Public hearings. Petitions. Protests. Politics. They’re all part of controversial land-use projects. Oftentimes, developers trying to get a project proposal through municipal approvals don’t think about a key ingredient to making their plan a success: When appropriate, they need to proactively address community relations and engage the news media.
If a developer or consultant just worries about satisfying the zoning or other demands of the planning or town board, they are forgetting about the court of public opinion. This court can have powerful sway over the approval or disapproval of a project.
Board members go to the same stores, gas stations and carwashes where everyone else in the community goes. They have a keen ear on the feelings and concerns of the neighbors of a project. They are reading and hearing about the negative attributes of a project. How do you think that would impact a project? As a developer, you need to ensure you have a plan to voice the positives.
There is no cookie-cutter program when it comes to handling community and media relations for a controversial development project. Sometimes, there is value in having little contact with the community and media. Not attracting attention to your project can have advantages if you are in the discussion and evaluation stages. Your plan of action should be determined by the scope of the project, the potential controversy, the timing and the parties involved.
If you do decide to engage the community and media, here are just a few points to consider:
– Engage key stakeholders. Develop relationships with individuals in business, government and economic development agencies who can appear and vocally support the project. Know who you can count on and who will be your opposition. Take time to understand the opposition’s concerns and address those early in your project planning.
– Outline the project to the media. With high-profile projects, there is value to showing the media the size and scope of the project; the benefits, such as creating jobs or community parkland; and the mitigation of the project’s impact on neighbors, such as adding buffer zones or showing renderings that reflect the architectural design.
– Host community forums. Whenever there is a substantial project, neighbors naturally will have concerns. A community meeting with concerned citizens gives you an opportunity to combat misinformation and potentially neutralize the opposition to a project.
These are just a few of the proactive strategies a development or consulting team needs to think about when navigating the approval process for a controversial project. Land-use matters are complicated, and they are political in nature. The communications that are required in handling them are much like crisis management, which involves the most intricate public relations strategies and abilities.
Josh Sommers is president and CEO of Focus Media, a leading Hudson Valley advertising and public relations agency. He can be reached at josh@advertisingandpr.com or 294-3342, ext. 303. Read his blog at www.advertisingandpr.com. His column appears Fridays.
