☆ A Libertarian speaks: Cities’ construction plans should better empower landowners

John Inks—former Mountain View mayor, termed-out councilmember, and longtime Libertarian—analyzes local governments’ plans for construction and development projects. While praising these plans’ comprehensiveness, Inks suggests that too-stringent courses of action constrain owners’ crucial decisions about their own projects. An Opp Now exclusive.

Opportunity Now: You argue that, oftentimes, development plans too stringently paint local projects into a corner. Explain how these plans—meant to clarify and organize citywide construction—can be at odds with what locals need and want.

John Inks: Right now, there’s a detailed planning process for construction. Local governments are engaged around a general plan and subsequent precise plans. While these plans tend to be well thought-out (as far as getting input from staff, consultants, and the public), they often become outdated as the project advances. Then, the city ends up constrained by the plans, which don’t necessarily fit what customers, tenants, owners, etc. want anymore. Their desired outcomes may change with land use needs, property owner needs, and tenant needs over time.

You end up in situations where, for instance, commercial development is being proposed in Mountain View in a Wells Fargo parking lot; but what some people favor is housing. I’m currently following the counsel on this developing case.

ON: So you believe that local governments’ construction plans should better allow for changing gears mid-project, correct?

JI: Yes. My approach—the Libertarian philosophy—is much more restrained when it comes to fiscal and regulatory control, in the interest of actually serving people and what they want.

Also, it matters how city councilmembers manage these construction plans. When I served on council, I wasn’t always acting based on what the latest precise plan was or consulting the newest study or survey. Instead, I wanted to be flexible enough to get input constantly throughout a project and not be constrained by an authoritative plan.

ON: It sounds like you really value flexibility in local cities’ policies, allowing key stakeholders to make the cogent decisions about their own projects. Is this a fair estimation?

JI: Absolutely. This issue points to the typical conflict between other political ideologies and Libertarianism, which tends to be one of control versus choice. Authority versus more restrained policy that invites individual freedom.

Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity

This article is part of an exclusive Opp Now series. Local Libertarian leaders share their perspectives on SCC governance:

Jax Oliver