This article from the Post Dispatch was refreshing. One of the most frustrating things about suburbia is being in malls and strip malls with hideous amounts of unused parking. These sterile asphalt tundras fill up maybe a few times a year. As the internet takes a bigger chunk out of the shoppers those days, its likely that the need for so much vacant pavement is a thing of the past entirely.
The thought that County government is becoming more conscious of the benefits of increased density, those ideas are becoming more mainstream. If that’s the case, then maybe banks will have to start looking more favorably at mixed used developments. While enjoyable to live in, banks have strict lending limits on mixed use developments that hinder their development and occupancy in some cases. FHA limits are a generous 25% commercial, while Fannie Mae limits are at 15% commercial.
In reality, these changes in county codes discussed won’t change the ‘burbs much. Its nice to see them looking in the right direction though. The county codes would only apply to unincorporated parts of the county, and would only apply to new developments. Since these areas are mostly developed already (thus the need for more density) we’re really not talking about much.
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