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Public Facility Siting Exercise. Facility Assignments Group 1: Group 3: Group 2: Group 4: Each group should come together and take 10-15 minutes to answer the following questions:
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Public Facility Siting Exercise • Facility Assignments • Group 1: Group 3: • Group 2: Group 4: • Each group should come together and take 10-15 minutes to answer the following questions: • 1) What are the key factors in locating your facility type? Be sure to think about: --Facility issues (size, infra needs, etc.) --Land use issues (constraints or needs) --Environmental issues (constraints or needs) --Transportation issues (constraints or needs)2) What are the four most important criteria in siting a facility of the type your group is reviewing? New High School New Waste Transfer Station New Fire Station New Regional Park
The Tension in Siting Public Facilities Socio- PoliticalApproach TechnicalExpertise Approach Spectrum of Facility Siting Decision Making • Generally, there are two approaches for siting public facilities, each at the end of a spectrum of decision making: --At one end is an approach that relies solely on experts --At the other end lies an approach that relies solely on politics and public participation • What are the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches?
Locating Public Facilities • There typically exists strong local opposition to many major infrastructure facilities (landfills, sewer treatment stations, drainage systems, even fire stations and schools) • NIMBYism: “Not in my Backyard” syndrome (BANANA, NOPE) • Facility Locations should be decided upon several factors: • Site suitability (what sites fit the criteria for a preferred location) • Economic efficiency (what makes the most economic sense) • Political efficiency (what is politically feasible) • Equity (can facilities be sited equitably across the community) • Typical siting procedures include: -- Auctions --Urban Politics -- Public Referenda --Institutional Will -- Planning/“Rational Method” • Inventory and Assessment • Identify Gaps in Service • Land Use Analyses • Travel Time Analyses
A Typical Facility Siting Process • Three steps are typically undertaken when siting major public facilities: Stage 1 Minimum Technical Standards Screen all possible sites and identify those that meet the minimum standards for a facility. Stage 2 Social/Political Selection Criteria Screen the sites identified in Stage 1 for social and political acceptance. Stage 3 Compensation/Community Acceptance (Optional) The implementation of a compensation package to generate local community acceptance.
Stage 1 Minimum Technical Standards • Summary: The identification of sites that meet the minimumrequirements for the facility. Factors typically include: --acreage --land use/zoning--environmental restrictions --accessibility • Result: This process results in a Long List of sites. • Method: This process should utilize expert evaluations and must emphasize previously established standards for a site. • Errata: This process should exclude any political/social subjectivity. Cost factors should not be considered in Stage 1. • Role of Planners: At this stage the planner is a “technician”; their role is to undertake an analysis (typically using GIS) to identify all potentially suitable sites.
Stage 2 Social/Political Suitability Criteria • Summary: This stage compares the relative “social/political suitability” of the Long List of sites. Factors may include: --site costs --construction costs --political factors --regional impacts • Result: This process results in a ranked Short List of sites. • Method: A combination of expert analysis, public comment, and political input is utilized to complete this list. • Errata: This method requires: --an analysis of public preferences in the siting process --an analysis of “trade-offs” implicit in choosing among technically suitable sites • Role of Planners: In this stage, planners play a role in acquiring and analyzing community input, in eliminating unsuitable sites, and in ranking the remaining short list of sites.
Stage 3 Community Compensation/Acceptance • Summary: This stage evaluates the Short List and generates a final siting decision for the proposed facility. • Result: The selection of the Final Site and the determination of an acceptable Compensation Package for the impacted community. Compensation may include: --financial incentives --mitigation programs --transportation improvements --site design features • Method: A number of methods are possible; expert analysis, pubic referenda, an auction, or political decision-making. • Errata: The final compensation package is often negotiated after the decision has been made and not as part of the actual decision making process. • Role of Planners: In this final stage the planner may be an advocate for both the proposed site for the facility and for the community that will be receiving the new facility.