Land Use Restrictions

Question 1

buffer zones

Answer 1

may be planned to provide separation of two incompatible zones (e.g., on land between a residential area and an area zoned for industrial use, a developer may be required to plant grass and trees)

Question 2

aesthetic zoning

Answer 2

may require conformity with a certain type of architectural style

Question 3

incentive zoning

Answer 3

may specify that a portion of the land be devoted to a specific purpose to obtain approval for certain concessions (e.g., the developer may have to provide open space to get approval for the street floor of an office building to have retail businesses)

Question 4

bulk zoning

Answer 4

may control the density of uses by limiting building size (e.g., by number of stories or height in feet) or lot size

Question 5

cumulative zoning

Answer 5

may allow less restrictive uses in an area, such as four-unit townhouses in areas zoned for apartment houses

Question 6

inclusionary zoning

Answer 6

may require certain uses to be included in a development, such as a certain percentage of the units for low- and middle-income families

Question 7

exclusionary zoning

Answer 7

may prohibit certain uses in an area, such as liquor stores or gun shops near schools

Question 8

conditional use permits

Answer 8

Such permits allow a land use restriction that does not conform to zoning requirements as long as it is within the strict limitations of the permit regarding size, traffic control, and so on. Permits generally are granted for uses that do not fall into any particular zoning classification (e.g., child care centers, medical clinics, private schools, dog kennels, professional offices), yet which benefit the community.

Question 9

Buffer Zone

Answer 9

Between Residential and Commercial

Question 10

Downzone

Answer 10

Lower Density Use

Question 11

Legal Nonconforming Use

Answer 11

Existing

Question 12

Variance or Adjustment

Answer 12

new

Question 13

Spot Zoning

Answer 13

Small Parcel, Significant Difference

Question 14

Conditional or Special Use Permit

Answer 14

Benefit Community

Question 15

The National Environmental Policy Act

Answer 15

requires federal agencies to prepare an environmental impact statement disclosing the effects of a development, whenever a proposed project would have a major impact on the environment.

Question 16

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA or the Superfund Act)

Answer 16

makes past and present owners, and even lenders, jointly and severally liable for cleanup of hazardous substances, regardless of whether they were connected to the production, transportation, or disposal of the hazardous substances on the property, unless they can qualify as innocent purchasers or bona fide prospective purchasers who have not caused or contributed to hazardous waste contamination. Areas that have been abandoned or idled and underused industrial and commercial facilities, where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination, are referred to as “brownfields.”

Question 17

The Clean Air Act

Answer 17

imposes standards for air quality.

Question 18

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the Clean Water Act

Answer 18

imposes standards for water quality and wastewater treatment. States are required to implement plans for meeting those standards.

Question 19

The Federal Coastal Zone Management Act (known as CZM or CZMA)

Answer 19

provides assistance to coastal states to develop and implement programs for managing their coastal zones.

Question 20

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

Answer 20

was enacted to deal with hazardous waste management. Its primary goals are to protect human health, protect the environment from hazardous waste disposal, conserve energy and natural resources, reduce waste, and ensure that waste is handled in an environmentally sound way.

Question 21

building codes (or building ordinances)

Answer 21

establish minimum material and construction standards for new construction and building alterations.
They require that a person submit building plans and obtain a building permit before building, altering, or repairing a building so that building code officials may determine whether the work would meet building code and zoning requirements.

Question 22

certificate of occupancy

Answer 22

Upon inspection of the completed work, the building code department will issue a certificate of occupancy to allow occupancy if the building satisfies all code requirements.