(Photo via Urban3D, City of Gilbert)
By Gilbert Sun News
Just like farmers who plant high-value crops to boost profitability, Gilbert can increase the productivity of the parcels in the Heritage District to yield more taxes, an urban planning expert believes.
And it could include loosening the height restriction to make that happen.
The .3-square-mile downtown, designated as a redevelopment area in 1989, has blossomed into a Valley hotspot for entertainment and dining.
But Joe Minicozzi, a cross-trained city planner and economist for Urban3D, told Town Council it’s not getting enough bang for its buck from the district.
“When I look at land, I look at land like a product, the way a farmer would look at land,” he said at an Aug. 23 special council meeting. “You all understand this in Arizona: what is the crop yield per acre?”
