A nice principle is not the same as good policy

One of the floodplain options before Fort Collins City Council is not like the others.

Reducing allowable foot-rise or prohibiting all new structures in the floodway – or leaving the current rules in place – are specific regulatory policies. No Adverse Impact is a planning principle.

A principle with a noble pedigree in common law, to be sure – nobody has the right to harm others for personal gain – but still merely a framework for developing sustainable policy, not a prescribed set of standards. It’s philosophy, not engineering.

And that’s where the devil lurks. NAI sounds reasonable, but it has no…