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Opposition to Commercial Development Still Strong

BOSTON-Increasingly, Americans are joining forces to oppose new development projects as a way to protect home values and the character of their own community, a new study finds.

By Beverly Ford | Updated on November 28, 2006

BOSTON-Americans are strongly opposed to commercial development projects, and a majority of them favor using tax dollars to keep land undeveloped, a new survey finds. According to the Saint Index, a survey of 1,000 Americans commissioned by the Hingham, MA-based Saint Consulting Group, nearly three quarters of the respondents said they are opposed to development in their own community and twice as many Americans actively oppose development as support it.

“It’s becoming a significant issue,” Saint president Patrick Fox tells GlobeSt.com. “Americans are looking for ways to stop development.”

The study found that the strongest citizen opposition surfaces around landfills, quarries and power plants, but opposition to such as Wal-Mart and biotech research facilities have gained ground since last year, when the consulting firm conducted its first national study. Americans are also supportive of state laws that curb the use of eminent domain for private development, with 71% of those polled saying they approve such measures.

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