NIMBY America Archive

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.

Comments