homeowner associations and special interests. They are incorporated, hold monthly meetings, endorse political candidates, fund political campaigns, file tax returns, and they’re very-well connected at city hall. The Godfather has successfully defeated several land use projects and is so entrenched that most corporations find themselves kissing rings and hoping an offer that cannot be refused is proffered.

The greatest advantage citizen activists have over corporations is anonymity. It is wise to conduct community screenings as part of the due diligence process. In some cases, community screenings reveal the political climate is so volatile and uncertain that it is not feasible to risk finite investment capital. Knowing who may oppose your project and why often proves to be invaluable intelligence to a corporation, saving time, money, and political capital.

In future editions, NIMBY America with the help of its sponsor, the Slevin Group, will offer corporate leaders insights, innovations, practices and tips on how to win community and government support for their projects.

To learn more about how civic engagement and community screening practices can neutralize the 4-Headed NIMBY Dragon visit www.SlevinGroup.com or contact Patrick Slevin for a confidential discussion. Phone 850.906.9888.

 

© All Rights Reserved, Slevin Group, Inc.

The information contained in this NIMBY America story is the intellectual property of Patrick Slevin and the Slevin Group, Inc. Any replication or use of its contents without prior written permission is prohibited.

The word NIMBY has become part of the American lexicon. Do you know what these other NIMBY acronyms mean? See how well you did with our NIMBY challenge:

NIMBY	Not-In-My-Back-Yard
BANANA	Build-Absolutely-Nothing-Anywhere-Near-Anyone
LULU	Locally-Unwanted-Land-Use
CAVE	Citizens-Against-Virtually-Everything
QUIMBY	Quit-Urbanizing-In-My-Back-Yard
NOTE	Not-Over-There-Either
NOPE	Nowhere-On-Planet-Earth
NIMTOO	Not-In-My-Term-Of-Office
NIMEY	Not-In-My-Election-Year
DUDE	Developers-Under-the-Delusion-of-Entitlement

If you scored 1-3 right, then congratulations you are on top of your game as a professional.

If you scored 4-6 right, then you are very impressive and should consider a career in neutralizing NIMBYism for corporations.

If you scored 7-10 right, then you are way beyond help and need to take a vacation…NOW!

There are certainly more acronyms and we want to know them. Please email Patrick Slevin at pslevin@slevingroup.com and we will publish them next edition of NIMBY America.

 

© All Rights Reserved, Slevin Group, Inc.

The information contained in this NIMBY America story is the intellectual property of Patrick Slevin and the Slevin Group, Inc. Any replication or use of its contents without prior written permission is prohibited.

“Every week, in hundreds of cities across the country there are part-time elected officials rejecting site plans and zoning requests impacting the bottom lines of numerous private corporations,” Patrick Slevin told elected officials, planners and developers Friday during a lunch sponsored by the Volusia County Association of Responsible Developers.

Read the full article: Civic Engagement Key to NIMBY

Patrick Slevin, president of The Slevin Group in Tallahassee , likes to go to the brain trust or “kitchen cabinet” of elected officials. Half of NIMBY conflicts can be avoided, if companies would simply employ civic engagement practices at the grassroots level as part of their corporate philosophy and planning process, Slevin said. The trend toward infill development makes interaction with the community all the more critical, he added. NIMBYism stems from a broken notice and hearing process at the city and county level, Slevin said. Public notices tend to appear too late in the development process, catching the community by surprise and leaving the developer vulnerable to the effects of negative public opinion.

Read the full html version on: Florida Real Estate Journal

Download the article: ICSC Conf. NIMBY Panel

Homeowners angered by unchecked growth are increasingly willing to take on developers at city hall – and are more successful when they do. Consultant Patrick Slevin advises his corporate clients to get community and political support for real estate projects before the NIMBY genie leaves the bottle. According to Slevin, it’s not so much the sophistication of NIMBY activists, but rather the absence of better civic practices on behalf of professionals that feeds an unnecessary NIMBY cycle.

Download the full article: Grassroots Warriors, Patrick Slevin Interview

Many developers and advocates say NIMBY resistance is rising. A recent national survey found that overall opposition to local development was up 5 percent in 2007 from the year before. “It’s a bare-knuckle fight out there between progress and protecting the status quo,” said NIMBY expert Patrick Slevin, former mayor of Safety Harbor , Fla. , and CEO of The Slevin Group, a Tallahassee , Fla.- based public relations firm specializing in land-use issues. The country has moved from “a NIMBY nation to a BANANA republic,” said Slevin, explaining that BANANA is an acronym for Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone.

Read the full article: A Fight in Woodstock