Land use politics southern style : the case of cash proffers in Virginia

Abstract

The linkage between the political dynamics at the state level and actual implementation of land use regulations at the local level is the focus of this dissertation. This focus is explored through the genesis and efficacy of cash proffers, a land use regulatory tool in Virginia. Using a mixed methods approach, I answer research questions on how and why cash proffers came into existence; are implemented; and affect housing development. The importance of this dissertation topic stems from the uniqueness of the case. Virginia is the only state in the United States using cash proffers on such a large-scale as a growth management tool. It is important to understand whether this tool has applicability beyond Virginia. Further, the "politics of land use" are complicated with important consequences for society. We need to understand the role of state level interest groups in the efficacy of local land use regulations, as well as, how the dynamics underlying these regulations at the local level feedback into the statewide debate on growth management and land use. Finally, the costs of servicing new development with public infrastructure have rapidly increased over time. Localities are in search of new revenue sources to cover these infrastructure costs. This dissertation addresses whether cash proffers can be considered as one such source. Through historical analysis of archival materials as well as interviews, I find that cash proffers were an unintended practice resulting from the implementation of state-approved conditional zoning at the local level political process. Data collected through a self-conducted statewide survey of Virginia counties plus state mandated revenue reports shows counties trying to add more certainty to their implementation of cash proffers in the face of the tool's high revenue variability. Multivariate regression results for a short panel of counties suggest that a county's cash proffer activity is negatively associated with new housing construction.