“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

Traditionally, communications on land use applications rely upon bureaucratic notices and several public hearings. I would argue that the notice and hearing system does more to create community conflict than it does to mitigate it.

Download the full article: What Cities Can Do About NIMBY