Chapter 20 - Planning and Zoning Flashcards
What is laissez-faire?
A philosophy of noninterference by the government in private business affairs; advocates letting the owners of land and business fix the rules of competition
As part of the growth management process, city planning attempts to regulate city growth as required to achieve four basic goals:
- To plan future land uses that allow the highest and best use of the maximum number of properties
- To reduce the possibility that a particular type of land use may cause loss of value to neighboring properties
- To reduce present and future growth costs that must be borne by taxpayers
- To create an optimal social and economic environment as a result of community growth
The concurrency provision in Florida’s Growth Management Act of 1985 mandates that:
The infrastructure, such as roads and water and waste treatment facilities needed to support additional population, be in place before new development is allowed
Planning commissions are most effective when:
Composed of members who represent all walks of life
Members of the planning commission are usually:
Appointed (not elected) and serve in a voluntary, unpaid capacity
Three areas of responsibility for which city planning commissions are commonly delegated final authority are:
- Subdivision plat approval
- Site plan approval
- Sign control
What are the six types of background studies used by planners?
Population background studies Economic base studies Existing land-use studies Physiographic studies Recreation and community facilities studies Thoroughfare studies
What are base industries?
Those industries that attract outside money to the area, such as film making, fertilizer plants, and the citrus industry
What are service industries?
Those such as grocery stores, barber shops, and retail stores, whose customers are primarily local residents
What do economic base studies analyze?
The effect of base-industry employment in the area
What is the purpose of physiographic studies?
Help avoid unexpected problems with soil conditions: drainage, soil percolation, and load-bearing capacity
What is the purpose of thoroughfare studies?
Identify existing and projected traffic circulation systems
What are zoning ordinances?
Local laws that implement the comprehensive plan
What are building codes?
Protect the public health and safety from inferior construction practices
Residential zoning regulates:
Density (number of units [homes] per acre)
What is the purpose of commercial zoning?
Regulate intensity of use
What is the purpose of industrial zoning?
Regulate intensity of use
The agricultural zoning classification is:
An all-inclusive category; it is not divided into subcategories
What is the purpose of a variance?
Allows a property owner to vary from strict compliance with all or part of a zoning code because to comply would force an undue hardship (you didn’t cause it) on the property owner
What is the development of regional impact?
Any development that, because of its character, size, or location, will have a substantial effect on the health, safety, or welfare of citizens of more than one county in the state
What is a planned unit development (PUD)?
A type of special land use allowed under most local zoning ordinances (a city within a city)
One of the major reasons for the lack of emphasis on city planning in the 1800s was the:
Philosophy of laissez-faire
The subsection in Florida’s Growth Management Act that requires that parks, roads, sewers, and drinking water be available before new development is allowed is referred to as the:
Concurrency provision
A planning commission is normally composed of:
Appointed unpaid members
The best composition of a planning commission is generally thought to be one with representation from:
A cross section of interests
In municipalities with planning commissions, the final authority in planning matters is the:
Elected city government officials
The primary function of a planning commission is to:
Make policy recommendations to the elected government body
A strip of land that separates one land use from another is referred to as a:
Buffer zone
The most basic of all the background planning studies is the:
Population study
A land-use study:
Shows where future land uses should be
Involves plotting each parcel on a land-use map
Requires an inventory of public and private land uses
Population background studies include an estimate of:
The number of new households expected to move into the area
Base industries contribute to stability and growth; service industries are the business that:
Do not attract much outside money to the area
Physiographic studies reveal the:
Surface and subsurface structure of land
Thoroughfare studies are normally a:
Cooperative project
To be granted a variance, a property owner must provide evidence that:
A hardship related to land use exists
Residential zoning is designated to regulate:
Intensity
Frequency
Density
Commercial zoning is designed to regulate:
Intensity
A small general store that existed before a change to residential zoning would be an example of a:
Nonconforming use
The legal right to enact zoning laws is derived from:
Police powers
Zoning ordinances regulate:
The setback requirements of a building from the property lines
A parcel of land contains 75 acres. A developer has reserved 25% of the land for streets and green space. Applicable zoning regulations require a minimum of 9.500 square feet per residential lot. The number of permissible lots is:
257
75 x .75 = 56.25
56.25 x 43,560 = 2,450,250
2,450,250 / 9,500 = 257
What are the five basic categories of zoning?
Residential Commercial Industrial Agricultural Special use
The concurrency requirement of the Florida Growth Management Act provides for:
All building plans must include services such as roads to be in place before a building permit for building houses is issued
A builder has a 100 acre plot of ground. He sets aside 20% for a school and playground; 15% for roads, drainage ditches and sidewalks; and 15% for a strip shopping area with parking. He plans to build three houses per acre. How many houses can be built on this property?
150 homes
.2 + .15 + .15 = .5
100 * .5 = 50
50 x 3 = 150
Mr. Jones bought a home from Mrs. Smith. The covenants and restrictions of the subdivision state that no vehicles can be parked on the grass; that the vehicle must be parked on a paved surface. Mr. Jones buys an RV and wants to put it beside the garage on an unpaved part of the yard. He calls the city and finds that the city does not have any restrictions on this. Mr. White, his neighbor, objects to the RV being parked beside the garage. Can Mr. White do anything about this?
Yes, Mr. White can appeal to the court to enforce the subdivision restriction
Commercial zoning is based on:
Intensity issues
PUDs are different than condominiums in that:
PUDs are managed by Homeowner’s Associations, often as a Master Association
Jack wants to build a business with a 42-foot sign on the top of his building. He believes that the sign will generate a lot of business. The city has an ordinance which limits the size of the sign to 30 feet and requires that it be on a sign post, independent of other structures. Jack’s attorney tells Jack he had better check with the city before he builds anything. What can Jack do about the sign issue?
Jack can apply to the zoning commission for a variance
The old tire factory has been manufacturing tires for 50 years. It has been grandfathered into the zoning since it was still producing jobs as well as tires. The current zoning is agricultural. The tire business shut down last January and the building burned to the ground last Saturday night. What can the owners of the property do?
The owners cannot rebuild the plant and they must sell the property as agricultural
The purpose of zoning is:
To provide for the health and safety of the community
The members of the local planning board are:
Volunteers in the community who are untrained in zoning
The National Flood Insurance program is in place to:
Provide for losses against flooding
R-Value measures:
Thermal and moisture protection
A shopping mall located in a community where customers would be drawn from outside the community would be a:
Development of regional impact
A salesperson finds out the home he has listed was once used as a meth lab. In this circumstance, he should:
Disclose
CERCLA stands for:
Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act
