Economic Effects of Residential-Neighborhood Conservation Zoning in Bryan, Texas

Abstract

The research contained in this paper assists in the resolution of the debate whether the Residential-Neighborhood Conservation zoning district within the City of Bryan, which restricts the number of occupants in a single-family house to two unrelated individuals, effects property values. An evaluation is detailed over a hypothesis starting that Residential-Neighborhood Conservation zoning may have a positive economic impact on property values for properties hold such zoning. The quantitative approach to this research includes property value information from the Brazos Central Appraisal District following the 2006 adoption of the ordinance, from the years 2008 to 2015. By comparing the data annually, it possible to evaluate the percentage of change that occurred during the scope of this research. The data shows the city-wide property values had a slightly greater increase in value than those within the specified zoning district. This information shows that null hypothesis should be accepted because a positive economic impact was not shown to occur for property values within the areas holding a Residential-Neighborhood Conservation zoning district. Further research is also included within this literature to guide future analysis on this topic.